Authentic Ramen
in Chicago.

Chicago Ramen was founded in 2019 by Japanese chef Kenta Ikehata, who trained at Tsujita in Tokyo—named one of the best ramen shops in Japan by the Japan Times—and later opened Tsujita's first US location in Los Angeles. His Des Plaines restaurant brings Tokyo-calibre ramen and tsukemen to the Chicago suburbs.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka opened its West Loop standalone restaurant at 160 N Halsted in February 2026, becoming the chain's second Chicagoland location and 18th US outpost. The 43-seat dining room serves the full Santouka menu including gyoza, takoyaki, karaage and its signature shio and tonkotsu ramen.

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Hoffman Estates is the Illinois franchise of a Japanese ramen chain rooted in Kitakata city, Fukushima Prefecture—home to one of Japan's most revered regional ramen traditions dating back over 60 years. The restaurant specialises in Kitakata-style shoyu ramen with flat, wavy noodles and a clean chicken-soy broth.

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai Lombard is the second Illinois location of the Japanese chain rooted in Kitakata city, Fukushima Prefecture, bringing authentic flat-noodle shoyu ramen to the western suburbs of Chicago. The Lombard outpost mirrors the full Ban Nai menu and quality standards maintained by the Japanese corporate parent.

A cozy spin-off ramen counter in North Center's Ravenswood corridor, owned and operated by Satoko Takeyama, the Japanese restaurateur behind Ramen Wasabi. Menya Goku specializes in deeply flavored tantanmen, miso, and tonkotsu bowls served alongside Japanese small plates.

RAKKAN Ramen opened on Broadway in Chicago's Uptown neighbourhood as the official US franchise of the Tokyo-based chain founded by Ryohei Ito in 2011, winner of Tabelog's Best Ramen in Japan award in 2012. The restaurant is distinctive for its 100% plant-based dashi broth, which delivers tonkotsu-like depth through kombu, shiitake and fermented seasonings.

Ramen House Shinchan Palatine is the original and flagship location of the Japanese-owned Shinchan ramen group, founded by Japanese chef Shinji Sugiura and his wife Mika in 2015. Specialities include tonkotsu (broth simmered 48 hours), Taiwan ramen, shio and Nagoya-style ramen.

Ramen House Shinchan Vernon Hills is the second location of the Japanese-owned Shinchan ramen group, founded by chef Shinji Sugiura and his wife Mika. Opened in late 2019 inside RiverTree Court, it brings the same 48-hour tonkotsu broth and Nagoya-style Taiwan ramen to Lake County diners.

Ramen Misoya Mt. Prospect is the Chicago-area outpost of a Japanese miso-ramen franchise with over 156 locations in Japan, the first of its kind to open in the Midwest when it debuted in 2013. The menu focuses exclusively on miso-based ramen styles including shiro (white), kome (rice) and aka (red) miso broths.

The West Loop outpost of Chicago's beloved Ramen Wasabi, opened in November 2024 by Japanese owner Satoko Takeyama after the original Ramen Takeya rebranded at this address. The kitchen serves rich tonkotsu, chicken paitan, and izakaya small plates in a sleek, intimate space.

Ramen Wasabi is a Japanese-owned ramen restaurant on Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square, founded and operated by Japanese chef and restaurateur Satoko Takeyama since approximately 2007. It is one of the few Japanese-owned Japanese restaurants in Chicago proper, serving a small but celebrated menu of garlic miso, tonkotsu and spicy ramen.

Shinya Ramen House is Bridgeport's go-to Japanese izakaya ramen bar, the only ramen shop in Chicago open until 1:30 AM nightly. The kitchen turns out Hakata-style tonkotsu, black garlic ramen, tonkatsu, and yakitori skewers alongside an inventive cocktail list.

Torizen is a Japanese-owned izakaya and ramen restaurant in Schaumburg, founded in November 2017 by a Japanese chef with over 20 years of culinary experience. It is the only restaurant in Illinois specialising in Sapporo-style miso ramen, complemented by a full izakaya menu including yakitori, sushi and daily specials.

Owned by Japanese restaurateur Satoko Takeyama, Wasabi Logan Square is openly one of the few genuinely Japanese-owned Japanese restaurants in Chicago—a distinction Takeyama states explicitly on the restaurant's own website. The menu combines izakaya-style yakitori skewers, ramen, and traditional small plates in a casual neighbourhood setting.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka at Arlington Heights is a stall inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace food court, representing the iconic Japanese chain founded by Hitoshi Hatanaka in Asahikawa, Hokkaido in 1988. Signature bowls include shio (salt), shoyu and spicy miso ramen with a slow-simmered pork-bone broth.