Came here to try the ramen with the gf. I genuinely love ramen! I've had ramen from daikakou to Ippudo to ramen all over Tokyo. To start we ordered the mushroom/avocado tempura. It was served with spicy mayo and I thought it was on-point. The avocado however was not ripe enough yet so it was not as good. We also tried the pork belly buns. Something about the sauce just did not hit the spot. It tasted to sweet and had a Cantonese flavor to it. The main event was the tonkotsu ramen. It was average in terms of Chicago-authentic style ramen. The soup was good but seem like it was lacking a bit more flavor. The cha-su was sliced a bit thin in my opinion. The egg was cooked perfectly. It was however missing the usual bamboo shoots. The noodles I did not like very much. They did not have any bounce to the bite - which is what a really good noodle should provide. Overall it was average. I don't think I would crave it though. read more

I came here with three of my friends last weekend after getting a tip from someone I work with. He said they had good cocktails and ramen, so i figured why not give it a try on a cold rainy night in Chitown. My boyfriend and I loved our musclemen and pork shoulder ramen dishes, however my sister and her friend did not enjoy their salad entrees. I would give this place 3 stars because I had to ask our waitress 3 times for 1 sangria and she was very lackadaisical about it instead of apologetic. Whatever not a big deal. The duck and pork belly buns are good and definitely worth trying if you have never had one of these interesting bread creations. If I lived in Wicker Park I could see myself coming here often for Ramen, however I don't so I will not be back anytime soon. read more

Absolutely love the broth. The noodles..are fresh and I am impartial to it. I have been accustomed to instant ramen for most of my life so fresh ramen's texture was really odd to me. The buns were good, but not out of the world good. I think it's a nice place to stop for a quick meal. Although the broth was good but very salty and loaded with msg. I drank 5 glasses water at the restaurant and was thirsty all night. read more

For the price, the quality and quantity of food is very impressive. Powerful flavors with great textures. Lighting is not this place's forte, nor are large group spaces, but the deco is very cool. I'd definitely recommending testing it out with a few friends when you get the chance, because you'll be happy and full afterwards. read more

So much yum. Went with a friend and started with a bottle of wine, which they kept chilled on the table in a beer pitcher--works! We shared a couple buns (shrimp tempura and the goki). Both were so tasty. Then we had the chaldomen ramen. SO good! It was even better the second day. :9 Great staff, cute interior, nice patio with open windows to the inside. I'll definitely go back. read more

This place is only all right. There's nothing offensive or bad about it but it definitely doesn't wow me in any way at all. It's good for a ramen fix when Wasabi has a line out the door. In fact, that's actually been the reason why I have gone the past two times... Overall, it's good when you're in a pinch, really want ramen, but don't want to wait in line for Wasabi. It's definitely not a palce that is worth venturing out for. read more

Amazing. Came right after work and was empty, but started to fill after a few minutes. Ordered: Pork Belly buns BBQ Chicken buns Fried Chicken Ramen The buns were good but a little skant on the protein. The fried chicken wasn't amazing but better than the chicken I've ever gotten at places like this. The Ramen was good. Was my first restaurant ramen so I can't compare it to anything, but I'd get it again. I'll definitely be back, I just wish they had sushi. read more

This is the best Ramen I ever had even compared with the ones I had in Japan!! I ordered the pork classic, it totally blows me away! The pork shoulder bun has a juicy flavour, it's quite nice and not a usual bun you see everywhere else. I'll definitely come back!!! The only thing that could be improved is the restriction of one bun per order!! I'll have to come back LOL read more

My favorite ramen in this city. The modern ramen is the way to go. I've enjoyed the dine in experience as well as take out. read more

Oiistar - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Noodles is good, but I don't like appetizers I ordered. Service is great. Overall, I like this restaurant but not my favorite. It is ok to try once. read more

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While ramania sweeps the Windy City, I've been observing from afar. After a disappointing ramen at a Manhattan slurp shop, where I misguidedly ordered a breakfast-themed bowl with cheddar cheese and ham, I was reluctant to give ramen another try. I've changed my tune after Oiistar's Oiiman bowl. I loved the lip-smacking broth, peppery and rich, and the house-made noodles, dripping with pork in every bite. Somehow, the leftovers were even more magical; as I was eating some for dinner the next day, I told a friend that they were basically the best thing that ever happened to me. (I will note I expected something spicier; the waiter described the spiciness level as 5 out of 10, but I'd call it a 3, even though I can't handle much heat.) Before devouring our ramen, my friends and I split a few appetizers--which came slower than expected, just a few minutes before our bowls. I'd recommend the basic BBQ beef ("goki") and mashed potato-stuffed buns, but the duck breast bun was missing something special; the fried chicken in spicy garlic soy sauce was tasty but unnecessary. read more

all of their food options are always consistent and delicious. oiimen classic and shrimp tempura buns are my go to, and the veggiemen is great too. sent many of my friends and family here and no one leaves disappointed. read more

One of my first stop I went to when I first arrived to Chicago. I am a huge fan of ramen and Oiistar has fulfilled my urge for ramen. I like the restaurant interior, small, warm and welcoming. The table is a bit too small to fit everything onto it. I was sitting at the table for 2, we get 2 cocktails, 2 cups of water, 2 bowls of ramen and 1 appetizer, and we were struggling to organize them. The ramen was really good, a lightly bit saltier than the regular ramen and the portion was big. I would say 2 appetizer and a ramen could feed 2 people. Overall, the price is reasonable and a good place to have lunch or dinner with small group of friends. I would not say family because there's only 2 big tables and there's a high chance of wait line without any reservation. read more

These ramen bowls are HUGE. So flavorful but expect like two times the normal amount of servings for $15 a bowl. The baos were good, particularly the fish one. read more

So, oiistar is one of those places where you go every time and it gets better. I'll keep it short and say that you need to get the spicy garlic ramen. If you've ever had jjampong, this tastes very similar. I went once when I was super sick, and this was all I was craving. Some people have chicken noodle soup, I have ramen. You won't regret it. I promise. read more

Best ramen I've had thus far!! I considered giving this place 4 stars because the service was having a rough night, but the food is just too good. The Manager was great and handled the situation of our forgotten order perfectly. We got pork belly, duck and 6hr pork shoulder buns, classic ramen and spicy ramen. So so so so tasty! read more

Their veggie ramen is TO DIE FOR. I seriously can't wait to go back. Their mushroom bun is amazing as well and I've never been a huge fan of mushrooms. The location is super cute perfect for a date spot. Love! This place is so underrated. read more

Oiistar is as good as everyone says. We went for lunch and had three buns (fantastic - the best we sampled was the shrimp tempura which was loaded with pickled cabbage) and the chicken ramen (which is large enough for two to comfortably share) which was absolutely delicious. The space itself is a bit austere, nowhere that I'd want to spend a significant amount of time. The service is attentive and gracious. read more

I love Oiistar! It's my guilty pleasure and their Raman is fabulous. If you like spicy, the Pozelman Raman is where it's at. I live in the West Loop but I still make the trip to WP to get their Pozelman pretty often for takeout. Only downside is that often when I try to order for takeout it takes a few tries for someone to pick up the phone to take my order. read more

By far the best ramen I've ever had and my favorite restaurant in the city. No kidding, I typically try to get me some Oiistar on a weekly basis. I can not tell you how devasted I was one night to go get some ramen to find out the restaurant was closed that week for vacation. So here is what you do when you get there: -- Beer (or hot Sake in the winter) --Tempura Cod bun --Chadolmen ramen The Chadelmon is absolutely incredible... particularly the broth. I cannot reccomend it enough, and all other ramen bows to it. read more

I was seriously craving ramen this weekend so I had to get it twice! It had a lot of good recommendations from my friends. Its definitely located in an awesome location too (especially if you are a hipster) in the middle of wicker park. I knew I liked it the second I walked it. It has a cool ambiance with modern/minimalist furniture. Apparently its a Korean owned Japanese Ramen shop, so you can see hints of Korean in the menu. Maybe the biggest surprise is the huge jug of Sangria that is sitting on the counter. Highly Recommend. ^_^b I got the classic ramen and the pork belly bun from here. I appreciated the pork bun, but it was a bit messy. The bun was pretty much falling apart by the time I got it. The sauce had soaked through the bottom, BUT it also meant that they gave me a lot of pork belly. Always a plus. I wasn't overwhelmed by how awesome the ramen was. The soup base was good and the ingredients were fresh. The noodles are the straight ones, which I am not a huge fan of. I think the curly ones are able to hold more soup in them, and are usually more springy. Maybe I'm just getting picky because it was my second bowl in 2 nights. The spicy seafood ramen that my friend got.... now thats a different story. Flavorful and unique! highly recommend. All in all, yes I would recommend this place. If I was in the area, I would for sure go. read more

Definitely some hit or misses here but not bad overall. Okay Dishes: Chaldolmen - ramen with korean fatty beef flavor, supposed to have kimchee in it for some reason it was missing. This ramen was a bit too modern for me. If you enjoy Korean BBQ with your ramen, then you will love this one. Oiimen - this is your typical Japanese tonkotsu ramen (fatty pork broth). The ramen was good but there was just something missing that I can't point out what exactly. Its very close to a perfect tonkotsu but just missing that one thing that will take it there. Overall good product. Best Dishes: Musclemen - the spicy seafood ramen. This one is where Oiistar shines if you enjoy a spicy seafood broth. Will definitely come back for this one again. Oii Salad - arugula and cucumber salad with almonds and cheese in a super flavorful asian sesame dressing. The sauce was a bit overpowering but the combination of all the ingredients was on point. Definitely a HIT Misses: Duck Breast Bun - I like my food with some flavor and fat but this one was a bit too bland and lean for me. It dash of BBQ sauce would have made this dish so much better. Dessert: I have had all 3 desserts and I liked them all. Sorry not a big dessert guy. read more

I went there to try the ramen and left a huge fan of the spicy fried chicken. The oilman ramen lacked flavor all the way around from the pork to the broth and the noodles appeared to be angel hair pasta, not ramen. The service was not great. I made a mistake and asked about the fried chicken wings and the waitress told me they didn't have wings it wasn't until I showed her the pic of the fried chicken that she advised "like I said we don't have wings, we have fried chicken parts" and the male waiter ignored me until I kept calling him and yes he was aware that I was talking to him. I'm giving them a 3 star however because the spicy chicken was the best fried chicken I've ever tasted. It wasn't disgusting but it was a surprise based on all of the rave reviews. I was not impressed with the ramen or the service. read more

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Amazing atmosphere. The menu is diverse and the sangria is delicious. The ramen is full of flavor and not heavy. This spot is one of my favorite in the city. Get a bun and chicken wings to share but get your very own bowl of ramen. Worth every last slurp!! read more

Oiistar - Chicken, ramen, sprite - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been on a ramen excursion from coast to coast and while living in Chicago, I had it in my list to check out Oiistar. Fate brought me here when I was stuck at a bus stop, and it started raining. As the Ramen Gods willed, today would be the day I tried Oiistar because it was literally right across the street from the bus stop. I sat at the bar. They started playing, "rolling down the street, smokin' indo, sipping on gin and juice..." and I knew I was home. Fun, hip atmosphere with a great playlist. The server was quick and efficient. A little too quick and overly anxious at times, but nevertheless he was attentive. I started off with their red wine sangria, which was perfectly refreshingly. I skipped the apps, which I regret because all of their sliders looked amazing. When my Oiistar Ramen came out, I was so pleasantly surprised at the perfect presentation of the ramen. The egg was runny (score!) and that speaks volumes about an authentic ramen establishment. The porky broth was good, but more on the lighter side than what I prefer. I ordered a side of house kimchi which was to my liking! However, if you put it inside the broth, it dramatically alters the taste of the ramen so tread carefully in those waters, my friends. The reason why this place doesn't contend as one of the top spots is because of the noodle! It was thin and didn't have enough of a chewiness to it. Overall, the ramen was still good, but it would have been way better if the noodles were up to par. I'll stick to my NY and LA ramen. read more

I really love this place. Based on just my imagination, it's pretty much everything I would think it should be. The broth is a lighter version than Wasabi (really, both are fantastic and have their places). The house-made hakata noodles are delicious - I love how the broth clings better to the thinner noodles for a more flavorful bite. One of my favorite parts is the pork belly bun. The cucumber is a nice bit of balance to the heaviness of the pork belly and the flavor all together is divine! Oiistar is absolutely one of the best ramen's in Chicago. read more

Some hits and misses at oiistar today. We ordered sambal chicken appetizer, ramen and four buns. The chicken was good and spicy--a hefty portion for $11. I think it should have been an entree. My shrimp bun was good, but my all three of my husband's were cold. Was that on purpose? We'll never know because the server never came back and checked on us. My son's ramen was very good and flavorful. The restaurant was really dark--and the decor was kind of boring. They played 60s and 70's oldies hits which I thought was odd for an Asian ramen shop in Wicker Park. We ordered a creme brûlée ($5) which is served in an espresso cup. Tiny! It had an "espresso caviar" on top that had no flavor, but the custard was good. Too bad it wasn't ramekin sized. Service was perfunctory. Not sure I'd go back. read more

Overall: Went there for ramen on a cold weekday night. Small place, but good food (great sangria). I had their classic OIIMEN Ramen. Sumptuous broth, good noodles, lovely egg, minor complaint was that the meat was really fatty. Pros: Seated right away, friendly service, great bowl of ramen, HUGE portion, and fun sangria that was a decent price Cons: Bit pricey, but understandable for the portion size. Also, restaurant is cold when the door opens. Next time I am looking forward to trying the buns and dessert. read more

The room was filled with warmth and my tummy delighted in that of the Ramen broth! Definitely for those demanding a kickstart to their day; it's just what you'd desire on a day in the wintery Chicago!! read more

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Had a yen for ramen today, and we were in Wicker Park so Oiistar showed up at the top of the list. We both had the Oiiman Classic. I was not disappointed, this was a huge helping, savory broth, firm noodleage, great pork. All around yummy. Parking is a PITA in the middle of the day, so if you're in a car get ready for the usual Chicago parking experience. But by all means come in and try the ramen... maybe someone more adventurous can tell me if the spicy selections are worth the risk. read more

Good ramen, nothing too memorable however. The tables are pretty small and it gets loud, so I would recommend this as more of a lunch spot rather than a dinner date. read more

I had the porkbelly bun and the Spicy Garlic Snoyumen ramen. It was delicious! Ramen wasn't overly spiced and the noodles were great. Perfect ramen spot to warm yourself up in this chilly Chicago weather! The restaurant is a tad small, pretty cozy, so it can take a bit of time for staff maneuver tables/ create spacing, but it adds to the cozy atmosphere! Great service. Overall, ramen and buns are a must-have! read more

This place isn't located in the downtown area of Chicago it is about 20 mins away from downtown. I actually like this side of town better. It was sunday evening on a cold rainy day and I really wanted to try some ramen. I decided to try this place because of the reviews and pictures. The restaurant was lot smaller than i expected but really nice and friendly. They have large bar area, high tables and small tables inside. We got seated immediately in a small table. I started out with 6-hr pork shoulder buns and duck breast bun. You only get one piece per order. 6-hr pork shoulder was alright it was little too sweet for my taste, but duck breast bun was really good! For the ramen I ordered spicy garlic with their side of suicide paste. I did order an extra side of their house ramen noodles. The portion of this ramen is very huge. The ratio of the noodles and broth i would say there are more noodles than broth.Next time I would get extra broth instead of extra noodles. The pork belly was huge and very tender. The broth itself was very very flavorful. The suicide paste is no joke! It is very extremely spicy! I also had leftover of the ramen since the portion was huge. I would definitely come visit this place again for their spicy garlic ramen any time I am in town. The service was friendly, the atmosphere is comfy and the ramen are amazing. read more

The ramen was EXCELLENT. Everyone was happy with their food. However the atmosphere sucked. We sat by the door and froze, people were standing all around us (waiting for tables). The service was some of the worst ever. They seemed to be waiting for us to serve ourselves and were not very nice. I agree with the comment about the tiny beers...they were tiny and expensive. Music was so loud we couldnt even told a conversation. The waiter took our appetizer away before we even finished.... there we so many things wrong with this place. They need some work. I would find a non busy time to partake at Oiistar. You will love the food and can maybe get some better service. read more

Oiistar is fantastic! Loved everything I had there. Ramen was great! Service could be better though. When I went there was one server on the floor, but it wasn't busy at all. There were 2 or 3 other small tables. The server just dropped off our drinks, food, and check when requested. Nothing else. read more

Bets Ramen I have had in the city. Cool vibe, good service, good beer selection. We will be back. Spicy too. read more

Just tried this place last night for the first time and I loved it! We arrived early, around 5:30pm and there were plenty of tables available, cute little square tables with enough room between tables to feel relatively private (this is kind of key for me). I had their signature cocktail, which is vodka with cucumber and lime, it's very dry but good. The ramen was excellent and perfect for a cold, Chicago night. I'll be back, of that I'm sure! read more

First off.... Amazing Ramen mixed with Korean american fusion. If you eat here you will want to go back 20 times. read more

Oiistar - Veggie ramen and tempura shrimp on flat bao. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My favorite ramen place in the area, and there are so many around here. They've been here for a long time but I've never stopped in. The menu looks so inventive that I really want to try it all. It's all been fantastic, ramen and buns alike. Always looking forward to the next time here. read more

One of my favorite ramen spots. Wishing they had one closer to the north side! Parking near Oiistar can be a headache, but the food makes up for it! I usually get a sangria, pork belly bun, and the classic ramen. All so mouth watering! My only complaint is that I always feel sleepy after my meal... but all worth it. Will be back in a few months! read more