Rudy’s Ramen

After walking past Rudy's so many times, I finally gave it a go today and was not disappointed! Each server was very kind on our way in and out, and the overall attitude was friendly and helpful.Rudy's has a 1st anniversary is going on (congrats!), and some discounted items to go with that.Three baos were ordered: Habanero Mayo Chicken, Sweet Chili Tofu, and the Umami Bomb Shiitake. In that order, I ranked my favorites. The first had nice n crispy chicken pieces, the second had one large piece of tofu rather than tiny ones, and the third was...alright! I'm not much of a mushroom person, to be fair.As the main dish, I ordered the spicy tonkatsu and forgot to ask "with no bamboo shoot." My experience with bamboo shoot (aside from in Japan) is that it has a funky smell and an even funkier taste. Now, I was worried that my tonkatsu would be kaput thanks to the bamboo, but to my pleasant surprise, the shoot did not make me think "oh, shoot!" Wherever Rudy's sources their bamboo shoot from...that's a keeper. My spicy tonkatsu, aside from the bamboo debacle, was all-around delicious. The portion size was fair for the price and quality of taste, ingredients, and presentation. Not to mention the service--the ramen came out faster than our baos, and we were able to pay immediately (we were in a rush and didn't want to wait for the check at the end of our meal) with no issue.I'll definitely try visiting again before the anniversary deals are over!

We ordered:1. Tonkatsu & Miso & Tantanmen Ramen2. Soy Caramel Pork Belly Bun3. Karaage ChickenI'm calling this a top spot for ramen in Chicago. My friends loved the tonkatsu broth and I was impressed with the miso broth. Chashu was fatty and tender. Ajitama egg was perfectly cooked. I approve of the few, simple ingredients in each bowl. I'm okay with the noodles but imo, what would make it perfect is if the noodles were thicker and/or chewier which is what the owner is considering with a possible Tsukemen addition to the menu.We loved the Karaage Chicken and pork belly bun. The flavor of the Karaage Chicken and Yuzu sauce was incredible. Bun could be chewier though.We had friendly conversations with our waiter and Rudy, the owner. Good service. Decent amount of seating for small to medium size groups. Heads up, ramen prices are expensive at $18-22 pre-tax&tip but we thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

My husband and I decided to try out this ramen spot as we've seen it a couple of times whenever we're in the neighborhood. It's also my mission to try out all the great ramen places in Chicago!We ordered two ramen bowls and an appetizer. We decided to order the brussels sprout appetizer dish and the flavor was unexpected! We were thoroughly pleased with the lemon, pepper, and Asian BBQ flavor of the brussels sprout and couldn't get enough. Brussels sprout is a bland veggie to begin with so we loved how this restaurant flavored it to make it that much better.I ordered the tonkotsu ramen and my husband ordered the spicy tonkotsu. Based on the pictures that I have uploaded to this review, they basically look the same but if you look closely, the spicy tonkotsu does have a slight red color to the broth so you can tell the difference. I love the fact that the ramen here includes bamboo shoots! These are a favorite of mine for any ramen bowl. The pork was tender and the noodles tasted authentic. Loved everything about my tonkotsu ramen bowl so you can't go wrong with this one if you don't know where to start!Service was great! Our server was very attentive to us and checked in with us appropriately. We were greeted upon entering the restaurant - we didn't have to wait at all and were seated right away. We came on a Friday evening so that was great! I will say that there's only street parking so it made it a little difficult to find a decent spot without circling the area a million times but we eventually found one so prepare for that if you choose to drive to the restaurant.Otherwise, we will definitely be back! :)

The ramen is warm, full of flavor and love. It may be exactly what you are looking for after needing a celebration or a pick me up. You can't go wrong with any items on the menu. I recommend the karaage chicken as an appetizer for the table.

Have been here three times so far. Each time the ramen has been delicious and service was great! Very friendly and inviting atmosphere. Got to meet Rudy when I went in for lunch. I was the only one there and was able to ask him how he got started. Interesting story, which is posted on their website.I ordered the spicy Tonkatsu and karage. For the spicy Tonkatsu, it's not overwhelmingly spicy but a good balance. This place is in my favorite's list. Give it a try and hopefully you like it too.

*WARNING - EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE* All I have to say is WOW! Nevermind the fact that Rudy is extremely hands on and involved in ensuring the guest experience and the food are all amazing, this place has it all! I would've never thought that the best drink I've had in awhile would come from a ramen spot! Don't even get me started on the sweet chili bun, it was amazingly crunchy with a sweet bun and fantastic flavor. It goes without saying that the ramen is top tier. The staff was extremely kind and you felt welcomed there. I can't wait to go back.

Defs agree with everyone else that the ramen here was super authentic and tasty and one of the best in the city!What an achievement for a relatively new restaurant that is not too popular yet. There was a lot of space in the restaurant on a weekday which was great. I just went to a ramen shop that required booking reservations a month in advance and I would say the ramen here was comparable to that with better ambiance. They take reservations here and split checks so it's good for a group.The jammy egg here was perfect and the flavors were deep. I will say I wish I knew the spicy tonkotsu would be that spicy . It had only one compared to the spicy miso so I thought it would be relatively not bad but I found it a bit too much and I eat spicy regularly.Only downside is the prices are pretty high for both food and cocktails which were not that fancy. They've got a pretty limited menu but at least they have a vegetarian option and the tantanmen was also fantastic.

This place is on the expensive side at almost $30 per person for a bowl of ramen after tax and tip.However, the pros are that the broth is some of the best in Chicago (super flavorful and creamy), the inside space is modern and chic with plentiful open seating (no wait at peak lunch hour on a weekend). The parking is parallel street parking which you pay per hour for.I would recommend getting the tonkatsu ramen and paying tor the up charge to the thick wavy noodles. For appetizers, the Brussels sprouts were absolutely delicious and I would definitely order those again as well.

Good ass food. Got the chicken bun to start and it was delicious. Loved the pickles on it and the mayo was good. Ooooooh, aaaaaaaah, Im remembering it now. For the meal I got the spicy miso ramen (pictured) and it was great. I love lava egg and this was no exception and pork belly can be hit or miss for me and this one was spectacular. Wonderfully tender. Mmmmmm so good. My partner got the tonkatsu and normally non-spicy ramens don't do it for me but this one was still very good. Was a little dead in there but it was also like 5pm because we were going to a show afterwards. Employees were just chilling and shootin the shit but can't rlly blame them and they were still very helpful. They gave us hella water.

Yep, easily 5 star ramen. The place is really cute and I enjoyed sitting at the counter watching the cook work. The counter was also a great place for Rudy to introduce himself. What a sweetheart! The man can cook, too.The takoyaki was crispy and creamy, hot and cool, and a completely unnecessary starter because I should have saved room for ramen. The tantanmen was so perfectly umami and a bit spicy. The bok choy was charred and seasoned with something I couldn't place, but it was awesome. I would order this again and again if I lived nearby.This is a total winner and worth the parking trouble.