We got our food to go and it was incredible. If that doesn't speak to the quality of the food I do not know what does. I had the spicy chicken ramen. Divine. The broth was so flavorful with just the right amount of spice My cousin lives here for college and his favorite is the spicy tonkutsu. The shrimp tempura was still great despite being to go. Everyone enjoyed the shared pork and chicken bao buns. The restaurant is super clean and the service was very fast. Ordering on their website is very easy. Sorry I forgot pics! read more

As a U of I alumni, I was so excited to be back on campus and see how things have changed! The restaurant options were amazing and we were so excited to try this spot! We ordered pork buns, edamame, and tonkatsu ramen. Not only was everything we had super delicious, but it was also reasonably priced. The broth was good and I love a good soft boiled egg in my ramen. Definitely recommend! read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Edamame - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Great service, great vibe, good food I loved the katsu curry so much ! The gyoza/Fried dumpings was also very delicious! read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I got the miso one (R2) expecting it to taste like, well, miso. You know, salty, but still yummy. WELL IT WAS SWEET. WHY WAS THE MISO BROTH SWEET. That ruined it for me, it tasted more like sesame with no trace of miso. Very disappointed. Takoyaki was good. Not an authentic place. 4/10 read more

The broth is rich and the egg is really nice abd the beef is good quality the vibe is cute too price is about 15-17 per person if you get the ramen read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - R6.spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (Kimchi Ramen) - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

The water cups were nice and the water was crispy. Great start to the dining experience! I ordered the chicken katsu and it was delicious. I was intrigued by the drink menu but didn't end up ordering one. Maybe next time. The staff were friendly and the food came out quick. I'd recommend! read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Water - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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My favorite part of the experience is the atmosphere. The big bowl of fake ramen in the front, the wall decorations, the lanterns was just so beautiful and so much to look at! Never ending eye wander. I got the vegetarian ramen and my hubby got the curry ramen and both was delicious. Ageshi tofu was tasty and the fried calamari was just OK. I didn't really like the sauce. Broth was delicious and noodle was great. One thing I noticed is that they kept refilling our water which I love. Sometimes the servers never refill my water and I have to ask but not this place. None stop service. Everything was great. Will definitely come back for some more delicious ramen! read more

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We were in Urbana, IL, and got hungry for ramen. Found Oozu Ramen Bar on Yelp, so we decided to check it out. We went there about a 1/2 hour before closing. There was free street parking which was nice. It was a metered parking space, but parking was free at night. Not sure what time the free parking starts tho. We walked in the restaurant & it wasn't very crowded since they were closing soon. We were greeted & got seated right away by the friendly hostess. I ordered the veggie ramen & hubby ordered the spicy vegan ramen. Both ramen were very good! Although, hubby said he liked the veggies that were in my ramen. He said that if he ever went back he would ask for the veggie ramen with the spicy vegan ramen broth. We also ordered the potato croquette (2 per order). We loved it! We definitely recommend Oozu Ramen Bar if you're in Urbana, so check it out! read more

New favorite! Went on a date here with my boyfriend, they sat us right away at a cozy table for 2, and took our drink order about 30 seconds after sitting. I ordered a Thai iced tea, so yummy always. Then I got the spicy miso ramen, it was so flavorful! Perfect amount of spice for me and so steaming hot!! Best winter meal for a pick me up. :) read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - R3. Spicy Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Solid, solid food, quick and helpful service, and I'd probably come back! I got the shoyu ramen and it was decent, and they have a lunch special where the ramen is like $12.50- so, not much different than the regular price, but a small discount! It's not very explicit on the menu, so be sure to ask! read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Shoyu - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Amazing ramen spot. The broth was rich and full of flavor, noodles cooked perfectly, and the portions were solid. Service was fast and friendly, and the vibe is chill--great place to come back to. Definitely one of the better ramen bars around. read more

Good food and nice environment. They have a lot of options for food and great service as well, hosted my family of 10 after graduation!

Got delicious soup quick and easy. If you can find parking or are on foot, this is a great place for ramen. The broth was tonkotsu broth was rich and flavorful. Drank every last drop when the noodles, meat, egg, fish, shrimp, corn, and seaweed were all gone. The food came out very fast, and we were in and out and back on the road quickly after a meal with our kids in campus. The small storefront restaurant has the feel of a campus version of a modern sushi bar, with knock-off Asian versions of pop music playing in the background. read more

YUM! Worth the drive! I'm from East Peoria, but my family and friends drive to champaign often and enjoy their ramen! I love their Karaage cuz there's a kick of spice to it. And good ambiance and place! Good service too read more

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Came for lunch and it didn't disappoint. No line or long wait and ample seating. They took our order right away and it didn't take long for the bowls of hot ramen to arrive. The spicy kimchi ramen hit the spot. Just enough umami and the right amount of noodles and toppings. It's not too spicy so you can actually enjoy the dish. The regular tonkotsu ramen was good.. just not as good as the spicy kimchi. We ended up ordering 3 more bowls for dinner and they packaged it very nicely where the ramen was in a bowl with all toppings added; no flimsy to go container that requires you to use your own bowl at home (and therefore, require dish duty). Didn't really enjoy the pork belly "taco"/sliders because they added so much of the spicy mayonnaise. Would've liked it a little more without the mayonnaise and without the big piece of lettuce. Would've been nicer with julienned pickled veggies than plain old lettuce. Price was decent. Service was friendly. Parking is metered. Will return again! read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Spicy kimchi, special, pork belly sliders - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

The food here is decidedly average. I would have given this two stars, but the service was excellent and I'm grateful that my server was so courteous and personable. For satisfying a ramen craving, I think Shin Ramyun is better. But YMMV here. The tonkotsu broth I had wasn't bad. It was just boring and on the bland side. read more

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Amazing vegan ramen dishes...3 to choose from...really delicious, healthful, filling comfort food! Courteous, polite, friendly, efficient, prompt service...A-plus dining experience!!! read more

A nice Japanese noodles restaurant near campus! I ordered a Takoyaki Octopus and a Miso. The noodles came first, and then came the Takoyaki. I really love the soup of Miso, which tasted just right, not too salty nor too bland. Besides, the Takoyaki was also delicious, with thick sauce on and under each ball. The dining environment was clean and quiet, which was super friendly for an introvert like me. The service was fast in speed and was really good in quality. All in all, a satisfactory experience in oozu! read more

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My first impression of this resturant was really good because of the amazing decorations! Also, the chopsticks were very high quality which made me happy. I ordered the classic chicken ramen, edamame, and had some of my dads fried oysters. Everything I ate was pretty good! I especially liked the texture and flavor of the noodles. The service was efficient. They were also playing nice music. I tried the Yuzu tea and it was really good but had a very strong citrus taste. Overall, this was a very enjoyable dinner. read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Yuzu Tea (Citron Tea) - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Food is just average level. Some of them such as Tonkatsu bowl (rice entrée) was pretty disappointing. Ramen dishes were in general OK, except that the portion sizes were too small--can you believe that it just had three thin slices of meat!? Service was a little better than medium as it was always quick and polite. What they did good was the vibe. Black-red decor inside and some interesting stuff like a Ramen machine at the entrance of the restaurant. These often made me feel as if I was dining in a night market. read more

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I used to love this place back when I was in school. However, that might have just been nostalgia and the bowl of ramen I got was average. Quality- the broth was a bit watery and the egg was quite over cooked. It was almost hard boiled when I wanted a soft boiled egg. The beef cutlet was also a bit dry. Quantity- an ok amount of ramen was given but it wasn't that filling. Service- it took a while for me to get my check. I was waving my hand trying to flag down a waitress for a bit before they noticed me. Atmosphere- it's a clean place and I can tell you're paying a bit more for the ambience than the food. The music was a bit loud for my liking. read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

A classic at the campus of UIUC. I got the spicy miso ramen and it was terrific. I've gotten then spicy miso before and I really like it. I would say the soft boiled egg was really good this time around. In the past, it's been a little overcooked. Service was good but not great, however she filled our waters very often! I like the restaurant itself a lot, I think the way it's decorated adds a lot to the atmosphere. read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Spicy Miso - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

1000000000/10. Best ramen in the entire world. One of my favorite places in Champaign if not my absolute favorite place. Me and my mom love coming here. Food for the soul. read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I liked this place more than I thought I would. I was seated quickly and the food came out promptly. The ramen I got was a bit average but I didn't expect something insane or phenomenal. For the price and the speed of service I was more than happy for what I recieved. I like how the seasoned egg comes with the ramen and that the ramen comes with tasty toppings that you don't get scammed on having to add yourself. The pork was flavorful and the egg was molten in the middle although slighly overcooked. My only major complaint is the noodles. They taste like the packaged variety that many places use and its no shame in using them but there's always room for improvement. The menu is clear and the addons are also easily located. Will suggest coming here on a cold day when you want some ramen! read more

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Love the food here. The service was great. The experience and atmosphere was grate. Defiantly, a good spot to grab some food.

I actually liked this place a bit more than I expected. It's pretty much a no thrills ramen bar where you can get all the classics. Looks very clean and crisp. I got the tonaksu with the tempura shrimp. The shrimp was awesome, but the broth was kind of a weird color (at least what I'm used to). The taste was there so maybe I've not had authentic enough ramen. Prices were pretty fair too. It hit the spot on a cool rainy Saturday night so I was mostly happy! I'd come back for sure! read more

Love the food and ambiance here! Everyone is so nice!! I would recommend the curry chicken ramen and tonkotsu classic, I like to add kimchi. All the appetizers are delicious but my favorites are the sea salt edamame, takoyaki and especially the pork buns. The pork buns are so tender and juicy! read more

I went here last friday for dinner, although service was fast it seemed almost too fast for quality food. I ended up getting VERY sick from the chicken buns and was sick for almost 3 days. The chicken was dark meat and was very undercooked and I didn't notice until half way through one of the buns. read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - 7. Chicken Bun - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Never had ramen before and this was SO FREAKIMG GOOD. The broth is the spicy part not anything in the actual dish. Definitely a go to for me now! read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Spicy Chicken Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Champaign, IL is the closest city with more variety of Asian genre type foods, and decided to try out some ramen at Oozu. The fried shrimp is like popcorn shrimp. Edamame was steamed not so great. The soybeans they used didn't look fresh. Had some brown showing. The ramen didn't live up to my expectations, as the ramen is very generic. Tonkotsu broth is on the light side. Miso broth was too rich with miso. Noodles are not handmade. Marinated egg yolk was cooked medium well, should have an almost solid but gooey texture. Corn topping tasted like it just came from the can. However, the chashu was tender and had good flavor. Unfortunately, Oozu doesn't quite deliver authentic Japanese ramen (see my other reviews of ramen places with four or five stars). read more

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Sooo good! In fact, so good we made a special trip to come back the next week (we live an hour away)! read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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My wife and I visited Champaign a couple of years ago, and we tried Oozu. Our only complaint is that you guys were five hours away. We were living in Des Moines, and we lost our ramen restaurant, which caused a void. Since then, we moved to Bloomington, so we will definitely be seeing you soon! You guys have the best ramen we've ever had! read more

Great service, extensive menu, what we ordered was delicious. Also recommend any of the Bobas (ours was without boba-pearls though) read more

Oozu Ramen Bar - Spicy Chicken Ramen (not Spicy) - Ramen Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

This place is cracked in the best way possible. No matter how busy it is, food has always been out within 10 minutes for a party of 2. Food is super consistent and good, definitely a top place near Green Street. The only downside is the prices. They are a little higher than you would expect but with the amazing service, ambience, and quality, it's definitely worth the trip. read more

Oozu looks really good (decorated nicely, good lighting) but the quality of food does not match the interior design. They serve shoyu, miso, tonkatsu, and chicken ramen, but the shoyu, miso, and tonkatsu ramen all use the same soup base: pork. The shoyu ramen is NOT anywhere close to being authentic. The same goes for the miso; there is not a trace of miso in the soup base. I ordered the tonkatsu, the soup was way too salty with too many fried garlic bits added. The ramen egg as well was overcooked (the yolk was almost browning!!) and the noodles are on the thin side (not that I mind, its just that the menu says they're thick). Overall super poor dining experience. Not a great restaurant. read more

Decent place for ramen on campus. The broth is flavorful and the chicken karaage was good! read more

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The food was disgusting. The broth was tasteless and the eggs was just gross I want my money back it wasn't worth 30$

Fast service and yummy ramen! :) We ordered the spicy creamy vegan ramen, and it was delicious.

I have eaten here three times now. Their ramen is tasty and filling. Portions are perfect. The ramen could use a little more flavor, but it's central Illinois so what do you expect? I order chili/hot sauce on the side and spruce it up. Prices are reasonable. I'll be back next time I am in town. read more

I think that people's love of ramen is as personal as a favorite pair of jeans. There is a whole side TikTok dedicated to instant ramen (making it fancy by adding an egg and some shriracha), or home made ramen kits and even the whole mukbang craze of filming themselves eating it. I've eaten at many fine ramen bars all over Japan, New York CIty, LA and San Francisco. My husband is a die-hard Ippudo fan (he'll stand in line for hours) in NYC, where I prefer Larmen in Upper Midtown or even Mitsuwa up in Arlington Heights will do. We've been in Champaign for a good 17 years now and for so long, there wasn't a ramen restaurant (only within the last 5 years or so). And we're not counting that campus restaurant that served instant ramen. Sakanaya offers ramen, but I usually go there for the sushi. I wasn't a fan of Ozu ramen when it first opened, because the broth was different than what I was used to.... but I tried a few times and I really started to enjoy it. Then the pandemic hit, and Oozu has taken over. Yes, their broth is a bit different than Ozu but again, it's their spin on it. I wouldn't be able to make something like that at home (or it would take several weeks of research and development) so I'll gladly support a restaurant that only serves that. The restaurant was busy, but the servers were very kind (they were really on the move, but they were doing their best to keep everything rolling out) and attentive when we needed something. My daughter is the slowest eater, but she slurped down her portion of noodles like a champ, and my son really loved the giant spoons, the broth and he even enjoyed the egg (he usually doesn't eat soft boiled eggs). We had the Tonkatsu and Shoyu ramen --- they were both different broths (shoyu obviously saltier), but pretty darn good. The charshu is similar to what Ozu did -- prepped ahead of time, but grilled before going into the bowl. We also ordered the gyoza but they came fried which I was a bit disappointed with but the presentation was really cute. Anyway, I've gone on long enough.... if you are a ramen snob and have super high expectations, then anything in Champaign will disappoint. I learned long ago that sushi is not the thing to order in Champaign especially if there's no ocean around. Oozu does a great job for being a beacon of slurpy noodles in Central Illinois. Don't listen to the nay-sayers..... just enjoy and have fond memories of where you call home. read more