When it's cold and windy outside, there's little that sounds better than bowl of ramen with hot and warming broth. That being said, when my friends had suggested we go to Strings, I had zero objections. I can't say much about convenience in location since I'm obviously not local, but for what it's worth, it's extremely easy to get to off of the red line Chinatown stop. Depending on where you exit from, it's a one or two block walk from the station. Despite not driving there, I can attest to the street parking out front and surrounding the place, but do so at your own risk; I literally watched a poor car get tapped four times by a less skilled driver repeatedly trying and failing to parallel park. The interior of the restaurant is cool in the fact that they're obviously going for the Asian eatery motif, without going over-the-top, and trying to modernize it somewhat. The most important bases were all covered though, because everything seems very clean and there's a feeling of warmth inside, probably from all of the hot ramen being served there. Staff was all friendly and personable; they're quick to greet you at the door with the traditional Japanese "irrasshaimasen" welcome greeting, and were fairly attentive and expedient with refilling water, checking up on the table, as well as not dawdling too much with the check. One thing that intrigued me about the place was that they had a spicy ramen challenge; where if you could polish off a bowl of their spiciest ramen within 20 minutes, it would be free. From what I understand, the restaurant bumps it up a notch every time 20 people complete the highest level, and at the time I was there, it was up to a Level 4. I was extremely tempted to give it a whirl, since I'm a fan of both spicy as well as eating challenges, but I was promptly talked down by my company to whom I may or may not have had to have share close quarters with later on the eve. So I ordered a "plain old" tonkotsu ramen with pork belly. I admire how Strings really tries to educate diners with origins and regional differences in ramens, which is all fairly clearly labeled on the menu, but there's a little bit of questionable assumption, by not having any translations to any of the protein/topper choices (that I could bother to locate). I mean, I took five years of Japanese, so I could interpret what I wanted, but I can't assume everyone else will have some understanding of it as well. The stock of my tonkotsu was fantastic. Rich and kind of hearty, it's instant, smooth warmth with every spoonful. However, I have to say the noodles were somewhat of an unpleasant surprise for me, and I can't really say that I was truly a fan of them. Now I could very well be wrong, but I've really only ever known one way to eat my ramen noodles throughout my life, and that's usually kind of soft and slippery. Like I could break them with pressure from my tongue alone, that's how soft they are. It's not like Italian pastas, where there are known differences to how long pasta should be cooked, by preference. Strings' ramen noodles felt almost as if they were slightly uncooked, and kind of chewy. It's like when you make instant ramen, and you decide to not wait longer than three minutes, and open it up at two. I'm not sure if this is the norm or if this was just a particular anomaly of a day, but apparently everyone at my table's ramen were described similarly. Naturally, I still ate it all, because I'm a pig and I was hungry, but it always sat in the back of my head that the noodles were like this. Flavor wise, it's not bad, but for those who like to cite consistency preferences, this could trigger some consistency objections to those expecting something softer. Overall, the place is nice, the price points are pretty good, and the staff is friendly. The stock in the ramen is fantastic, but the noodles themselves were something of a buzzkill for my expectations. In all honesty, I'd come back if my friends suggest it again the next time I'm out in Chicago, but that's mostly because I'd like to slap some ownage on the Hell Ramen challenge and assert my dominance over it. But if the noodles are the same when that day comes, it might be even lesser of a pleasant experience having to chew tough noodles after drinking a ton of face-melting broth. read more

I've been on a ramen binge lately, and Strings was my latest stop. I've eaten at Strings once before and thought it was good, but not great. My latest visit though was much better than I remember the first. I had the Tonkotsu ramen with kamo and kurobuta (duck breast and pork belly). The broth was flavorful and satisfying on a cold day. The duck was a tasty addition that I did not have on my first visit. I left full and happy, and with coupons for my next visit! If you check-in with yelp, you will also get a free soda or two pieces of Odon. read more

I'm not a ramen expert, but I've had some good stuff in New York, and this was among the best ramen I've had! I went pretty classic and ordered the Tonkatsu with pork belly and egg, which came in a pretty hearty portion that I enjoyed to the last drop. The broth was outstanding - it had such deep flavors and was so earthy, with almost a nutty taste. The soft-boiled egg (shoyu tamago) was also incredible - our server said they marinate them in mirin and something like star anise. And I really liked the square-cut noodles, which tasted really substantial and homemade. Service was attentive and efficient. The space is pretty cozy. Overall, a really fantastic place to stop off the red line for something warm and delicious during the winter months! read more

I must have gone on a really good day because I don't understand the bad reviews! My friend and I both ordered the tonkotsu ramen with pork belly and we were both pleased with our order. The broth was full of umami with just the right amount of fat throughout and their noodles had a nice bite to it, a semi-firm texture. There was also a generous amount of side ingredients in the ramen as well, especially garlic! I like my broth spicy so ask the server for their crushed chili sauce to give an extra kick. Beware, it's very strong so you only need a spoonful to feel a burn (I put three and my mouth was on fire, but I like it that way :P) Service was okay, speedy yet pleasant. Only complaint is that we had to constantly flag her down for water. A common misconception is that you can't take it go. While there is no takeout, they will allow you to take your leftovers home. I recommend this place! Other people may have had a bad experience, but the ramen was decent and fulfilled my craving. read more

I tried the Shoyu and Tonkotsu broths and they were both pretty flavorful. It's no NYC Ippudo or LA Daikokuya, but I'll say it's a good start to my Chicago ramen trail. The portions are a little small for the price and could have used some more toppings. There was only one piece of pork belly in the bowl, but it was so good. My friend and I also split the uni and crab rice bowl which was very tasty. Check in on yelp for free soda or oden. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the best Ramen place I had ever tried. The Turkey Shio Ramen is my all time favorite. My husband usually order the Hell Ramen. I would say it is ok for me. It has too much ingredients, so Hell ramen is not for me. Also their Turkey Yokisoba is very delish. The downfall about this place is they dont have high chairs for babies. Only booster. They only serve Japanese/Chinese based drinks. So there are no Coca Cola or anything. One last thing I wish their soup was a bit more hot, since i love hot soup and not just warm. read more

Love the soups. Favorite is the Miso soup with pork loin. The decor is pretty modern. Cool music playing in the background. Service is pretty good. Favorite ramen spot in Chicago. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Pork belly Kuro Buta - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went here with my daughters during spring break 2014. It was newly opened. I love the decor and the way the kitchen is open for you to observe. The ramen was great and very authentic compared to the package stuff we buy from supermarket. The girls ages 10 & 12 loved it. The staff was very attentive and helpful with explaining the different broths for the ramen. Helping us order and well as a little tutorial on how to use chop sticks. The restaurant and ramen was great. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Authentic ramen bowl - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've now been to Strings three times since its opening and it has only managed to improve itself with every visit. Their menu is simple and straightforward, with limited offerings reflecting the care and attention that goes into their product. The food is beautiful, fresh, and delicious. The tonkatsu ramen is rich and appropriately guilt-inducing. The shoyu ramen is well balanced and clean. The hell ramen, however, requires a bit more of a description. First of all, I have to be honest and preface this part by disclosing the fact that I was stupid enough to get at level 2 (out of 3). However, I'd go on to say that it is also sneaky as shit and I'll tell you why: the first several bites are delicious - ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. And the heat factor? Nah. It's got a bite, but it's totally manageable, right? WRONG. As you continue to eat it, a transformation takes place. It goes from being an unassumingly delightful bowl of spicy ramen to an OMG OMG OMG 4 carafes of water and a box of kleenex affair. My eyes even began to water after a certain point. MY EYES. My sister sat across from me feeding me intermittent bites of her meal attempting to stem the fire erupting in my mouth, while my 9 year old nephew, deeply concerned for my welfare, tried to give me all of his green onions to "cool off my face". However, it is a legit testament to the deliciousness of this stuff that, face melting off and all, I couldn't stop eating it. It was that good. AND I haven't stopped thinking about it. I'm going back to get the hell ramen, but this time at level one. Then I'll be able to take advantage of the generous portion of extra noodles available for purchase at $1.95. The only reason that I gave 4 instead of 5 stars is because of our server. We came at 11:30am on Black Friday, so it wasn't very busy, but for some reason our server seemed rather unfriendly. She never made eye contact, never smiled, and never checked on us. There was another server present who came by several times with fresh water and a smile who was quite lovely. Our own server, however, seemed quite unhappy to be there. This, however, was not the case the previous two times I went, so I'm chocking it up to an anomaly. THE MORAL OF THE STORY: GO. EAT. BE HAPPY. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Hell Ramen, level 2 - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was recommended by a friend to try the ramen here after having been trying several places and haven't found the one I really like. I would say this is the best of the best ramen places in Chicago. Every dish is delectable and served in suitable portion. I'm not a noodle lover so I prefer a lot of topping than a huge bowl full of ramen noodles and this place meets my need! Would definitely come back. read more

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EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT! plus it's one of the few ramen shops that have a kids selection (which she LOVED!)

I love ramen. And I love Chinatown. So my opinion is somewhat biased. But this place has nice atmosphere. The food was excellent. I had premium tonkatsu and an unusual soft drink. I have had tonkatsu around town, and this is the best next to Yusho in Hyde Park (closed). Yes, as one reviewer said it is a bit salty but I happen to like it that way. They offer some of the spiciest ramen choices around, for those who like it hot. It's byob but, hey, it's Chinatown! read more

You may find their noodle a bit off the book. My friend and I accidentally went here and tried couple of their bowls. We love it, especially their sliced pork, best ever. It melts upon your tongue in your mouth like it was prime ribeye in pork version. Too bad, this is not the city we live in. -Non read more

I have been to Stringz twice now, and after thinking of all possible reasons to detract a star from the holy 5-star yelp rating, I can think of nothing. This place is exactly as it is named: a ramen shop. Of course it's a restaurant, but a little spot located on a main street in Chinatown, it has the authentic feel of a foreign restaurant serving [somewhat] foreign food. It is quaint, charming, cozy, and welcoming. There are only a handful of selections for the broth, ranging from mild and light to heavier and more flavorful. The menu is a little complicated, but the waiters clearly explain everything. If you can read, you'll figure it out. BROTH. Broth. The broth is so freakin good, holy Himalayas that shii is good. The meat in the ramen is tender, everything tastes fresh. Damn, I might go back today just thinking about it. Go here. Then wonder around Chinatown and find a good bakery. read more

Strings is, without question, the best ramen shop in Chicago. I've been to quite a few throughout the city and though I've been to places with more unique bowls of ramen, or more options when it comes to ingredients, I haven't found a place that makes a good bowl of Tonkotsu quite like Strings. The broth is rich and flavorful, the pork and duck breast work together perfectly, and the alkaline noodles are the finishing touch anyone would want in a good bowl of ramen. No matter how long they sit in the broth they will always have an absolutely wonderful, al dente consistency. With the ability to add ingredients from soft-boiled eggs to hanpen (a soft fish cake) you can really make a bowl of ramen that suits whatever you're craving. read more

First time here. My wife and I both had the tonkotsu ramen, she chose a lean cut while i went for a fatty one. The broth is great and the pork was fantastic (just wish there was more of it!). Our cousin ordered the oden ramen which he said was very good. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and our waitress even gave us a free skewer of fish balls when we ordered some oden because she thought we might enjoy it (she was right). The only issue was that when our cousin asked for a container for his leftovers, the waitress informed us that they have a "no to go" policy because the noodles can get a bit soggy. It's a fair point but I think they should really leave this up to the customer as we have already paid for the food. edit: I've just been informed that Strings DOES offer containers for leftovers. The "no to go" policy is only intended to prohibit takeout orders. It was a simple miscommunication. read more

Forced a visit after a friend recommended it, and after Thrillist inexplicably listed it (as well as Furious Spoon...) as one of the top Ramen spots in America. Well friends, I gotta dismiss Thrillist's claims and tell you this: Strings is okay and Furious Spoon is borderline very bad Ramen. Strings has quick service in a small shop; I like that they offer hot tea too. I got the Hell Ramen and gf got the Tonkotsu. Hell Ramen (Level 1 spiciness) was okay. Doesn't come with pork belly, but instead this ground pork and weird crispy pork skin. Meh. You can get better spicy Ramen at Kizuki and Wasabi. Gf's Tonkotsu was okay. Broth could've been tastier. Noodles a bit firm in both bowls. Unfortunate that most of the Ramen shops in Chicago just strignin' us Ramen lovers along.. read more

A couple of things I wish I knew before I came here: 1. Do not accept a table in the back room. There's a door that goes out to the alley with the dumpsters, and when kitchen staff come in and out, you'll be right in the path of a freezing draft and dumpster stench. Lovely. Also, the lighting is really bright unlike the soft ambiance in the front. 2. Don't order the $0.95 bites (Oden). They come in what seems like a bowl of water and all the ones we ordered tasted really bland. 3. Ask for the ramen to be brought out as soon as it's ready. I came here twice and each time, someone in my party was served a lukewarm bowl which they can't heat up for you. The rich broth is definitely not as good if it's lukewarm. However, the ramen IS good. There aren't that many options in the South side so I'll keep coming here. Service is great and knowledgeable about the menu, and it's BYOB which is always a plus. read more

Chicago has a plethora of restaurants, but very few specialize in ramen. Nothing beats a hot bowl of ramen on a cold winter day. The boyfriend and I finally checked this place out after passing by it a million times. The menu has a pretty good selection of ramen and other dishes to choose from. We both ordered their marinated lava egg, oden and ramen. The marinated lava egg was delicious and tasted like a preserved egg but better! The oden, which are Japanese street food on a stick, made me want to keep ordering more! Yes, they are that good! I ordered the turkey ramen and the boyfriend got the tonkatsu with kuro buta. I was kind of hesitant to order the turkey ramen, but I thought hey why not! To my surprise the turkey ramen was really, really good! It was just the right amount of salt, not too greasy, light tasting, filling, and all of the ingredient complimented each other very well. The boyfriend liked his and had no complaints. So if the food is so great why the four stars only? Easy, the service. Yes, I know Chinatown is not known for its five star service.However, it took us 20 minutes to get the bill and another 25 to pay. The funny thing is that there was only our table and another table getting their bills. read more

awesome food... will go to hell ramen level 3 yippe yippe yippe so yummy... but seriously really great food read more

Best ramen in Chicago hands down. I've tried all the other popular places in CHI but they never have as much flavor and diversity in their ramen than strings ramen has had time after time! read more

I stopped by the place on a Friday night, keeping my expectations as low as possible since I just returned from a trip to Japan recently. Regardless, the ramen that I had here unfortunately doesn't match up to some of the other joints in Chicago. Food: I ordered the Kamo and Kuro Buta tonkatsu ramen. First of all, the "kamo" was an extra $3 and added almost nothing. The waiter mentioned that the soup would be salty, but I personally felt that it was underseasoned. On the bright side, the noodles had a nice, chewy texture and the pork was nice and tender. The portion size is also smaller than some of the other well-known ramen places. Service: Service is about on par with any other restaurants in Chinatown; the waiters left us alone for the most part unless we waved them over. Ambience: Definitely caters to a younger crowd. Conclusion: For a $16 bowl of ramen, I was expecting either a larger quantity of food or better quality. Most likely would not return in the future. read more

I was intrigued by Strings because it evidently makes its noodles daily, and that's a major factor in producing fantastic ramen...but... The noodles weren't just springy or al dente. They were practically raw inside. The soup was okay, but they poured so much roasted sesame oil on top that I literally couldn't even think of the stuff for about a month afterwards without feeling sick. Maybe I chose the wrong menu item, but the noodles issue is pretty much unforgivable. Given the amazing variety of fantastic restaurants in Chinatown these days, I will not be tempted to give Strings a second chance. There are plenty of other ramen shops that deserve my business. read more

This is my personal go-to spot for ramen. The food is fresh, tasty and refreshing. The customer service is great. The ambience is cool and trendy. It is a great spot for a date or decent sized group. Go try it. My favorite is the tonkotsu ramen w/ pork belly. read more

The best ramen I've ever had so far. The pork belly was tender, the noodles latch to the broth well and their very chewy. The service was great and everything tasted fresh. read more

Where to begin? I went for lunch, and it was a terrible experience. We sat for about 5 minutes before we even got our menus. The front of the house staff clearly did not get trained because everybody looked lost. There were about 5 tables when i went, and i couldn't believe how slow the service was. It was a total mess. The expeditor/noodle blancher/ cashier, was completely lost and needs to take a sanitation class. She went from counting money, touching her hair, right to grabbing noodles without gloves. If its an open kitchen, please be aware of what you're doing. I ordered the tonkotsu ramen, and i had the option of choosing pork or duck. The description is in japanese and here was no English translation, and the waitress kind of just said "which one do you want" without explaining what the options were. After 20 minutes of waiting, my ramen came and it was very very disappointing. The broth itself was luke warm and very one dimensional. It lacked a lot of seasoning. The noodles it self was under cooked, it wasn't even to the point of al dente. My friend had to let the noodles sit in the broth for a while before it was even eatable, but by that time, it was cold. The pork in the ramen was completely bland. it tasted like it was boiled and just thrown in the broth without thought. We also got the duck sausage rice, and it was not what we expected. We never got any dishes explained to us when we ordered. It came to the table in a bowl filled 3/4 of the way with soup and a little handful of rice on the bottom. The soup itself tasted like water. It literally tasted like chicken water. I expected this place to be one of the better ramen places in Chicago since it was advertised as authentic japanese ramen, and im sure a lot of people had high expectations. Very bad service and food. read more

I've been on the hunt for a great ramen and this place really hit the spot! Most ramens I've tried in Chicago have been usually flavorless or just bland. I tried the miso ramen and loved it! The pork was so tender and full of flavor. I do agree the soup was salty but I enjoy very salty food. If you do too, I think you'd enjoy it as well! Strings menu is simple and minimal. They're focus is on making ramen so it makes sense but they do offer other delicious appetizers and deserts! Everyone was wonderful especially the owner who busts her butt as much as the staff. You can usually find her working and sometimes cosplaying! You get a discount too if you come in dressed in a costume. Can't wait to return! read more

Went to Strings on a chilli day. Was craving something soupy and spicy as usual on these Chicago cold days and decided to go to Strings Ramen Shop. The location closest to me is located in Chinatown. The spacing isn't as large as it seems so good luck not trying to wait during rush hour. I wanted to be adventurous and try their spicy ramen, however considering I just had szechuan food the other day (which is really spicy stuff), I wanted my stomach to take it easy so went with the Level 2 Hell Ramen. I'll be the first to admit...it just wasn't that spicy for me. I can handle spicy food but in this case I was a bit disappointed. Also, I didn't like the ingredients. Give me pork char siu everyday with my ramen but in this case, it doesn't come with it. Very disappointed and the prices are already pretty steep the higher you go if you want to add additional ingredients. This place isn't bad. It's not my favorite. Will I go again? Who knows, maybe in a year or so when I can go to some of my other favorite ramen places in the city. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my first real Ramen experience (packets from the Jewel don't count), and it was a good one. We were seated immediately on Friday afternoon (post lunch rush time). It's a small place with minimalist decor, cute and inviting, with a definite hipster vibe. There's a little patio section for alfresco if weather is agreeable. Staff was very knowledgeable and helpful when info about menu was requested. Water refills! They make their own noodles, which are cooked al dente, very good. I had tonkotsu with kamo and Kura buta. That's the pork bone broth, which was rich, salty (but not too salty), tasty and satisfying. It included several slices of duck breast and a slice of pork loin, sliced scallions, seaweed sheet (yum!) and veggies. Hubby had Miso broth, seafood and Kura buta. That included a scallop, some nice shrimp, some veggies, and a big ol' hunk of pork belly. Portions were generous. We split a mango guava gelato flute and left feeling surprisingly full. Street parking with pay to park box. read more

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Strings opened just in time around the pinnacle of ramen rage in Chicago, and surprisingly it's a pretty good option in this area! The menu is a bit confusing because there aren't English translations for the titles of the dishes, but just know to get the pork and duck tonkotsu ramen ($15)! If I had to criticize anything, it's that the broth is a tad salty, but the noodles remained al dente throughout our entire meal. Note: they make the ramen noodles in-house! Also, don't forget to check out their rice bowls which are the underdogs here. We got the crab (real crab meat too) and uni. The uni wasn't super fresh, but it was edible and provided a nice creamy texture when stirred into the rice. For $10, it'd be a great lunch bowl for 1 person. They also have oden - boiled skewers in a dashi broth. The service was decent too, and the servers spoke English. The staff, much like the patrons, are 20-30-somethings hailing from all cultural backgrounds. FYI - Strings is located on the ground floor of Phoenix Restaurant on Archer (across the street from Chinatown Square) and next door to Saint's Alp. They don't validate parking for the main parking lots. read more

The ramen noodles felt more al dente to me which made me more focused on the noodles instead of the broth...since the broth was pretty decent. I'm not sure what their definition of "pork belly" is, but what I received is not what I'm used to when getting pork belly. Their "pork belly" had significantly less fat and it didn't really add to the enhancement to the ramen. They make a mean soft boiled egg which was a plus. And for a side of their pork skins..that's a hit, especially for 2 bucks. I'd get that as an appetizer and for dessert if possible. read more

This was one of the strangest dining experiences I've had in recent memory. We were greeted and shown a seat but that was about the extent of the service we were given. Once we waited for menus for about 10 min and were ignored, I finally grabbed them myself (others around us were getting great friendly service). I wish we had just walked out because the food was terrible and the lack of service or care for customers should have been a sign. My husband got the miso ramen which was just plain boring. The pork wasn't well cooked and the broth was bland. The utterly repulsive bowl was the shio ramen made with turkey and topped with shredded turkey - it was flavorless, boring, and tasted like it came from a can. The idea of a good ramen is the broth should flavor the noodles so that as you slurp, you get the broth flavor on the noodle. This broth was so bad that it made me unable to eat the noodles since they were absorbing the bland and undeveloped broth, therefor making it a boring eating experience not worth wasting calories on. An off night on the ramen is slightly forgivable, but food so bad you are unable to eat it served by rude waiters is unforgivable. read more

It was much better the second time, idk if the noodles changed or were just cooked properly this time but they were good. I had the tonkotsu this time with pork belly (very tender). It's a solid ramen, we'll be back. read more

I used to frequent this place (1-2 times per week) when they very first opened since the ramen was pretty good (favorite was the miso butter) and I live nearby in the South Loop. As most of you reading this know, most ramen shops are north of the loop. However, as Strings grew more popular, the consistency started to go down. Then they reduced the amount of food per order. Then the quality slowly declined as well. What used to be a pretty tasty soup base became an overly salty and oily broth. I suspect their recipe didn't scale well to accommodate for the larger customer base combined with large batches that would simmer all day, becoming more concentrated and salty at night. That's all fine and dandy - even if the ramen was subpar, I would still go once in a while because bad ramen is still an okay meal. What stopped me from going 1-2 times a week was the poor customer service. My buddy's girlfriend was in town and hadn't had ramen before so I suggested we pop by since we were hanging out in the park area. One unfortunate thing led to another and the girlfriend was feeling sick and ended up throwing up at the table. She ran off to the bathroom and was in there for the duration of clean up, which was handled by my friend the entire time. Staff never came by to offer help or even the appropriate tools. It was late and me and our other two friends close out our portion of the bill and let the buddy and his girlfriend take their time recovering in the bathroom. When I get home, I get a call from my buddy asking if the three of us paid tip on our part of the bill. I 100% was certain we did but he said that the waiter insisted we didn't. I still had my copy of the receipt, and I definitely had written an amount that included tip. Unfortunately, the waiter wouldn't let him leave unless he paid tip on the entire bill - we figured this was a surcharge for the sick girlfriend making a mess. We would be totally okay with the staff if they said we need to pay some fee for it, but basically calling us liars with this underhanded ploy was the last straw for me. I haven't been back since. Luckily, ever since I stopped going, ramen shops have been exploding all over the city. read more

My visit to Strings was one of the first times I tried Ramen, and quite honestly I'm not the biggest fan of Ramen. I ordered the Shio Ramen, which was OK. The presentation of the food was great, but I really didn't enjoy the flavor of the Ramen; maybe I'm just not a Ramen fan lol. The restaurant itself was really nice and modern on the inside, and the service was very efficient. If you like Ramen, you'll probably enjoy this restaurant a lot more than I did. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Shio Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Damn....just damn. I ordered the Tonkatsu Super Premium Ramen which is a vegan's nightmare and that's how I like it. It's a ramen that consists of slow boiled berkshire pork bone stock, duck breast, pork belly, pork loin, beef tongue, spicy clams, pork chunks and a bunch of other non-meat stuff. It was so rich and the depth of flavor from the pork bone broth is luscious. Yes...I just used the word lucious in a food review. I see your eye roll and I don't care. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Tonkatsu Super Premium Ramen. Incredible depth of flavor. - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

For this being my first time trying ramen, I am pleased. Nothing too over the top, simple if anything. The service is good, when it's packed be prepared to be sitting really close to people. When there was a table free immediately the server asked if we would like to move and we accepted which was great on their part. The ramen is tasty, I can see why this is a popular spot. The ambience was nice. If I happened to be around the area I would go again. Overall, this is brought me a good experience for my first time. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Shoyu Oden - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came here after getting haircuts in nearby Chinatown for ramen. I ordered the tonkotsu ramen with char siu and added a boiled egg for I forgot how much. The egg was nicely made with a soft yolk on the inside. The ramen portion was a bit small. The broth was nice - creamy enough from the pork broth and not too salty. If I didn't add the egg there wouldn't be much else going on in the bowl. There was the standard bamboo shoot, scallion, seaweed and 2 slices of char siu. It almost came to $17 for a bowl. Kinda pricey I think. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Tonkotsu ramen with boiled egg - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is okay. Not the best ramen in Chicago, but it's decent if you're in the area and craving ramen. I got the tonkotsu ramen with the kuro buta and I enjoyed my noodles. However, the broth was a bit on the sweet side. As I got down towards the bottom of the bowl, it was saltier and more savory. In general though the broth was definitely too sweet. The pork was also sliced a little on the thick side. For such a fatty piece of meat, I'd prefer thinner slices so it's less heavy. Overall though I got my ramen fix in. This place is not as good as Santouka or Wasabi. I would only come here If i couldn't get to those other two places. read more

I love coming here whenever I get the chance. I always get their seafood ramen, it's so delicious. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois