Cute little spot with friendly staff. The gyoza was fantastic, definitely a must. The pork belly in the ramen was thick, tender, and super flavorful. The broth and other components were solid. read more

Ramen was just not good. We went here because of the rave reviews and had high expectations, but the broth was watery and overall lacking in flavor. Mushrooms were undercooked, broth was lukewarm, and I had several whole cloves of uncooked garlic in my broth. Service was good and it's a cute spot but I'd go elsewhere if you're craving ramen. read more

I hate being let down when I go out, and that's what happened at Strings. It is extremely bright in the restaurant, the service was below average, and the pork belly I received in my ramen was not chewable. The positives are it's BYOB and the gyoza is pretty decent. But I won't be back unless I am forced. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Pork Belly - GET THE TENDERLOIN - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ok so I got the hell ramen level one .It was amazing ! It really was perfection. The amount amount of spiciness and the noodles were great. Awesome flavor! I came in about 3:30 on a Wednesday. I was seated right away and got my soup in 5 minutes. The people next to me got level 4 and they were sweating hard. I would highly recommend level one or two if you like spicy food but want to enjoy it. Ok, After getting level one again I've decided next time I will try level 2. Level 1 was not enough this time. Still delicious! We also tried the filet minion ramen and it was delicious! read more

i have to remember that ramen delivered is never as good as eating it at the restaurant. it was decently tasty but the broth was very lukewarm so had to microwave - but won't fault the restaurant for that. if you're hungry, definitely order another side of noodles. otherwise, not very filling. i did appreciate the restaurant's organization and separating out all the toppings. will have to try in person. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

SO good. Ordered delivery and it came hot and fresh. Double points for them labeling all the food and noting which ramen was which. The ramen here is incredible and the portions were huge. The wasabi string beans are actual heaven. They give you a little cookie with your meal which I thought was a nice touch. Will definitely be back! read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Miso ramen and wasabi string beans - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went there at 7:45 on a Monday night and was told that they were out of noodles. Let me repeat that: the ramen place was OUT OF NOODLES.

Love their lunch deal!! Potstickers, ramen and a soda all for 15$. The ramen is authentic and delicious. The space is small but the service is great! read more

Ordered takeout and would get it again. I ordered a vegetarian dish and it was extremely spicy and salty, after finishing the limited tofu I got, I gave up eating the dish. I do appreciate the organized packing and instruction guide that came with the order. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Shoyu Vegan / Vegetarian - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We ordered the Tonkotsu with Kurobuta and the Duck Chazuke. The ramen's broth is very rich but the portion was pretty small for the price. Although the whole place was packed but our food came out pretty quick. Server wasn't friendly and showed attitude. Will not be back! read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Creamy, Savory, tasty noodles with tonokotsu broth. Only got a little bit of meat the pork belly it was good. They have the egg they put in as well which is a nice touch. I realize even amongst folks that enjoy noodle bars everyone has a slightly different metric for what makes the bowl magical. I thought the broth could have had more complexity, more spice. The flavor in the bowl was good but I've had truly great bowls before. You know the difference when you taste it. read more

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WOW! Literally may be the best ramen I've ever had and I've had A LOT. if you like spice you can definitely handle level 3. I got level 2 and then added the level 3 spice and it was perfect. Got hot lips but not overwhelmingly spicy in mouth. Really great flavor and the toppings were delicious!! It's very filling and sad to say I couldn't even finish it! I also ordered the gyoza and it was 10/10 as well. You MUST try this place! Note: I live 20 mins from the restaurant and my food arrived still very hot!! read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Hell Ramen Level 2 - amazing!! I soft boiled an egg at home and added :) - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This cozy ramen shop serves... well, ramen. There are also some interesting appetizers. The Sriracha Broccolli and Bacon was excellent. Broths are savory, and there is plenty of whatever ingredient you order it with. Service is friendly. read more

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If you're craving ramen definitely try this place! Also if you're up for a spicy challenge, this is the spot for you! My partner and I came here after a concert. It's not super big inside so I wouldn't say it's the best for large groups, but it was very clean inside, they gave each table their own hand sanitizer as well. To start off we got the edamame which was super tasty! They had a few seasonings on the edamame instead of only salt which made me very happy! Our main course was the Tonkatsu with Kuro Buta and the Tonkatsu with Spicy clam and Pork. The Tonkatsu Kuro Buta came with a huge piece of chase which was so tender and delicious! The soup over all was very good and flavorful. The spicy clam and pork was very similar but spicy which was also very good. If I'm in the area I will definitely try this place again! I loved it. Definitely give it a try if you're near by! read more

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Tried the premium bowl with heat level two and a side of hell sauce. Absolutely delicious with deep rich flavors and the hell sauce is liquid crack (if I knew what crack was like). Went to the hip and fun Belmont location and i totally recommend! read more

Pretty solid ramen joint. They only have one type of noodle (their map on the menu suggested they had multiple) but they have quite a variety of broth and topping options. The Lakeview location is generally not as crowded as the other locations which is a plus as well. Tonkotsu ramen was very thick and salty. It comes with either a very large piece of extremely fatty pork belly, or a few smaller pieces of loin. They have specials off menu, like curry ramen seasonally this winter. For the price, the portion is a lot smaller than what I feel like I'd normally expect. Was a little disappointing their hell sauce isn't hot oil or anything like that, but mostly just a crushed chili flake paste, it's something you can buy more or less at any Asian supermarket so I don't feel was that unique for how much they charged for adding it. Had a lot of ramen bowls at this point and overall Strings was pretty solid and tasty, although portions were small and I didn't think there was much that was very unique. Great for a cold windy day. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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On a cold winter's day, ramen definitely hit the spot. I thought that the name of this place is quite creative "Strings." Right off the bat, upon Yelp check-in, we were graced with a free bowl of Edamame. Score! Their Tonkotsu ramen with Spicy Clam & Pork looked appealing on the menu. I thought their ramen was somewhat expensive considering the amount received in their small bowl. Nonetheless, the ramen was pretty good even with the tiny portion. It definitely necessitated an order of extra noodles. I was VERY disappointed that the waiter brought extra noodles at the same time the bowl came out. I specifically told him that I wanted it later. He obviously did not understand that he was supposed to bring it out when I am ready for it. I know next time not to even mention it until I am ready for the noodles. Note: You should do the same or else you will end up with soggy sticky extra noodles. There is apparently a Monster Hell Challenge where if you finished a LARGE bowl of Level 5 spicy broth in 20 minutes, you received a $50 Gift Certificate, a free T-shirt, and of course, your bowl for free. We witnessed someone actually doing the challenge. He was sweating and coughing like crazy. Also, this is where we also noticed the larger bowl compared to our tiny bowls. read more

Best ramen I've had so far in Chicago!!! I'm vegetarian and don't like mushrooms so I was very happy that this place has TONS of vegetarian options and not all of them are mushroom heavy. I got the hell ramen level 3 and it was actually realllly spicy but the good kind of spicy! Another thing I was very happy about is the service! Arrived for lunch, was seated right away, and food was on the table in 10 mins!! read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Written to "Hello" by Adele Hello, It's me I was wondering if I could come inside and take a seat Away from the door where there's a breeze They say that Ramen's Supposed to fill ya The only place for Ramen is Strings Hello, can you beer me? "There's a store around the corner and we're BYOB." We were ready to eat Our server took our order, without missing a beat. The combos are endless Miso, Shio, a million styles Hello from the other side Strings, our hunger has subside Tonkotsu, tell them with an extra egg Prices so low, you'll think you misread Hello it's cold outside So small you can't come inside Even with the cold it's worth the wait The Ramen is so good I know I overate Hello, forget to chew? It's so typical to pick up the bowl and slurp, I'm sorry I hope, I don't swell With all of the sodium I ate my savory cravings have been quelled It's no secret, that your food is simply sublime read more

We've been to Strings twice. It's a cute space but very small and usually busy. The size is a negative, but the food makes up for it! We've had the Spicy Cat Rice and Hell Ramen. The Cat Rice is such a delicious combination of flavors with warm rice, cool tuna, crunchy seaweed, umami truffle, and a kick of spicy mayo. It's really a perfect dish. Now let's discuss Hell. You need to take a good hard look at yourself and choose to be honest. Think of the future. Do you like spice? Fine. You can get the Hell Ramen. But heed your server's advice, and listen to my words: Go a level below you think you can handle. Oh you've had level 2 before and think level 3 will be fine? You think long and hard about that. Because, come dawn, the fire of a thousand suns may begin to churn within you... And that delightful bowl of lava and homemade noodles you slurped up through the pain, the snot dripping from your nose, and the tears streaming down your cheeks may return from the depths of Hell with fury and thunder. Was it worth it? Maybe. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There is nothing Gluten Free on the menu. The meats are pre made with soy sauce. However, there were more than accommodating to make me a special dish with rice and steam vegetables. It was perfect and I appreciated the effort. I would come back here in a heartbeat for rice and veggies. I know nothing spectacular but it was cheap and delicious! read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I gave this place a second try the other day and was disappointed again. The Gyu-Don was pretty tough and chewy and the sauce felt like it was mixture of Chinese sauce?! Not worth $18.00 in my opinion. I don't understand the hype for this place. I would not return. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have been to strings many times and they never disappoint! The noodles are super fresh and the broth/ingredients in my go-to dish (the Tonkotsu with Kuro Buta pork belly) is always delicious. On my latest visit here my partner got the Hell Ramen Level 2 vegetarian version, and it was probably the best vegetable based ramen broth I've ever tasted. We also ordered the Sakura Mochi for dessert which was fine but nothing to write home about. However, I can't recommend the ramen here enough!! It's definitely my favorite ramen place in the city so far. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Tonkotsu with Kuro Buta - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you follow my saga, you'd know my 8 year old never lets me get Ramen. It's always sushi for her. Well this time she wasn't available to order for herself so I got her the Tonkotsu Ramen. And? She loves it!!! Nice job! She loves the seaweed salad too. Now we can get Strings even more. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Seaweed Salad and Tonkotsu Premium - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Finally tried Strings, and it was so worth the wait. Got the gyoza which was amazing but the cheesy hot ramen literally made me transcend. read more

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My daughter has a real love affair with Ramen noodle. Me not so much. When I think ramen, I think the stuff you put into the microwave. So I was not expecting much when we got to Strings Ramen. The front looks unassuming, but once inside, the decor was very attractive. The restaurant is not that large, but it is laid out nicely. Most of the seating is stools/benches and high tops tables. There are also a few booths. It was interesting that the booths didn't have a partitions to separate them from the each other. The high top tables are someone close together, so you have to squeeze in to get to the bench. My daughter and I had a four top and there was just enough room for all our food. Chopsticks, the bowl spoons and one fork was on the table for us. The serving bowls that the food is served are attractive. If you check in on Yelp, you will get a free order of edamame. We started out with the Sui Gyoza (boiled dumplings with spicy ponzu sauce). We got the Chicken, Pork and Chicken. For $6.95, you get six of each kind. They were on the spicy side and I think the Shrimp ones had a little citrus flavor in them. Very good. For dinner, my daughter got the Spicy Clams & Pork Miso Ramen. The pork was ground pork. I tried some of the broth, but it was not spicy, so I am assuming that the spicy was the pork. The broth was nice though. I got the Premium Tonkotsu Ramen. It had pork belly & loin, filet mignon, spicy clams & pork, red onions, and shichim. All of this was in a nice creamy pork bone stock....it was very nice. The pork was very tender and had just a nice touch of fat...I loved it! There was also half an egg on the bowl as well. I could have had several more eggs in my dish. Next time I will see if I can get extra ones added. We both got half orders of Kae Dama (extra noodles) for the extra broth...big mistake as we were so full by the time it was over. I powered through my dish and rolled to the Belmont stop, but my daughter got a bag to go. What I will say is that the ramen bowls would be amazing in the winter as they are super hot. By the time I finished dinner I had busted out into a sweat. Good eating, but temperature raising...going to suggest that they get some air conditioning in there or if they have it, turn it down. String Ramen is BOYB, but not really. Yes you can bring in alcohol, but you are restricted to one 12 oz. bottle of beer per person....although I did see some one table bring in one bottle each for a party of three that looked like 22 or 32 oz. bottles. I was glad to see that there were Asian patrons there. For me, seeing the home team eating in a restaurant and reading the menu in the Japanese writing is a good sign that it is on the real tip. They also offer Hell Ramen. It is a selection of Ramen that goes from hell naw in terms of spicy to Decon 1. I know what a ghost pepper is by reputation. But WTF is a Scorpion Pepper you may ask? According to Wikipedia, it is a pepper from Trinidad. The New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute identified this pepper as the hottest chili in the world, with a mean heat of more than 1.2 million Scoville heat units (SHUs) and individual plants with a heat of more than 2 million SHUs. If you have the testicular fortitude to master Level 5 of Hell Ramen in 20 minutes, you can get a $50 gift card and a free t-shirt. But I am thinking you will leave without a stomach and required a 911 call later that evening to put your butt out after a visit to the bathroom. The servers were really nice. We had about three helping out. The first gentleman was very nice and explained the menu to us. And they kept checking on us throughout the meal. Very nice that it is located on the Red Line, so it will be easy to get to. They also have a rewards cards...make sure you all get your own card so you can get it punched. We will be back to get ours punched read more

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I love Japanese ramen and have been dying to try this place for so long. It was really good but it seemed to be much more reminiscent of Chinese style cooking. I was a little frustrated though because I asked if they had Ma-Yu Oil and when the server asked what it was, I told him it was burnt black garlic oil, he corrected me to tell me I was wrong and that it's black bean oil. I know what black bean oil/sauce is, I cook with it, and it's a Chinese seasoning. It confirmed more to me that their cooking stlye is more Chinese than Japanese, and I told the server, I did indeed mean black garlic and not black bean. I showed him a picture and he seemed to laugh to himself that he was right and that I was wrong. He told me, "Yes, that's what we have, this is our version of that. You're confused. It's a black bean and garlic and you probably thought it was just garlic." I got the sauce and it was exactly what I didn't want. He gave me Zhajiangmian sauce which is a black bean sauce. While, I LOVEEEEE a white man telling me I'm wrong about Asian cuisine, maybe refrain from that in the future. Look up ma-yu oil, my dude. Anyways. The food is still pretty good but very salty. Like I said, it doesn't taste like super Japanese-style, so don't really expect that. read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Free order of edamame if you check on yelp! Came in with a friend and we ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen Kuro Buta, along with the Yuzu Miso Salmon sunomono. The ramen was delicious, very chewy and the broth was not too salty, which I feel happens more often then not. The meat was tender and easy to chew. It worked perfectly together. The sunomono was good, but not my favorite. The fish was definitely fresh, but seemed like they cut again the grain which made it less enjoyable and not as appealing once you put it in your mouth. Two other things: The service was great. They did an excellent job checking up on us here and there making sure we got what we needed, but also not too often to the point where they would be annoying. The tables are quite small, so even with just the couple of things that we ordered, our table had very little space. read more

Came here for an event yesterday and the experience was absolutely fantastic. The staff were super friendly, the food was high quality and delicious, and we got to try a variety of food that strings offers (hint: more than just Ramen). Our meal contained sashimi (raw salmon), braised pork and rice, ramen noodles and macaron. Besides good flavoring, I really appreciated that the quality of meat used was pretty decent. Their ramen noodles are on the stiff side, which is normally how Hakata ramen is like. I LOVE how chewy the ramen was. It takes a long time in making to have such chewiness. Lastly is their macaron, which is shaped as different animals so cute that I didn't want to eat it. I have actually been to strings before they relocated here, and I tried their hell ramen challenge. I've always thought that I can eat spicy food (since I like most of my meals to be covered with chili peppers), but I couldn't finish even half of their hell ramen. I thought I was going to pass out when I was eating that lol. So I'd suggest save yourself the money and pain, or try the challenge at your own discretion. read more

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So good!! I got the vegan ramen and it was unreal. Love how many veggies they put in it and the chili oil on top is so good. The noodles tasked super homemade and you could tell it's all fresh. Not too many tables but we got lucky and were seated right away. Really attentive service too. Will definitely be returning soon. read more

I love strings ramen! The service is friendly and the turnaround is generally pretty quick. My only complaint is that thy don't serve the full menu at this location - in the Chinatown location, the duck is available, but the Lakeview location lacks this delicious topping. Simply put though, I think strings ramen is the best ramen shop in Chicago. You can taste the different in quality in JUST the noodles - rather than tasting like it's machine made, the noodles are full of flavor, not clumpy, and beautifully slender! I try to come back to strings a few times a month when time allows it. They recently added the cold noodles with king grab, which is delicious! read more

Mixed bag for me. The service was outstanding. I explained I am vegetarian and the waiter made immediate and confident suggestions. I saw on the menu that I could post something on social media to receive free edamame, and he honored that with a smile. The edamame was outstanding, replete with the expected salt put also sprinkled with spicy chili. I tried the Hell Ramen spice level 2, vegetarian. I really liked it at first. The noodles were messy but tasty. However, as the noodles disappeared, I realized how only the broth was. So oily. I kept at it, and an hour after leaving I was doubled over with intense heartburn. I tried an egg on the side. I bit into it and the yoke leaked out like water. I realize that must be the way it's served but it almost made me ralph. Also, there were fruit flies swarming on my food the entire time. I won't be back, but the service was great and it seems very popular. The veggie ramen at Blowfish is a million times better. read more

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Definitely my FAVORITE ramen bar in the city. The flavors and options are GREAT. The only downside to this place is the size of the restaurant. It's super small, always packed, and just not enough space. Expect to wait 20-30 minutes (outside b/c it's small inside). But it's totally worth the wait. I really like the kura buta tonkotsu The service is nice and fast. The food comes out within about 5 minutes after ordering. The only reason i give 4/5 is because of the comfort/size of the restaurant. -- edit 5/5 i dont even care about the size anymore-- i would wait 1 hr for this amazing ramen. There is paid street parking available down belmont read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Strings is good stuff! Love the Kinoko Ramen. Add meat to it-so tasty! The Shoyu Prime and Tonkotsu are great, as well. Sometimes over salted. You'll need a bunch of water later but it's delicious! Hell Fire sauce is great flavor, too. Gyoza are ok. Parking is hit or miss but it's close to the el. read more

Holy sh*t fires I never write reviews but this ramen needs my 2 cents since it'll likely take my life later this evening. I ordered delivery through uber eats for their Level 3 vegetarian. At first glance the amount of toppings is pitiful and I'm not a fan of fried tofu cubes in ramen over regular tofu. It gets weird in the broth and I don't like the taste. I ended up adding toppings which sucks BUT the noodles are amazing. Now on to the part that has me writing this: the broth. Just one look at the broth container's blood red color and I knew my arse and mouth had no chance. I ended up only using half the 16oz container and added vegetable broth in to bring the heat down. It didn't budge. I must be a masochist because this level 3 had me praising and dying at the same time. I cried through this, ran through the remainder of a toilet paper roll with all the nose blowing and ended up with free lip fillers from all the swelling. I may finally sh*t fire. And I'm happy about it! Would I return for the ramen? Probably not Will I buy their hot sauce for at-home ramen making? ABSOLUTELY But you heard it first here folks, beware. This isn't for the faint of heart. read more

Another great ramen shop for the books! Strings Ramen's location is convenient and very close to the Belmont red line station. The service was great! The space is small and there are 3 servers floating around the floor. We didn't have to wait at all to order, as when we looked up someone was already there. The food was also brought out promptly! I think we waited 5 minutes or less for our food to come out on a Saturday at 9PM. The menu selection was good and I really like how they explain what the ingredients are for us non-Japanese people. It's also suggested you eat all of the ramen in 10 minutes or less...not sure how people do this as I wanted to take my time and enjoy my food. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food! Based off of location I was a bit skeptical at first. Both my friend and I got the Turkey Miso Ramen. The broth was flavorful and not overly salty like some of the other places I've tried. The turkey is all dark meat so it's juicy and tender. The different vegetables added a nice touch to the dish. Most importantly - the noodles still had a bite to them; the texture of the noodles was so nice and brought the rest of the dish together. As an added bonus, if you check in here on Yelp, they give you a free bowl of edamame for the table. They put both salt and a little spice on top with a bit of a kick to it, which I found to be both different and tasty. You have to try Strings Ramen if you're in the area! read more

With the freezing temps in Chicago, I was definitely craving some Ramen, and I'm so glad I was introduced to Strings. I was very impressed with the service, and everything my friend and I tried. With three locations in Chicago (Chinatown, Lakeview, and Hyde Park), and a brand new location in Aurora, I highly recommend this place! Fun Fact: Strings makes their noodles fresh daily using their unique dough mixer and noodle maker imported straight from Japan. Here's everything we tried: Shoyu Prime Ramen: seaweed dashi broth, poached egg, bamboo, green and red onion, filet mignon (the meat was cooked perfectly, the broth had incredible flavor, and I can't say enough about how delicious the noodles were!) Tonkotsu with Kuro Bata: creamy pork bone broth, bamboo, green onion, soft boiled egg, pork belly (my friend ordered this, and added some chiles, but I tried the broth and it was fantastic) Suzi Gyoza: boiled dumplings with Spicy Ponzu Sauce (we ordered the chicken dumplings and they tasted great - even had a bit of spice to them) Beverages: Sakura Cola (Japanese cherry blossom flavor - tasted like a cherry coke but WAY better) and Japanese Melon Soda (this was DELICIOUS...can't recommend trying this enough) read more

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updating review from 4 to 5 -- honestly it's exactly everything i want in a local ramen joint. also the traditional mochi is really tasty. additionally the staff is so nice and friendly. read more

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Yes, Yes ,Yes and again Yes .... Strings Ramen Rocks ! The Best Ramen I have ever had (KINOKO Vegetarian Ramen $13.95) ! Small cozy place in nice Lakeview location(very close to Belmont CTA Station) with friendly staff . Most of the time this place is packed but it doesn't really bother me because I just love their Ramen so much. It was mind blowing when I had it the first time ... The mushrooms and the broth had so much flavor. I never knew Mascarpone cheese could be used in a Ramen dish. I would recommend this place to all Ramen lovers . I honestly could eat it every day. They also have good options for Spicy food lovers. You can try MONSTER HELL RAMEN (5 Level of spiciness) . We tried Level 2 and it was spicy enough to sweat . There is the option for Noodle Lovers to order EXTRA NOODLES for the remaining soup for an extra $1.99 Kinoko Ramen I will be back lol :) read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - KINOKO Vegetarian Ramen & Hell Ramen (LEVEL 2 ) - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Edmame is free if you check in while there Service is quick and the soup is always great Small tables in the back without much room but the experience and food makes up for it Get there early to have a booth and they are byob read more

Strings Ramen - Lakeview - Kura buta loin Miso ramen & shu yu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois