Didn’t have any classic tonkotsu options, which is my usually go-to for ramen, but tried out their trademark Spicy Chicken Paitan and surprisingly it still tasted pretty good. That said, as far as ramen goes it wasn’t anything that blew me away, and while I suppose I give them some props for making a flavorful broth out of chicken instead of pork, the bowl itself didn’t stand out much in other ways; the noodles were just alright and to be honest the portion was smaller than I would have liked(the bowl they serve is essentially a vase in how it narrows out). They did nail the egg and pork though; even though most other ramen shops tend to get the textures for these crucial components down pat, Takeya also has their soft-boiled egg just lightly flavored enough with soy to complement the natural flavor of the ingredients already.
Eileen S.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
Beautiful, tasty & nice atmosphere. I entered just as they opened, 20 minutes later & the place is buzzing. No wonder when the food is this good. Looking around other diners are having similar deliciousness dropped to them! Will definitely be a regular here.
Vanessa D.
Tu valoración: 4 San Francisco, CA
I seriously love this ramen shop. so cute with an amazing full bar(no hot sake though but we will forgive that). I ordered the spicy paitan ramen, kurobuta pork gyozas, a foamy headed super dry asahi, and a spicy miso. the gyozas had the cornstarch skirt and were delicious, though a tad too salty for my taste. the dipping sauce had no vinegar/acidic element. no vinegar on the table. the spicy paitan was a tad too salty but didn’t stop me from devouring the whole damn thing. the standouts were the amazingly tender and very flavorful pork belly which was further complemented by the menma and green onions. there were also bits of regular diced onion, which was something I’ve never experienced before but was not opposed to. appreciated the texture and bite. the perfectly done ajitsuke tamago added to the amazingly sticky yet clean tasting broth. decidedly outstanding. will return.
Dan H.
Tu valoración: 2 Chicago, IL
Good: — Cool little room, reminiscent of actual dives in Japan. — Super-friendly bartender(we ate at the bar). — No wait for a table or bar seat at 6:30pm on a Saturday. — Groovy 80s music — Gyoza are creatively served and delish. — Ramen was reasonably tasty. Not so good: — Salt, salt, salt, salt. Yes, ramen is salty. But EVERYTHING here is salty, in a way you don’t realize until the next morning when you feel simultaneously dehydrated and bloated like 10 gallons of sea water in a 5 gallon bag. — Fried chicken: tasty, sure. But not worth the grease/salt tradeoff IMO. — Uni/toro: the unii was super-fresh, but the rest of it was just unimpressive. Toro was barely noticeable other than the fishiness. — Bold and spicy ramen: don’t get me wrong, we ate the whole thing. It tasted good. But it wasn’t outstanding… broth didn’t have the body of authentic(and unhealthy) ramen broth, fatty pork belly instead of cheek, noodles were fine but not great. — Expensive for what it is. That is all.
Lundy H.
Tu valoración: 1 Chicago, IL
This is with out a doubt one of the worst places I’ve ever been served a meal. I ordered a spicy miso ramen which can barely be called spicy. The ramen was ok at best. We came in well before closing and the manager actually had the balls to kick us out because they were«closed». I’ve never once in years of Chicago dining been asked to leave a restaurant. I’ve never been so disrespected in my life.
Alice W.
Tu valoración: 5 San Jose, CA
The perfect remedy to a cold winter’s day in Chicago, Ramen Takeya was a fantastic place to stop for a quick lunch. We were warmly welcomed by the person working at the bar, and we were seated and given menus promptly. Both my roommate and I decided to order the Chicken Paitan, since it was so popular with other Unilocal reviews. ITWASAMAZING. The broth, pork belly char siu, and the noodles were all cooked to perfection, and they gave very generous portions of bamboo shoots(also delicious.) The bowls are deceptive in that it looks like there isn’t much in them, but they hold a surprisingly large amount of food(which was awesome). Ultimately, we had a wonderful experience at Ramen Takeya; I usually feel disgustingly full after ramen, but Ramen Takeya was just right and warmed me up for the rest of the day. I can’t wait to go back and try everything else!
Coleen K.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
I’ve been here a number of times and it’s become my ramen place of choice. It’s close to home, but more importantly, they always have a table available and service and food are reliable and consistent. The place is relatively small but they have a variety of table sizes(communal and individual) as well as a ramen bar where you can watch the chefs prepare the soup bowls. Staff is prompt, and food comes out quickly. The menu has a few different broths to select from. I opt for the shoyu ramen. Their broths are different than the typical tonkatsu ramen at some of the other Chicago staples like Wasabi. It’s a little lighter– not as rich or nearly as thick/creamy. It actually reminds me a bit of an Asian chicken noodle soup which is awesome. They also have really delicious buns here– special shoutout to the fried chicken karaage bun. And finally, they make a mean cocktail. My only negative is that I wish they would add a tonkatsu broth to the menu. Their sister restaurant is Wasabi, afterall! If you’re looking for a more casual /inexpensive option in the West Loop that can serve you quickly without the 2 hour wait, try out Ramen Takeya!
Melly M.
Tu valoración: 5 Orlando, FL
Love these hanging light bulbs at the bar, create some type of illusion, I can’t stop staring at them. Had Ebi buns(sweet chili shrimp buns), were really good, love the soft fluffy buns. I had a vegetarian buckwheat noodle bowl, best one I ever had in the states! Really good broth, lots mushrooms in my bowl, great for this winter weather!
Olivia J.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
A wonderful little ramen spot in the west loop! I went with a friend on a Thursday evening at around 5:15 pm and we were one of the first ones there. The tables are a little tight, but not uncomfortably so. We both ordered the Spicy Chicken Paitan. The noodles were good, but what really stood out to me was the chicken broth. A lot of ramen places tend to over salt the broth, but Ramen Takeya gets it right– not too salty and very flavorful. The chili hits you right in the back of the throat and provides just the right amount of kick. Bamboo shoots were tender and loved the soft boiled egg. I personally thought the bowls were big enough and filling enough on their own but I’m looking forward to coming back and trying some appetizers. Servers were very helpful with suggestions and ambiance was nice!
Rebecca M.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
As the sister restaurant to Wasabi, my favorite ramen joint, Takeya is bound to be amazing– and it is! I love the décor and service here, though it seems like there isn’t as much seating here so I would avoid going with big groups. I love that the soup/broth focuses on chicken here, though the ramen I had definitely had a Japanese-inspired chicken noodle soup vibe going on. It was good, but I think I prefer pork-based broths more. I do wish they allow substitutions here– I was told I couldn’t substitute spinach for the bamboo shoots and would have to pay extra for the spinach, even though the bamboo shoots are more expensive on the menu. That’s really my only complaint! Another great ramen place to add to my rotation!
Shambavi K.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
Certainly a refreshing take to see that Chicago can welcome a ramen joint that specializes in chicken broth. It’s a great addition to the Futon Market situated among other winners like Cemitas Puebla, Glazed and Infused, and Publican. The space is dimly lit and somewhat limited… it was smaller than Wasabi I think. Luckily, there wasn’t a crowd on the Saturday after Xmas. We ordered the Chicken Paitan of course since it has the basic focal point of a chicken broth. Initially, I felt like it was a bowl of «souped» up chicken noodle soup with a super rich chicken broth, with lots of straight egg noodles and amped up ingredients for add-ins…and maybe that’s what it is in many ways. We enjoyed it. This was a great compliment to the Miso Bold and Spicy ramen. We were warned before ordering since it also showed 4 little chilli peppers to indicate that it was spicy. Though it’s not numbingly spicy, it has a great kick and I liked that it had a lot of bean sprouts. Both bowls had a good amount of toppings and weren’t too salty. The pork char sui didn’t stand standout and the noodles were okay(they were straight in these bowls). We also ordered the crispy takoyaki, which was too doughy, and there was too much sweet bbq sauce on it. Overall it’s more likes a 3.5. It’s a welcome addition to the ramen scene and great for the current price point.
Fred F.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
FIVESTARRAMEN. Finally we got a great ramen place in the city that doesn’t require 1 – 2 hours of drive to Misoya in Mount Prospect or Santouka in Arlington Heights. The noodles are delicious and the broth(despite the fact that it’s chicken-based) is very tasty. The spicy chicken paitan is not too spicy; I just wished it came with more than two small chunks of pork. During cold Chicago days, I opted for miso bold and spicy ramen with pork. In the future, I would ask for less bean sprouts since the bean sprouts dominated 50% of the bowl space and it’s a total distraction/waste. In the end, I think Ramen Takeya is a strong four star as compared to other sad places like Ramen-san or God forbids the awful Strings Ramen in Chinatown. Also, if your pocket is thick, get the uni and tuna mini rice bowl. They are heavenly but costs an arm and a leg.
Lauren N.
Tu valoración: 4 Charlottesville, VA
Was very happily surprised by this place! Came in for an early dinner around 5:45 on a Friday. Ordered the vegan ramen with egg noodles and added an egg. Wow!!! Vegetarian Asian foods are usually very bland but the vegan ramen was packed with flavor — delectable flavor. Portions were generous, too. I wish my stomach was bigger so I could have enjoyed every last bite rather than leaving the last eighth of my dish I’ve also had the vegan ramen at Ramensan and I have to say I prefer it there more. I think it’s bc the ramen is sweeter at Ramensan which is more of my taste. Doesn’t mean that Ramen Tayeka isn’t amazingly delicious! One more thing — no hot sake served here. only cold. Will definitely be returning!
Allison J.
Tu valoración: 4 Chicago, IL
Yummy, yummy ramen! I came with two other people for a weekday lunch date, it took about 5 – 10 minutes to get seated, which was surprising to me seeing how small the restaurant is. It’s a cozy restaurant with a nice modern décor. It didn’t feel cramped at all. It was very comfortable at the bar and the service was quick! I ordered the Spicy Chicken Paitan Ramen, which was really flavorful with strong chicken flavors coming across in the broth. I was slightly disappointed with the spice level(or lack there of). I really wished it was significantly spicer, but that’s just personal preference. I’ll probably give the Miso Bold & Spicy a try next time! They do serve beer and alcohol for those of you into the boozy lunches! Great ramen option, but to be honest I prefer Yusho and Urban Belly’s ramens(once again just personal preferences). P. S. Parking is a nightmare over here, find another way to travel here!
Andrew E.
Tu valoración: 5 Chicago, IL
What an amazing impromptu lunch! My friend and I were, literally, wandering aimlessly down Fulton and were looking for a nice lunch place. She suggest PQM, but, since the wait was a little longer than we wanted to deal with, I told her I remembered that there was a ramen place next door. Thankfully, she is always down for a bowl of ramen so we popped in. The restaurant is on the smaller, quaint side, so it was already pretty packed. Luckily, there were spots open at the bar, so we just sat there. In a matter of minutes, the remaining empty eats at the bar were snatched up. The bartender was really nice and informative — he gave suggestions to the couple sitting next to us, so I just listened in since I was interested in the same two dishes. All the types of ramen looked really good, but I decided on the spicy chicken paitan. I did a quick read through of other Unilocalers and learned that this ramen was creamy. My friend got the miso hot and spicy. Other beats any type of spicy ramen, I tell ya. My spicy chicken was fantastic — amazingly good pork belly, fantastic egg and bamboo shoots. And the broth? So so good. Not overwhelmingly spicy at all and highly addictive. I definitely will be back, but maybe at an off-peak time(if there’s ever an off peak time).