Went here recently because I was sick. Really enjoyed their ramen!! Added spice on the side which is nice so you can chose your spicy level. Give them a try read more

This place has been open for a while now but it never gets old in my book! Strings ramen has done a great job at improving their menu and service skills. I've checked in here 14 times! TIPS: check in on Yelp! They give me free ramune soda for checking in. Post on your social media with the hashtag #stringsramen for free edamame or egg! They now have loyalty cards where you get a free ramen for every 10th ramen you purchase! My favorites on the menu: scallop rice (a cold dish with raw scallops and a special sauce/topping that makes the dish delicious) Miso ramen with pork belly! (The pork belly is so fat and rich in flavor and the ramen noodles are delicious as well. Don't forget to drink the soup afterwards, or order extra noodles to go with the leftover soup!) The only really negative thing I can think of is that they don't have free wifi!!!!!! They used to but I guess they got stingy because they don't offer it at all anymore. It's a pity but I guess it's life, and life goes on, amirite?? read more

So excited for incredible ramen in South Loop! Service was great! BYOB, super affordable. $12 for tonkotsu with pork belly and it was amazing ! Just wish they'd let me take my dashi home with me!!!! Will definitely be back. Thanks for an awesome meal! read more

great ramen, terrible service. I'm hoping that's not the case all the time, so if it's different next time I try, I will update the rating. there were two servers randomly helping everyone in the restaurant. one lady was very nice, but she forgot my appetizer, didn't put in our take-out order and we had to ask her twice for the bill. the male server seemed very young, was not very friendly, and also had to ask him more than once for a couple of things, like water. look, it was somewhat busy when I went and I would have understood if that was the only thing keeping the service down, just delays... but no, they were clearly not very good at their job. the place was clean, and I liked the furniture and decorations they used. cool Japanese vibe. I had the tonkatsu ramen with the duck meat. good noodles, good broth, excellent duck. if I was rating only based on food, I'd give it a 4 stars. cheers & kcco read more

All of my favorite things: great food, great service, BYOB, amazing music selection. Highly recommend. read more

First time that I eat restaurant ramen and I loved it, and I was so full at the end but happy. I recommend this place 100%. The only thing is that you get out with your hair and clothes with that smell of food read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Tonkotsu ramen with pork belly. Yummy!!! - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was tasty, but kinda salty. But the service was great for my first time there!! It had a nice casual atmosphere, and overall I was happy. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - I forgot what this was called, but I had a rice bowl with duck. - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is my second visit here and so far the best ramen I've had thus far. Both my son and I had the Premium Tonkatsu Ramen and it was perfect especially on a cold and snowy Chicago winter. The broth is amazing and I really like that they can add more noodles for a very low price. Nice spot for a date night meal. I love the music, no loud rap or abrasive top 40 junk, just Lo-fi and mid tempo ambient coolness. read more

After reading so many good review I figure it must be good, right? We've been lucky, we been to Tokyo few times this past 6 months and we kinda know what quality Ramen is. Strings Ramen is not even close to be good in quality, value or quantity. First the Pork soup was too salty, can't taste the subtle flavors of the bones or spices. The noodles was too chewy. I added an egg and it has NO flavor and it was cold directly from the frig,WTH!! Try Hokkaido Ramen Santouka in Arlington Height and you will taste what good Ramen was suppose to be, cooked by real Japanese instead of short order cooks that's hip and clueless. For those who writes"Nice ambiance and the shop design makes you feel like you are in Japan eating Ramen." clearly show they have never been to Japan. This place is all shows and no substances. read more

LOVED IT! First off I wanted to say that I have never tried ramen like this before I've gone to other places where ramen is okay (not going to mention names) but this place definitely tops it. First of all its in the heart of China town and stands out like no other. The design of this place is so modern and clean looking. Inside looked so clean and new, I liked how it looked so artsy, on top of that I liked the strings design black red and white. Me and my friend decided to try new things so I tried the delicious pork yaki soba that our amazing waiter offered and my friend tried the flavorful pork tonkostu that our waiter as well offered! Martin was really fun and full of smiles, and looked happy when we said it was our first time here, he explained the menu and offered us things we never heard of, I am glad he was able to offer outstanding service, and was always there to ask if our table was okay. OVERALL Restaurant design:5! Food: 5! Service:6! Will definitely come back! read more

The ramen, the whole reason we came, was extremely disappointing. First of all, the noodles were under-cooked. Throughout Japan, I've had ramen noodles cooked to different extents, but if I can't even slurp the noodles, it's too al dente. The broth was too salty and after you finish with your bowl your lips stick together. I have try this place many of times but every time I come the noodle and the soup was in consistence.Do NOT order the pork-belly it unseasoned, no flavor, felt like they just boil it and put it on the bowl. For the price 14-20 dollar for a bowl of ramen you would expect you would have something good but here it not. You can get better noodle for price 11-15 at many other Chicago ramen places that has 200 time better than this. This place is over advertise. They haven't improve nor listen to their customer, when they first day they open and the problem here are still the same, soup was always too salty and oily. Your lips stick TOGETHER after you finish eating which was gross. read more

Meh- I have tried this place twice now and I am still not impressed. It is edible, but not at $15 per person for a bowl of noodles. The broth is too thick/oily and you always need to add hot oil for any taste. 2nd time I went, I thought my noodles were undercooked- is it possible for too al dente!? The pork belly did improve. I probably would not come back- Wasabi is still my preferred place for ramen in the city. read more

This review is only about their spicy crab rice bowl! I ordered this for delivery based on reviews I read here. OMG!! It was so delicious!!!! Creamy crab with rice is the best way to describe this! read more

Super cute place. Hubbt and I Got the tonkotsu ramen with pork belly, duck & a heaping spoon of chili bean paste! Yum! We also added an egg and had the fried tofu and fish ball to dunk in our broth afterwards. Pretty good. So glad its close to home and open late. The don't deliver and don't do take out. I asked for sure "no take out" - but at least its open late! read more

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

I had the Tonkotsu ramen with pork belly and my partner had shoyu ramen with nothing. I tweeted about them and we got a free egg thing. i wondered if it was worth it. all i tweeted was 'eat #stringsramen'. i liked the ramen. i paid $13 for mine and she paid $10 for hers. Well we split the check as usual so it was more like i paid $11.5 for mine and some of hers. anyways overall i guess itwas an okay price. i still don't get why some 'japanese' foods are so expensive in the united states first. i guess because they seem foreign and people will pay no matter what. yeah so whatever if you wanna spend $15 on a bowl of noodles heres' the place TO DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (i did it) the music sometimes sucked. but other times i guess it was fine. you can see people cook the noodles. how do people review yelp read more

So here we are, on the quest to find Japanese-style tonkatsu ramen (pig bone broth) that tastes anything like Kyushu island tonkatsu ramen. Ok, truthfully, I was the only one on this ridiculous quest, everyone else was there to fill their face with tasty food. Word of warning for people looking for a generic China Town experience, the menu is slightly limited. Ramens, rice bowls (the ones with hot tea poured over, ochazuke) and their seasonal food-on-sticks (oden) offering. This isn't a bad thing though, because that means they specialize in just a few things and why stay open if you aren't good at the few things to make, right? The first visit on a Thursday afternoon served up piping hot tonkatsu ramen with thick slices of kuro buta (black boar meat), the egg was soft-boiled to perfection, the spices were well-proportioned and the flavors were pretty close to Kyushu-style soup. It was impressive, rich and really reasonably priced! The second time, we went on a Friday night and it was busy. I mention this because I think the busyness factors into the quality of the soup and cuts of meat served. Everything was thinned down, including the broth. A lot less meat and even the noodles seemed sparse. Everyone I went with enjoyed their food. I also enjoyed it, but it was not the orgasmic blast from the past Kyushu ramen experience I was looking for, but I am a ramen snob because I was spoiled on the best stuff while in Japan. Solid fare though, and great service. It's the only place I've ever seen serve oden too. If you like mild, tasty filling snacks on sticks, Strings is for you! read more

Pleasantly surprising! I held off on trying Strings due to some of the lackluster reviews and it seems like they've really worked out the kinks. The ramen is springy and the tonkotsu broth substantial. The only qualm we had was that they didn't include eggs with your ramen order and the eggs were cold/gummy. Will definitely be back for the ramen and oden! read more

I haven't been to strings for over a year which the menu was quite limited. I recently (jan 2015) dine at strings and it was a different vibe and menu. It was a crowded busy Friday night at 1130pm. There's is more variety of food in the menu which includes soba, variety of ramen broth, oden, and desserts. I ordered the Tonkatsu broth with kurobuta belly which was very delightful. I enjoy the balance of flavor in the pork broth and the ramen was tasty. The pork belly was nicely cooked with flavor and tender. It was sad it came to an end so soon. I ordered the fried tofu oden and the kuro sausage which was ok but not as enjoyable as the ramen. I would skip it. Next time, I will try the dessert! read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Tonkatsu kurobuta (bellly) - delicious!! - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Alright! After a bumpy start, Strings is improving! My first visit was mediocre, but they stepped up this time and they deserve 3.5 stars. Still, they're missing a few more details to get to four, but they're on their way. Initially I complained about the ramen being overly salty and funky tasting, the lack of egg, and prices. They've cleaned up since then for the most part, but still have a long way to go. I would still avoid the street food though. It's still small, subpar pieces of meh on a stick in broth. Unfortunately, they still have weird limits to what you can/can't order for carry out, so I had to sit down to eat the popular spicy scallop bowl ($6.95) and for an extra $3, I added salmon roe (ikura) because I saw it was popular on Yelp. My waiter was very nice and said it was a popular add-on, so I chose it. My one complaint is the small portion of rice in the bowl. They give a nice helping of scallop and roe, which I hoped to mix in with the rice, but there wasn't a lot of rice to begin with. The bowl gets incredibly small towards the bottom, and I feel they should put in more rice to get a better ratio. I recommend asking only for a small bit of roe or skipping it altogether with the scallop bowl because the roe's saltiness overpowers the soft flavor of the scallop. The sauce is a more creamy version of spicy mayo and it really packs a punch! My mouth was on fire, but I kept eating because the scallop was so good. If you're not in the mood for an expensive bowl of ramen or you want to get an appetizer but are not willing to buy the oden, splitting this bowl would be a great idea. One thing that did bother me was that my receipt said, "ADD IKURA NO CRAB" which makes me wonder if they up-charged me while removing the crab (which I didn't know was in the bowl, but I would've liked it more than the roe). Also, I noticed they don't add the seaweed to the rice bowls anymore - I got a light sprinkle of bonito instead. My friend ordered the shoyu ramen and the broth has changed! Whether they altered the recipe or got a chef with more sensitive taste buds, I really love what they've done. It's no longer overwhelmingly salty, but rather light and rich. I liked swiping sips and bites because it was delicious! They still haven't increased the portions though and the prices are still pricey, so a few slurps in and you're out of noodles (of course you can always buy more) and pork. Shoyu appears to be the only ramen besides Shio that comes with egg that you don't have to purchase in addition, but it's literally HALF an egg. Could you please not be so cheap and give the other half so I get a full egg? Where does the other half even go? Does it wait for another bowl to take it? Still, it was a delicious, savory bowl of ramen. Also, I'm not sure if this is consistent, but while I do love jazz, they blast their music to the point that I could hardly hear the server and he brought me the wrong drink flavor (orange instead of strawberry) because he couldn't hear me over the wild saxophone and piano duet. Another complaint is that their offers are mildly misleading. From the Yelp pics, they say checking in gets you a free Japanese Cream Soda, Royal Milk Tea or Japanese Melon Soda, but today I was told my only option was Ramune (also they were out of the melon soda anyway). Also, did you know students get a 15% discount? A friend mentioned it to me, but no one told me nor are there any signs indicating it! Reasons like these are why I'm willing to say they changed enough to get 3.5 stars, but not 4. read more

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Good decor, so-so service. Broth is great, meat is great, but noodles did not hit the mark. Too chewy and rubbery. Still a great bowl of ramen and we will be back, but not the best in Chicago. read more

After a long day at the Auto Show, stopped in on a Sunday at 4pm. Parking wasn't the greatest but found the place. We walked in and it was packed. We got seated at a corner booth since it was only two of us. After that, there was a long waiting list. It took the waiter a while to attend to us. I ordered the Hell Ramen level one and my friend, the Shio Ramen. It was our first time at a Ramen restaurant. We were curious about the drinks so we ordered the Royal Milk Tea and Grape Japanese Cider, btw it's byob. The food didn't take long. The negatives are its super small so get there pretty early and the waiters are so busy, so don't be surprised if they don't attend to you a lot. everything negative was worth it. So delicious and it's definitely something to try once. The experience and the flavors. Amazing! We will be going again. read more

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Ramen noodles ( cooked Al dente here )are made from scratch! Hell Ramen looked really good until i ate it, the broth was full of chili oil ( spicy ) but lacked sodium, maybe they forgot to add salt in the broth , while Tonkotsu Ramen had a sweet creamy thick fatty pork broth, it was too sweet for my taste. The large piece of pork belly along with too much pork grease in the soup made me a bit sick I added the egg to both soups which was boiled perfectly! I think I'm more of a Spicy Miss Ramen girl read more

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First off, the shop is super cute! There are little nooks and benches. Nice spot for a cozy catch-up or date. The staff is attentive and friendly. If this review were based on service and ambiance alone, it'd be five stars. The shop gets credit for good tonkotsu broth and oden. But the noodles are just so-so. A little mushy, not enough bite and chewiness. I'll probably give it another shot because the broth was quite good. read more

Authentic Ramen was very good. The place looks very nice and it is very clean. Lots of room at tables I don't know what the other review reviewer was saying about tables he must've been a giant. My broth was excellent and the noodles cooked to perfection. The taste was rich but not overpowering. I could see where this could be habit forming. My wife had the seafood Ramen she loved the taste but was disappointed she could not find a crab claw or some more "stuff" in hers. We are Americans and we love everything excess, so it would be nice for an additional charge if we could get more things to put into a Ramen. I will definitely hit you up next time I'm in Chicago. read more

More like 3.5. We had to wait about 20-25 minutes for a table for two on a Friday - it's a popular (and somewhat small) place. Checking in on Yelp got us a Ramune and a chance to try their oden, which were a nice touch I guess but didn't exactly get me excited. The oden, if you're wondering, were skewers - we were given one skewer with chunks of deep fried tofu, and another skewer with squid wrapped in a fish ball. Both were served in a warmed dashi (or some kind of seafood-tasting) broth. The girlfriend made a beeline for the tonkatsu and ordered it with duck and pork belly, while I went for the miso with pork. I thought it was a decently flavored broth nicely accented with a variety of toppings, but honestly I wasn't a fan of the noodles. The portions and prices were about what you'd expect for a ramen place; we were pleasantly full after our visit. read more

Chinatown is one of my favorite spots in Chicago! During my last visit, I came to this ramen spot for dinner. There was a line outside the door, but we were able to get seated immediately. Their veggie ramen is delicious! read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute little ramen shop. Do yourself a favor and order the spicy crab with uni rice bowl. So beautiful and so good!!!! read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Spicy crab and uni rice bowl - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really great ramen. Quick and friendly service. Really enjoyed it! Had the bone broth ramen. So good.

I've been here few times and I have no complaints. The food is delicious, quick and good customer service/staff. Next time will will post pictures. They give you good amount of food. Yummy! read more

It was so good! I definitely recommend the Oden ramen as is. Meaning, with everything! Including the Berkshire sausage! read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's my 3rd time here since they opened. First 2 were good, impressed by their noodle n broth. This last time was disappointing. Thou I was hungry I right away noticed that the noodles was not quite the same. It felt like they had made it thicker, they make their own ramen by the way, or it wasn't made fresh the same day or they had not cooked it right. I'm guessing the last 2 reasons. Broth was the same. Service has gotten better now that they have ABC-American born chinese working there, compared to the last FOBs. Price is high as usual. It's fine if it's good n it wasn't. Sorry that will be my last time. Too many ramen places opening up n too much other cheaper food in Chinatown. read more

I have been here a month ago. Love decoration!! My bf and I ordered ODEN . Can't believe it ....Just a buck per skewer. Then we ordered Miso Ramen and Tonkatsu Ramen. Both are moderate taste not too bad. When we finished our meal. I asked for dessert menu. Each Items very interesting but I felt a bit disappointed cause most of them were sold out. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The ramen was super good, and seemed fairly priced-- it was maybe heavier on the meat than on the pasta. The decor is also super cool, however, the service was lacking. Our waitress was friendly and took the time the thoroughly explain the menu- but then was largely absent. The waiter was a somewhat amusing combination of rude and literal that left me scoffing at his approach to customer service. The #1 ramen seriously was the best (much better than the mix of that and miso). I thought the pork loin was delicious, but my bf preferred the cheek. It was pretty unclear when the 'sides' were supposed to arrive- we also received our egg after asking (and well into our meals). The food makes me want to go back, the service would incline me to try somewhere else. read more

This place was great! I always love good ramen and this is the place to be. I live in Printer's Row and it's not that far from me. You can take the El or just a 5 minute drive here. I had the pork belly ramen soup and it was DELICIOUS! The seating is not the best--it's actually quite awkward to sit that close to people, but the vibe in the place is what keeps me coming back. The service is outstanding! I'll be back and will probably keep bringing friends here. I say it's not good for groups because of the set up--I think you're fine as long as it's not over a group of 4 people. If you check-in on Yelp you get some of their free appetizers or a specialty house drink (non alcoholic). read more

I would vote for this place to have the best ramen in Chicago! There are plenty of choices, very authentic and tasty. I had the Tonkotsu Ramen with pork belly and it was full of flavor and amazing. It comes in a HUGE plate so you are definitely set for a great dinner. The only thing that is concerning, it's supper small, they should really expand to get more service and clients. There was a group waiting by the front door for literally twenty minutes before they were sat. It wasn't even a weekend so I can only assume it's a lot worst then. Either way, I definitely give it 5 stars! Enjoy! read more

First lets say its BYOB but didnt know this until we got there and the liquor store across the street was closed . The ramen was awesome. My friend had the miso ramen and it was so good that he asked for more noodles so that he could finish the broth. I was a bit more daring and had the "HELL RAMEN" ... I love super spicy and I am not going to lie but my nose was a bit runny. I still manage to eat most of it. I really like the decor the vibe of the restaurant. Will be back esp with a bottle or two on hand lol. read more

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Just the type of food to hit the spot for a cold night. Got the Kuro Buta Tonkatsu Ramen and the wood ear salad. Should've ordered more noodles on the ramen. Since I heard they make their ramen in house, I had to try this spot. It didn't disappoint. The noodles had a good texture and tasted a tiny more floury than normal. The broth was very flavourful and drool-worthy. The wood ear salad was okay. It was definitely spicier than I imagined. read more

Strings Ramen Shop - Wood ear salad - Ramen Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Modern and clean, good Ramen. 3.5 really. Service was sufficient but not warm, though the male host taking names and seating peeps was a doll. Kind of pricey for the amount given. Wish there were more starter options. Broccoli with bacon was great, but they give you maybe 5 tree tops. Um thanks, broccoli is super cheap- why so stingy? Plus there were 2 pieces of pork in my miso Ramen! 2?! Broth was rich and yummy, but I wish it was more LA style or pho where you get 5-7 pieces of meat (WITH a broader selection) with all the sides on your plate to add as you like (sprouts, egg, etc.) Awesome STRINGS is open late, flavors were nice, good experience but could be better. read more

So...there was a wait here. We waited..not for ramen but because it looked fun. Wait was not too long..and everything we ordered was super tasty. Totes forgot to take pictures. Servers were super friendly and place was cool. Recommend! read more

3.5 stars really. Ambience: Nice quiet, clean place. You can watch the ramen being prepared. Service: fast and friendly. Food: Pretty good. Large portions, so more than you can probably finish. Good flavors and fresh ingredients. Could probably back off the salt a little but all in all a good place to get high quality noodles. You can also choose from many different base broths and meats. Price: Very reasonable. All in all, I'd make the trip out there to try other things on the menu. read more