Hidden gem alert. Oiistar does nothing to market, and has driven itself to success, merely by word of mouth alone. A contender in the ramen craze, oiister is a must-try. They offer a wide variety of ramen, ranging from traditional (shoyu or tonkatsu/classic), to spicy (jalapeño or kimchi-based), to seafood ramen options (mussels). I think there's like 10 different kinds. Here's my thing. they've got noodle options: thick, thin, wavy, and regular. you can throw in as many eggs as you want. meats. mussels. veggies. you name it. so you'll really get the way you want it, whether you opt for a titled ramen, or start free-styling your own. A competitor i know, won't even give you extra broth (so pretentious, right?!) but this place will. And they've also got the 48hr or whatever, stewed with love, and it took days for this, amazing kind of broth. Win. i've had the spicier ramen, and the classic. both good. i've added mussels, which were also good, and i loved the alternative, but became a slight distraction for eating. i really enjoyed it all, but i think classic won me more. (i'm a little sensitive to salt, and this was lighter for me). But wait. there's more. You don't even need to get the ramen. All the buns and appetizers can give you a shareable, snackable way to have your meal. Sometimes i like to just try everything, and all these options don't disappoint. I've tried the pork belly bun (good), shiitake (a little too saucy), and the tiger shrimp (WIN!!!!!!) There's just so much on the menu, that I really want to try everything. I'm a big fan of ramen, especially when it's cold. And i love the casual vibe. Only gripe: it can get a little cold, and the seating isn't the best. It's pretty narrow, and many chairs don't have a bag to it. But the service is good. The bowls are huge (bigger bowls, and more broth than other places serve). I'm usually too full for dessert by the time i've given up battling these big bowls of soup. if you haven't, definitely try it! read more

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I love ramen Ippudo in NYC is by far the best I have had and the benchmark. Next closest are some places in Vancouver. I had the classic (Oiimen). BTW Oii means pickle/cucumber in Korean...so this isn't Japanese owned..just saying. I also ordered the pollo bun. This place is good..solid...a very solid 3. The bun was ok, the bun was ripping when you folded it. It was over dressed with too much sauce. The ramen was tasty, the broth was ok. I think this is a great add to the neighborhood but its a decent place. My issue is the price, seems steep relative to what you get and for me alone 1 bun 1 ramen 1 diet coke 23 bucks Its a light 3, fighting its way out of a 2.5 read more

I came here on Monday, but alas it was closed so we went to Del Seoul and had a great meal. Then tonight, I tried to go to Fat Rice but THAT was closed... so we ended up coming here. Finally. I love Slurping Turtle but I find Takashi's Sunday noodle dinners to be severely lacking. There's probably only one or two places in this city I think of with decent ramen, and finally, Oiistar has come to fill the void. Thankfully my two compatriots are serious eaters so we got to try a big chunk of the menu. The duck breast buns were good, reminded me of korean bbq and salad with that perfect amount of spice and sweet heat. The pork belly buns were my favorite. I loved the microgreens that lightened it up. Then we tried the haricot verts with egg, panchetta bacon and creme fraiche. The "oiimen" ramen was fantastic. seasoned well and filled my tummy with enough warmth to combat the winter ice storm outside. Our server helped us select extra noodles and an extra egg so that it could be split perfectly amongst 3 people. The fried garlic chicken with almond and chive sauce was tasty, but not my personal favorite when there were so many other good dishes on the table. But my friends happily polished off the extras. The pork ribs with mozzarella, garlic and onion chips and lemon creme fraiche were great. i'm not usually a big ribs girl, but my share disappeared off my plate in record time. For dessert, the creme brulee with espresso caviar and almonds was served in an espresso cup-sized teacup. It was just enough sugar for 3 asians after devouring half a menu at oiistar. And it was executed with perfect technique. I was even pleasantly surprised by the caviar. It feels like I've seen the sodium alginate trick a million times, but the texture was definitely different. All in all, i'm so glad fat rice was closed tonight. oiistar more than stepped up to the challenge in sating 3 asian bellies expecting a good asian meal. read more

I've had this restaurant bookmarked for several weeks now. Since I'm on winter vacation, I finally had time to make my way over here tonight. I was very excited because I love soup and noodles as well as buns. After searching for parking for about 20 minutes, we found a spot 3 blocks away. However, as soon as my cousins and I entered, a large group just left thus allowing for us to be seated right away. We ordered shortly after. Most of us got the Oiimen ramen. It was a nice portion size and it tasted decent. I must say I've had better ramen. However, the chicken wings and the buns were very tasty. I tried the pork shoulder, pork belly, and the Goki. So sooooo so good! The chicken wings were filling and super flavorful. If I were to come back, I'd probably only get buns and appetizers. The atmosphere was not very much of my liking: just too loud and too dark. The service was okay as well which is why I took off one star. With that being said, I would recommend this place for buns, appetizers, and chicken wings. The ramen is average and the service is decent as well. The food is the only thing that made this place worth it. Yummmm. read more

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Greeted with a hearty "irasshaimase" upon entrance is always like a little surprise party and I LIKE IT. Staff was very friendly. Sat in front of the kitchen and everyone for the most part was pretty sociable. Throwback hip hop playing through the speakers was a nice touch. Something about Dre and pork ribs just goes together for me and not to mention they are pretty tasty as well. Duck bao was delicious and the golden raisin jalapeno chutney was good combo. I tried the Oiimen ramen and I am a fan. Good peppery broth, fresh noodles and all around pretty awesome, Thumbs up. Then there's the espresso creme brulee which for one is a personal favorite of mine. The espresso caviar to top it off is a nice touch and a nice balance when combined on your palate. Well done guys I will be returning. My only complaint is that I have to wait til they open at 5:30pm...sometimes a dude just wants to eat ramen early. read more

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Chicago was once a ramen deprived city. Slowly but surely restaurants stated popping up to fill the void and our heart's desires. Oiistar was one of the early entries in the ramen game and has become one of its strongest fixtures in Chicago with its Korean touch on a Japanese classic. There's a pinch of Chinese in the menu for good measure. You'll see a ramen bowl with kimchi, pork belly buns, and more delicious items on the menu that you won't find at other ramen shops. If your looking for something to fill your stomach (and then some), bring a recognizable comfort to your mind and heart, and all with a slight twist, this may just be your next ramen spot. It's still authentic with its great broth, stringy noodles, and lightly grilled pork, but Oiistar balances ambience, food, and price all very well. read more

The buns are harmony on your tongue. If you want an amazing meal go here. Would recommend this to anyone, a hidden gem of Chicago

TLDR: The decision, the vibe, the pork belly. We came here on a semi-spontaneous decision after seeing good reviews and awesome pictures. Being kind of late on a Thursday night, we were able to be seated right away. Since it's almost the end of summer, we decided to sit outside and soak in the nice weather while it lasted. We opted to sit near the gate since the tables closer to the restaurant were right next to some of the inside tables and we thought it would be weird to be that cozy with some complete strangers. There wasn't much space between the tables and my chair was right up against the corner of the fence...I was trapped to try the food, for better or for worse! The vibe of the place was awesome. It was dimly lit to give it an urban modern feel. It was a little strange that they were playing the final fantasy movie on the projector though. The outside seating again was a little small, but very cozy. Our server was super friendly and asked if it was our first time. We said it was and he gave us some of his favorites and his suggestions on what to order. We decided to order the tuna carpaccio and a pork belly bun to start with and the classic ramen for our main dish, per our server's suggestions. The tuna carpaccio was awesome. The pork belly bun was TO DIE FOR. There was a perfect balance of ingredients that made every bite drool-worthy. The pork belly wasn't too fatty and had a ton of flavor. The ramen here was good. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was definitely worth coming back for. One thing I noticed was that it was a very generous portion. Our server told us that they had recently added some different types of the noodles, but the hakada ones that we got were the original (made in house!). The pork belly in the ramen was AMAZING. The noodles? Also AMAZING. The soup was pretty good, but was a little too salty for my liking. The eggs were slightly runny, indicating a good solid ramen place. As we were about to leave, another server or manager or someone came up to us and asked how everything was. The staff here are all super friendly and personable, but know how to give you space to enjoy the food. Overall, we really enjoyed oiistar, ambience and food and all. Pork belly buns, I'll be back for you! read more

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This would have been a perfect review if not for the slightly snotty customer service and the not-so-creative food. We walked in at around 6:00 and noticed that the place was PACKED. I mean packed. We definitely didn't expect that on a Saturday night. We walked up to the very trendy looking host and were immediately greeted with a "Do you have reservations?" We didn't. So I asked if we could eat at the bar, and was met with a stern and slightly snotty "No." Apparently, what I thought was the bar was actually tables. I shrugged my shoulders and she, again snottily and cooly informed us that it would be a 30 minute wait. This kind of threw me off, walking in the place seems kind of intimidatingly hipster and the sort of snotty host didn't help. To their credit, though we were only seated in about 10 minutes which was amazing, and super fast for such a trendy and hopping place on a Friday night. I was a little hit skeptical of the menu at first, as I'm a pescatarian and there weren't a ton of options for me. I decided to go with just one tempura cod bun and their oimoji which turned out to be their version of a mojito. When it arrived, I was surprised to see that it came in some sort of mason jar-chalice contraption which was so different and interesting. On top of that, my tempura cod bun was awesome. It had super crispy cod with these lightly pickled vegetables on them. Most of the time I hate pickled vegetables because they're so vinegar-y and nasty but these were just vinegar-y enough to make them sweet. On top of all of this, my mojito was only $7 and the bun was only $4! Awesome prices for awesome tasting food. We finished the night off with the creme brûlée which came with espresso caviar and shaved almonds. Loved this! The creme in the dish was so rich and so fresh and I loved the nutty-coffee taste that came from the top of this dish. Very good. My one complaint, however would be that the food have been a little more innovative. My bun was good, sure, but there wasn't anything super special about it. My boyfriend got the pozole ramen and he reported that although it tasted great and the price was very reasonable, there was nothing that really made it stand out. All in all, though, I would definitely go back. It was great food, and a great night! read more

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Oiistar is by far one of my favorite ramen places in Chicago. The environment is great and the staffs are really friendly. Their buns are exceptional! I tried the tonkatsu, pollo, and duck breast bun and they were all so delicious! If you're gonna come here to eat, make sure you order at least one bun! I've also had the chaldomen ramen. It is the perfect ramen to order on a cold night. read more

Oiistar - Chaldomen Ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Oiistar offer delicious ramen and buns in Wicker Park! The restaurant feels like a cool minimalist space: it is long and thin with modern wooden tables and stool-like chairs. Oiistar has a coatrack by the door so that you can hang up your coat instead of sitting on it. It is small and when busy, feels a bit cramped. I love the food at Oiistar! The ramen is awesome! They recently have updated the menu so that you can choose your type of broth, meat, and noodle. I am a huge fan of the Oiimen Ramen, which comes with tender pork belly, runny soft-boiled egg, and black mushrooms in a flavorful pork broth! It had the perfect balance of flavor and just the right amount of salt. I also am a fan of the buns! They are a contemporary twist on the classic, which are presented more like open-face sandwiches. I love the duck and fried cod! read more

This was my very first experience with Ramen at a restaurant and my first experience eating street buns! I loved every minute of it. I've been converted. Those buns were super amazing. Perfectly fluffy, almost melt in your mouth. We tried one of each and we were not disappointed. Definitely worth visiting again:) read more

4.5 Stars When my friend told me she was going to treat me out to dinner here I looked up the site and thought "wow were moving on up from those packs of Ramen noodles" and we sure did :) When we enter we were told to sit anywhere. I should have taken a pic of the table seating cause it's hard to explain. Sort of like wooden square box chairs with no backs. Totally not uncomfortable, but not the most comfortable either. We started with 3 buns to share (Tempura Shrimp, Goki, and Duck). All of them had very good flavor, but my favorite was the Goki. For our main entree we each ordered the Oiistar Classic Ramen. Okay.....so not like the package noodles at the store (not that my sophisticated self was expecting that) but I wasn't sure why grown people were paying $13 for some Ramen noodles till now. First off the noodles are made fresh and the garlicky broth was AMAzing! It was good on it's own, but of course I load it with hot sauce. When given the option I go crazy. The portion size was rather large, but I'd rather leave full than hungry. I plan to go back soon to relive my college days...or start my adult ones. lol...either way I'm hook! read more

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I invited my girlfriend to have a date with me. I want to eat our dinner here. I just found this place when my coworker and I were eating there. And I like their food. So i wants my girlfriend to try their food because it's good. And I'm sure she will like it. There are few customers inside. Some staff assisted us. We chose our order and waited for it. After some minutes our order came. The waiter carefully put our food on the table. They even greeted us so we smiled at them. My girlfriend enjoys the Creme Brule. She said it tasted delicious and yummy. Aside from that she liked the vegetable salad because it tasted fresh. My girlfriend was enjoying the food and she liked the food that we ordered. I'm happy that I found this place. We had a great experience at this place. read more

I love this new Asian fusion trendy restaurant. The drinks are also delicious. The service is excellent. read more

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On a weekend, we waited forever for a table. I was smarter this time and came on a weekday. The result? There was no wait at all and we were seated right away! What we ordered... Appetizers: -Duck Breast Bun: This was actually pretty good and my favorite one. I didn't really taste the duck to be honest, but it still was yummy. -Pork Belly Bun: This was good, but I am not a big fan of pork, and the pork is a fatty pork. Hence, it wasn't my thing, but still good for the most part. I perfect the duck. Ramen: The Oiimen is the only one I have tried here, so I can't really compare it to anything else. I got the Oiimen with the Pork Belly, which cost extra, but again, it was fatty meat...more fat than I expected. I end up switching with my gf who ordered the regular Oiimen with the Pork Loin, which has almost no fat. I like this more and in the future, I will stick to the regular Pork Loin. Anyway, as far as the broth goes, it was really good and it did not lack flavor. My only complaint was that they did not give everyone an equal amount of broth. My gf Oiimen had very little broth compared to ours and she ended up taking some of mine because she was out. Overall, this place is pretty good for ramen, but I had better. Also, the price, almost $15, is steep for ramen. It was worth a try, but for that price, I could get a really good meal elsewhere. read more

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For some reason, Chicago has been awfully chilly in September, which however makes it the perfect weather to enjoy ramen at Oiistar. My friend and I came one Sunday evening. The waiter recommended ordering a bun and a ramen, so I ordered the Duck Breast Bun and the Oiimen. To be honest, the duck breast bun was a bit disappointing. The meet was kind of dry, and not really flavored. In addition, it was hard to figure out whether to eat the buns with your hand (like you would traditionally) or to eat the buns with forks and spoons. The sauce soaked through the bread part of the bun, making it very soggy, and almost unedible. The ramen, however, is divine. The broth was made perfectly. The egg had the traditional soft center. The noodles were the right texture. The only negative was that the pork belly was a bit dry, and not strong in flavor. Would I come back? Probably if I were in the neighborhood. However, I'll definitely skip the bun. read more

Oiistar - Duck breast bun - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I'm not a huge fan of the ramen here - mostly because of the thin noodles. They are not chewy at all and there's not much texture to it. It honestly tasted like noodles you can buy at any Asian grocery store. The one thing that propped up my bowl of ramen was that the broth was developed well. I had some issues with it though after taking back leftovers. The broth completely clumped and hardened which unfortunately alerts you to just how fatty it really is compared to other locations where the same does not happen! For ramen, I much recommend Wasabi down the street by a mile or so. I did not have a chance to check out Oiistar's appetizers but that'll be on the list for next time as I'll be skipping over the ramen! read more

I am writing this review as I eat and let me tell you... I am happy. The Umami Ramen is truly one of the best ramen eating experiences I have ever had. It hit every flavor note and I found myself saying "mmm" with each bite. It's a random Wednesday and I decided to order a late lunch from Oiistar 7 minutes before closing (sorry guys). They were so accommodating and kind despite my very late order... I am usually not the biggest fan of pork belly because of the fat but this changed my mind. I had no aversion to the fat because it tasted so good. The handmade noodles are supreme and the broth is perfect- al the flavors are there. There isn't anything missing. When I am craving ramen, this will be my spot. I will certainly be back. read more

Oiiiiiin't you happy to see me again Oiistar? Rolled in Friday night to a pretty relaxed crowd at this lovable joint. Started with the usual beverage: ~2 OiiMojis! [gets my buzz going just off of one drank, hey-Ohhh!] Appetizers: ***They made some recent changes to the menu from last time. For the buns, they've changed to individual portion sizes. ~Goki == marinated korean bbq beef [INCREDIBLE FLAVOR!!! tastes like authentic korean bbq] ~Pork Belly == micro rainbow, cucumber, oiistar signature sauce [yummmm!] mini Nom's: ~DUXELLE - new menu item. I don't want to sound too mushy goo about this new dish, but I have developed a relationship with these delicious balls. [get yo Mind outta da gutter! hah] - lightly breaded and fried, similar to a texture of a Falafel ball. Stuffed with shredded pork belly, spicy mayo, caviar and surrounded by a beautiful spread of avocado puree. - hot damn. What a great addition to the menu! Never ever get rid of it, pretty please!!!! When our server, Erin, told us that the kitchen closed 10 mins ago, we were pretty bummed because we wanted to order another round of Duxelle. She was sweet enough to talk to manager, and the gracious kitchen staff (thank you!!!) whipped us a fresh batch. ~We topped off the night with Golden Monkey brew, which really filled us up good! Big thanks to our server, Erin for her sweet and efficient service, Chef Yim, and the staff. read more

We stopped by Oiistar when we were looking for a place to grab dinner on a Saturday night and the wait at Umami Burger was too long. While the place was pretty small, it wasn't too busy at all. This place had a trendy feel to it, with oak walls and bar top. There were tables lining one of the walls and then there were a bunch of stools along a super long bar. We grabbed a couple stools at the corner of the bar near the front. Food: I've been on a huge ramen binge trying to hit up all the best ramen spots in the city and burbs. Oiistar had some pretty good reviews so we decided to check it out. Pork belly bun - It had a good amount of pork belly on it, but the texture of the meat was a little off for me. I would've preferred them to crisp the fat a little more. Oiimen - Maybe I had some high expectations coming in, but I thought the ramen here was only okay. The size of it was pretty good and there was a standard amount of pork belly in it. But the main thing for me was the broth. I like really rich and deep flavored broths and this ramen was very light and just didn't have the more intense flavor I was looking for. I think I read that the noodles were handmade, but they were on the thinner side and I thought they were pretty forgettable. I mean it wasn't a bad bowl of ramen, but I just don't think it's one of the best I've had. Fried garlic chicken - I can't resist Asian style fried chicken whenever I see it on the menu. This was just as good as I was expecting. The chicken wings were pretty good and it had a nice crisp skin. The sauce had that great sweet, spicy, garlicky combination that I love. Zzajangmen - This was kind of a last minute wildcard order for us. None of us have ever heard of jajangmyeon before, but the description sounded pretty good so we gave it a shot. The dish consisted of a bed of al dente noodles topped with a really thick, salty, bold flavored black bean sauce. There was also chicken, pork and cashews in there too. All the components just worked really well together. This dish was one of the favorites of the night. It was pleasant surprise. Overall we had a pretty good dinner, but the main reason we even came here was for the ramen, and I wasn't really blown away by it. read more

Oiistar - oiimen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you know anything ramen you know the magic is all in the broth. Smooth, salty and silken. Fantastic. Hard boiled egg with a perfectly runny yolk. Jackpot. Add house made noodles which have just enough bite and it gets even better. Aside from the ramen, some interesting Asian fusion options. The kimchi fried rice salad was huge, delicious and unexpected. All in all, a legit addition to the burgeoning Chicago ramen scene worth trying. read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Goood stuff at Oiistar. To sum it all up: huge portions, huge spoon to go with it, nice fatty slabs of pork belly, soft boiled eggs, homemade noodles, and delicious pork belly buns. #GDFR Located in the Wicker Park area so there's a couple of hipster-y bars around there that you can walk to after dinner. read more

Oiistar - Pork belly buns-- must order! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ramen and buns are are phenomenal! I recommend the Goki bun and the spicy garlic Ramen!

Came here on a whim cause heard this was a great spot for ramen...upon arriving around 6 there was already a line outside the door, but it seems pretty normal. The wait was estimated and took nearly 40 minutes which was alright. Upon going inside to be seat it seemed to be a pretty small location but to say it was packed. Every table was filled indeed we were seated by the window which had a nice view of people waiting outside. Hehe. The walls were decorated with Japanese themed drawings which was intersting. The sever was alright pretty typical. Seems busy over all running around taking orders but came over occasionally to take our order and give us our food. The food now it was delicious and interesting to say the least. First off what we came here for was the ramen and the soup yes it was indeed well made. Then going to other food got a bunch of different BAOS of duck breast, pork shoulder, and another one. All three had there own unique taste and texture which was nice. We also go the chicken wings and there sauce for it was one of the best tasting sauce ever for wings. And finally another appetizer that looked like falafel balls and spicy mayo sauce not fully remember the name but still delicious Yes!! Go give this place a try read more

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I was walking around and we ended up just seeing this place from the outside. It looked nice, so we decided to head inside. The place is clean, a dark, but not weirdly dark, atmosphere. Super attentive staff, very friendly. 3 different kinds of ramen. I ended up ordering this mussel dish which was seriously - so effing good I've been thinking about it nonstop since I've been there, almost 3 weeks ago. My friend got this fried chicken kind, he said it was good. But mine was better. A spicy kick to it. So. Effing. Good. The dessert was poached pear- the candied walnuts and the added fruit was to die for. I'm doing this review at 6am so sorry this is all over the place. The place is delicious, just go. Go. You'll love it. And this was my first time having ramen, too. No, I never did the broke college student thing. I appreciate good food :) read more

Oiistar - Mussel ramen. Feel like it was called something man. It had a spicy kick to it, but in a good way. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We had to wait almost 70 minutes for our group of seven to get seated on a Thursday evening, so lesson #1: show up with a small group. If we had 2-4 peeps, we would have been seated essentially right away. The hostess was cool about it and took down my cell so we went to a bar nearby to get drinks while we waited. When we actually did get seated, Brittany (one of the servers) took care of our unruly posse for the next 90 minutes, and we ordered literally almost every dish on the menu. We tried all three types of buns (two per serving); very tasty, small-ish for $9, but solid. The ramen bowls were great; personally, I don't think you need the extra noodles that can be added for $2, as the $14-$15 bowls are freakin' huge to begin with (and they better be, for that price!). To me the real winner was the pork ribs appetizer served in a skillet with mozzarella and crispy onion bits...maybe the best thing I had last night. $18 bottles of cab made up for the fact that this place looks like it should be BYO. Staff was fantastic, and they set their Pandora station to what was obviously "Justin's Greatest Hits"; it was all 90s and 00s hip-hop right in my wheelhouse (even if it was mostly edited, Dre, Cypress Hill, Naughty, BONE, Snoop, Tupac). This didn't add a star for this review, but it did put a huge smile on my face all night long. read more

I came here some 4-5 months ago, and was blown away by their buns (bao) and their ramen - especially the Tikkamen Ramen bowl, and have been requesting my significant other to bring me back. We finally had the chance to dine here again, this past weekend, and the Tikkamen was as good as ever. Spicy, bold flavors combined with the warmth and comfort of a rich, salty, sumptuous broth - the Tikkamen ramen is pure perfection! The tiger shrimp bun, and the duck bun were also fantastic! read more

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This is my favorite ramen spot, everything from appetizers to ramen is amazing! We moved out of the area and haven't found a better place! I keep coming back for Oiistar ramen! Huge portions, that will feed you the next day! My favorites are all buns and OIIMEN classic. read more

Excellent value for $$. Noodle dish serves 2 with a scary Korean slurping ladle. Sangria -- light, fruity and delicious with a clean taste. For $7, plenty of room for a pitcher. Saltimbocca (lunch only) -- sauce drizzle complements the dish. More protein than light fluffy carb. Chadolmen (Modern) -- medium spicy soup. Sparse meat. Lots of noodles. Chili flavor overpowers the broth and its ingredients. Experience texture than flavor. Creme Brûlée -- the espresso cup portion is worthy of its $5 tag due to the complexity of the gastronomy-inspired espresso caviar. You gotta have it! Service -- informative, knowledgeable, quick and prompt. Venue -- clean and clutter-free. NOTE: Congratulate Alex, the principal to Illinois Lottery Commercial. Online menu is slightly different from current menu. I shall be back for more to taste the rest of dishes. read more

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Food: great Service: good Hot take: If you don't get the pork belly bun, you're making a big mistake. You won't regret it, you'll thank me forever. Honestly we have enjoyed everything here (buns, ramen, apps, etc) but the buns are the stars of the show. If you come on a weekend, expect to have a wait - especially if you have more than 2 people. They have a mix of tables that can be communal (depending on your group size) and bar counter. Service is good at each. read more

I needed to rewrite my review because this restaurant deserves more praise. Oiistar is THE BEST ramen restaurant I've tried. Don't let anyone tell you differently. I've been coming here for years and brought different people here and they all fall in love. People I bring always come back with new people they want to share the food with. The portions are huge and proportionate to what you pay for. A lot of times ramen places will charge the same amount as oiistar but the portions are half the size. I promise anything you get here will blow your mind. If this is your first time going to Oiistar, order the Oiimen classic. If you're looking for something different, Tikkamen is amazing and the Veggimen is also superb. I personally really enjoy the duxelle appetizer. ANY bun you get will be amazing. If it's your first time, get the tonkatsu or the tempura shrimp. If you're looking for something different try the mashed or the mushroom. The red sangria is my go to drink. The apples are always fresh and cut to order. There is usually no room for dessert but if you can, try the creme brulee. IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND. Keep in mind there is caviar on there so it will be fishy if you don't eat it with everything else. They're coffee infused so it goes so well with the almonds and egg. I cannot express my love for this restaurant enough. It deserves all your money and love! read more

Mediocre ramen. We ordered oiimen and chadolmen. Both look nice and their portions are big enough. I like oiimen more maybe because it's more traditional. Chadolmen is kinda sour. Nevertheless I feel like the execution is not good enough. The ramen is a little overcooked and a little too soft. The egg is cooked just right, but lack flavor. Of all ramen places in Chicago, I'd prefer Misoya and Wasabi more. But I'd rate this place better than Slurping Turtle. My other nitpicks are that the spoon is too heavy and their speaker is too bass heavy and it's overpowered. read more

Oiistar - Oiimen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

To preface, I've known and eaten at this place for years. Me and my girlfriend came in during wicker park fest and got some buns to start. Delicious as always. The problem started at the main course, my ramen was fine, a little watery, but they have Berkshire pork so it's cool. my girl got the fried chicken. She loved it. However, couple hours later she was violently sick from food poisoning. she didn't eat anything but what we had at oiistar that day. She called the next day to complain about it, was told she'd get a call back, and never did. Food's fine, just don't get the fried chicken. And don't expect a call back if something's wrong with your meal. read more

This is one of our favorite places to bring guests who come to our neighborhood. Everything about the experience meets our hopes for a nice dinner out. Ambiance is clean and modern with some bar stool seatings and regular low tables. Get the buns. We eat the mushrooms buns given we are vegetarian. The sauce is so rich and flavorful. It is hard to find tastes with that much depth for vegetarians. We are also love that they meat all dietary restrictions. Veggie? Check. They have a veggie broth. Gluten free? Check. They have rice noodles. Meat eater? Check. Lots of animal options. Finally, I like the drinks that come in the cute glasses. All that mixed with your favorite peeps, you can't go wrong. read more

First time coming here last Friday night. Easily became one of my new favorite spots! There was half an hour wait, which wasn't bad for 8pm on a Friday, a worker took our name down and texted us when our table was ready which was cool. We had the chance to go grab a drink at a nearby place since there's no waiting area inside Oiistar. A friend and I wanted to try something new and this place did NOT dissapoint. Everything was delicious. We shared 3 different buns(like appetizers): duck breast, goki and tempura shrimp. I'm a picky eater and I scarfed those down with no hesitation. We also split the garlic fried chicken and the garlic baguette, and it was also delicious. We were so full but couldn't stop eating. Seriously so impressed with this place! Servers make or break a restaurant no matter how good the food is.. everyone that worked there was so nice! I can't wait to go back. Oh, also the sangria(which I don't usually like) was really good too! read more

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I went to Oiistar last night around 7ish. For a table of 3, it took a little over an hour to get seated. Pretty typical, so you can't complain. When we sat down, our server sat down with us and described the menu. Our food came out in good time, but we strangely did not get a lot of water refills. My friends got sangria, which is served in these delightful mason jar stem glasses. It is super classy, let me tell you. For apps, we got the portobello mushroom bun and portobello mushroom avocado fries. The bun/taco was tangy and seared and delicious. I did enjoy the fries more, especially the dipping sauce. I ordered the spicy veggiemen. I'm gonna say it: this is the best vegetarian ramen I have had in Chicago. Ramen is my ultimate comfort food, and I was definitely impressed by Oiistar. The broth is spicy and made separately so it actually is vegetarian. My first bite was greens covered in sesame seeds and it was absolute perfection. The veggie ramen had a little bit of avocado similar to Totto Ramen in NYC, but it could have used a little more. The tofu was done really well--smoked and seared. Oh, I'm drooling. One of my friends ordered the oiimen, and she said she was not impressed when compared to Slurping Turtle or Wasabi. She definitely wanted to go back for the musclemen next time. Pork belly is everywhere these days. I will, without a doubt, return to Oiistar in the near future. The bill was reasonable, and the music is enjoyable when paired with old timey cartoons. And like I said, the veggie ramen is the best I've had in Chicago so far. read more

Oiistar - avocado & mushroom fries; portobello bun; spicy veggiemen. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to NY recently and visited Totto and Ippudo and this place goes head to head. Noodles were a little different than ramen noodles I am used to but needless to say, it was good . Friends and I ordered the musclemen, oiimen, and the chadolmen. All were very good. Our appetizers , which included 5 buns, tuna carpaccio, and fried pork were all tasty. Duck buns were my favorite but my friends loved the shrimp tempura bun. This place is a must try! Ambiance, service, food all five stars! read more

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Amazing!!! Ramen was on point!! Thank you for the quality recommendations from the server slash bartender. Plus excellent selection on wine and Japanese beer selection. Will return!! read more

Oiistar - Cabernet Copper Ridge , Cabernet Sauvignon ' , Ca Tempura Cod Tempura Shrimp - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was recommended this ramen joint by a few friends of mine so I was super excited to try it out. I ordered the oiimen ramen, which has pork belly, ground pork, egg, and spicy garlic oil broth. I thought the broth was decent, but the bf thought otherwise and he is not a picky eater (he claims there is a strong ginger flavor in the broth). I was not impressed by the pork after trying the ramen at Wasabi. The portions are also smaller than I expected--the bf ordered more food after finishing his ramen because he was still hungry. I tried a bite of the tempura cod bun and all I could taste was the sauce. Overall, I thought the ramen was just okay and if I had to choose, I would much rather go elsewhere to get my ramen fix. read more

Oiistar - Oiimen ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois