I went here at 6:30 pm on a Thursday night. There were only a couple of tables so we did not have to wait. We ordered the pork belly buns to start. I only had one and I almost wanted to give up my Tonkotsu ramen for another order of these. They were THAT good! Then my ramen came and I wish I never ordered the pork belly buns so I can eat 2 bowls of ramen. Both dishes were full of flavor and left me wanting more. I am awaiting my next trip here.
I noticed the restaurant was almost full when we were leaving at 7:30 pm, so I will make sure to get here early to avoid lines.
Wasabi happened just from randomly picking a place. My friend is just starting to get into sushi and he spied Wasabi, so in we went after realizing that Longman&Eagle was closed.
We started off with some skewers. We got a duck skewer and a chicken breast skewer. The duck skewer was really good. I also liked the chicken skewer and the sauce that came with it.
We then moved onto the rolls. I had to get myself 2 pieces of hamachi. I liked these, I mean it's hamachi and I love hamachi, but it wasn't great. My friend ordered a meat lovers roll. I liked the idea and it was pretty good even though it was a bit weird to be eating "meat sushi" in a sense. An alaskan, crabby wasabi, and salmon rolls. The alaskan was very good and what I wanted. I really liked the crabby wasabi as well. The salmon was very good, but was the least of the rolls.
I have to say, I did like Wasabi, but it almost felt like sushi with training wheels. The presentation and service was very good. The food was pretty good too. There's a lot of options in the area, so it may take a bit to come back, but I would like to give Wasabi another try and really try some of their ramen.
Tonkatsu ramen? Â You just changed my life!
I've been on this search for the perfect ramen ever since Annabelle C. introduced me to the salt ramen at in LA. Â Nothing ever lived up to my expectations in the Chi since then. Â So when my friend organized a dinner at Wasabi and I found out that they had ramen on the menu, I was pretttttty stoked to try it out. Â
At $13, I admit that I was at first in a huff at how steep the price was for a bowl of ramen.  (Hello, $7 in Chinatown!)  They offer either miso, shoyu or tonkatsu broth.  The tonkatsu (aka pork bone)broth is so effin' good.  The ramen is topped with pork cheek, bamboo, egg, mushrooms  - um, best combination ever!  Perfect for a cold winter's day.
We also tried the pork belly and kimchee spring rolls. Â They were pretty good and an interesting conbination, for sure. Â You couldn't really taste the spiciness of the kimchee, but you could tell there was cabbage in the spring roll. Â Their sushi selections looked awesome and my friend enjoyed his super tuna roll. Â
This place is also BYOB and our super nice waitier didn't have a problem storing one of the wines in the back (since they didn't have a bucket for us to store it in at the table). Â Oh, and extra shout-out to the waiter who had no problem splitting the check among different cards and cash. Â Always appreciated!
So, I went here for the first time a couple of weeks ago and am only now reviewing because 1) I was so completely smitten by the tonkotsu ramen I had that night that I forgot to review it when I got home..and 2) I'm going there tonight and needed the address!
In 7 hours (hopefully no longer! they don't take rezzies here), I will be enjoying another nice big bowl of tonkotsu ramen. I am dizzy just thinking about all the awesome flavors from that filling dish. I also ordered extra pork belly, which is not necessary, as the ramen was already filling itself.. (but I probably will.)
Ok, wiping off the saliva off of my keyboard.
I'm no ramen connoisseur, but this is some good good stuff for a good price. Oh yeah, bring wine. Friday night, BYOB party!
This place is a great gem! The special pork belly ramen is as good as, if not better than the one from Ippudo NYC without an hour long wait and for only $13. Despite the understated neighborhood, the inside is quite chic and cozy. The side dishes are unfortunately smaller than expected but the ramen is more than a good enough reason for me to make a one-hour commute.
Review Source:I'm always on a hunt  for a great Japanese Ramen, specifically Tonkotsu.  I consulted Yelp and it did not disappoint!  True to its claim of fantastic ramen in Chicagoland (and I have visited two other places). Â
I never had the real dish (in/from Japan), but I've had this dish in all major US cities I've visited and thusfar, this is my 2nd favorite (1st is Tamaya in Hacienda Heights, CA). Â
2 pieces of the berkshire pork is served on top cold, so don't be surprise. Â Very tender and nicely flavoured. Â The bamboo shoot was surprisingly yummy too, fully marinated. Â The soft boiled egg the same. Â And not to mention the rich broth! Â The noodles were perfectly cooked al dente, with small dash of black sesame oil. Â One thing I did not taste in my ramen was the kikurage mushroom, which was the last ingredient indicated on the menu. Â
My husband ordered the Miso ramen. Â To be honest, I didn't taste the difference, perhaps his didn't have the sesame flavor. Â
Very nice ambient, great for date night. Â When we visited this Sunday evening, there was no wait, and the place was 90% full. Â
All in all, the 20-minute drive from the south loop was well worth it.
Delicious! One of those places that makes me wish my car were more reliable. So I could come here more.
Parking is a pain though :( If I had time for it, it'd definitely be worth the 1.5 hour public trans commute. That's how much I liked the food here!
The ramen here is yummy and comforting and filling. And affordable! There is a lot of noodle at the bottom of the bowl for $13. Plus two nice big chunks of perfectly flavored pork belly. Dare I say the miso ramen might actually be better than Santouka's (:o! inmyopinion). The grilled meats are juicy and tender and perfectly seasoned. We also tried one of their specials... which was a tiny plate of duck breast. Very delicate and nicely done, but a lot smaller than I expected for the price.
We picked a random Yelp bookmark of mine at the last minute on Valentine's day and our poor waitress was so swamped. She never paused for a single second and managed to get to every one of her tables in a timely and polite fashion! She never lost her cool and was patient with every table despite her zipping around like a bumblebee every single second she's not talking to a table. Kudos! So yeah, service here gets a huge thumbs up.
It is really dark inside the restaurant. For the casual-ish environment I really think they could use more lights. I don't even remember what my food looked like or the colors or the plating. Pretty much just dimly lit blobs.
I will try to be back! For great ramen within reasonable driving distance. 4.5 stars.
DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.
I live near this place and pass it frequently, Â and from the outside looking in it doesn't ever really look open. Â It actually looks like a shuttered down place. Â But I heard the raves about the ramen and had to come try it out. Â Now I hope they never close!
I love, LOVE, LOVE ramen. Â I will go anywhere and everywhere for it. Â Most recently I have been to Noodles by Takashi and Slurping Turtle and neither of these places can compare.
BEST ramen in Chicago! - Â just the right serving size, just the right amount of flavor.... will leave you wanting for sooo much more. My boyfriend isn't really a ramen lover, but after dinner there he's become a believer ;) Â
We tried the pork buns too, so YUM! I stopped eating pork for awhile and the dish is the kind that makes me regret those pork-free months. I didn't try the sushi, but I am assuming its ALL GOOD!
One downfall about the place is that we went there early on a Friday night and there were a lot of kids in the place, of course with their parents. Â I am not a kid-hater, but sometimes you just want to be in an adult only zone, especially if you're with your boo. Â WHATEVER, that's what I get for going out to dinner at 6:00PM.
Did I mention the ramen was good?!
So I really had a bittersweet experience at Wasabi:
I came here with my girlfriend and we were starving and not really expecting a wait, but luckily it was only ~15mins. We each ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen and then a few skewers and the Chicken lollipops.
The first thing that cam out was the beef short rib skewer. At this point I was starving, but I'm pretty sure it was amazing. Came out rare and the sauce was delicious.
Next we got a berkshire pork and brie skewer and the salmon skewer. Neither me or my girlfriend really cared for these and I would suggest staying away from their fried skewers in general- they just seem to lack any flavor.
The next thing we got was the chicken lollipop and this is where Wasabi went very wrong. I was eating my chicken and the flavor was nothing special, but what I didn't realize right away in their dark lighting was that it was severely under-cooked. Only once I got to the bone did I realize that MY CHICKEN WAS COMPLETELY RAW. This is unacceptable and dangerous to serve in a restaurant. I immediately called the server over. He apologized (was very nice and I know it was not his fault) and took it back to the kitchen. I should have walked out after that, but I really was starving. Our server came back and told me he would remove the chicken from our bill, as I told him that I did not want another one.
The next thing we got was the 2 tonkatsu ramens. I will say that their ramen is delicious. I ate the entire bowl and even found myself wanting more.
Our server offered us free dessert because of the raw chicken, so we got mochi ice cream, which was pretty self explanatory. Nothing different here.
So my experience was really bittersweet because they did have a couple dishes I really enjoyed , but the raw chicken was unacceptable. They would have only gotten 1 star if not for their delicious ramen and they probably would have gotten a solid 4 stars if not for the raw chicken.
Side note: I think one of the things that really upset me most is that the restaurant owner/manager never came by my table. An apology from someone other than my server (who was not at fault) really would have been nice. I did take a picture of the chicken in case I got sick, but as of now I am fine.
Good food, nice decor. The ramen was alright, though a couple dollars more than Mitsuwa (I guess you're paying for the ambience). The sushi roll that we ordered was fantastic, and I loved the pork belly bun dish as well. The lowlight of the meal were the chicken gizzard skewers that we ordered, which were puny and really tough. Chicken gizzards are supposed to be chewy, but not so tough that its too difficult to get off the skewer. Â
The decor of the place is really modern and cool. Got really crowded on a Friday evening. Â BYOB, so saw a lot of tables bring wine.
Service was a bit off in that the server was nice enough, but they kept bringing our orders to the table next to us. The pork belly bun, which I considered to be an appetizer, came out when we were almost done with the meal. Not cool, Wasabe. Not cool.
Once I learn to like sushi, this will definitely be my go-to sushi place!
But even those who (like me) still have to talk themselves into eating raw fish, will find something tasty to nibble on here. There was a good selection of non-boring veggie rolls, and the ramen was delish!
Great for groups, too! The menu includes plenty of small plate dishes- perfect for sharing. I also give points to the server for dealing with our rowdy, sake-soaked party of 10.
After an disappointingly unsuccessful business meeting in Logan Square, my wife and I decided to stick around in the city on this rainy night so that traffic would die down before we headed back to the burbs. Â (It took us 2 hrs to go from burbs to Midway to Logan Square... seriously, someone fix 90/94).
Spotting a place called Wasabi, and not having had sushi in awhile, we headed in and checked Yelp reviews to find raves about ramen... I was excited about trying ramen (and yakitori after finding out they had skewers!) and she was excited about having sushi!
After a roll, two pieces of nigiri, and one bowl of ramen, we decided to try one more bowl since we didn't plan to come back anytime soon... here's the skinny:
Cubby Bear Roll - Nice flavor combination, all in all enjoyable and great presentation. Â
Super white tuna nigiri: Â Smooth tasting, and good. Â One of our favorite nigiri, but not exceptional here...
They were out of chicken meatballs (must be good), so we tried the following instead:
Chicken skin skewer: Â Personally I like my skin crisp.. like near shatteringly crisp. Â This wasn't quite there. Â Good flavor, skins were cut into perfectly shareable squares, but not as crisp as I would've liked.
Chicken thigh: Â This was very good. Â Being thigh, it's far more forgiving and far harder to overcook, but even then, this was tender and delicious.
Japanese Sweet potato: Â Coated and fried and skewered... it's perfect bar food. Â If only it wasn't $2 for two skinny pieces, I'd be more excited about it. Â But it was tasty, no doubt.
And now we get to the part of the menu that really shines...
Tonkotsu Ramen: Â The broth was packed with richness and flavor, the half an egg was perfectly cooked, the ramen was springy and done to a perfect tenderness. Â Wow, this is hands down the best ramen I've had in Chicago. Â My only complaint would be that I expected the pork cheek to be more tender, but even then, it was quite good... hard to beat...
Spicy Roasted Garlic Miso Ramen: Â If you want something spicier in the Chicago cold, here's a top choice... miso based broth also packed with lots of spice and flavor, this could easily be a contender for the Tonkotsu. Â The pork cheeks we received in this bowl were fattier and more tender, and while it didn't fit the theme of the ramen, it was still a great add.
Verdict: Â Seriously, perhaps the best ramen I've had in Chicago. Â Sushi is tasty but nothing to write home about, yakitori seems like it has good potential (we didn't explore this side of the menu enough), but the ramen... oh the ramen. Â If only they weren't so far away from where we live!
This place is pretty good, especially for the mid-west. Whether you want a Japanese or American experience, this place delivers. The Hamachi Toro was probably my favorite thing there. I had to wait a while because I went a Saturday night, but that just means this place is popular. Right now, Wasabi is still under the radar but not for long! I give this place 5 dragon kicks!
Review Source:Great sushi. It was all very fresh. Place is kind of small. You could seriously hear what everybody around you are saying, which means they can hear what you are saying as well. BUT I am here for the food. The ramen noodles are very good. I believe the top chef is actually Japanese so food are more traditional. I love their salmon and white tuna. Will absolutely come here again.
Review Source:Having dined here several times at lunch and dinner with groups and on dates, I can happily say I have never been disappointed! Â
Sushi: Fresh and cold, served no frills but very tasty. With the exception of the spicy shrimp which was not cold, but rather tasty and crunchy and grilled tasting! Â So good! Â At lunch they have a fabulous sushi special with miso and ice cream, which comes with a very very small portion of ice cream and an even tinier spoon so you don't finish it too fast and it really hits the spot. Â
Also had the garlic-spicy ramen which makes your nose run and flushes your cheeks and really warms up a belly. Â The soft boiled egg is my favorite, so creamy inside. Â The pork cheek did not impress me, but it was still good. Â Scallions, bok choy, pork broth. Â All tasty. Â
We always get the same waitress every time we go and she is awesome and never obtrusive. Â Even got my boyfriend and I mini bowl and spoons so we didn't have to hit heads slurping over the same bowl of ramen.
Awesome BYOB but the goose island GingerAle is great for  lunch!
What did Sushi A say to Sushi B?
You know you love corny jokes as much as I love ramen. Sadly, Chicago does not have great ramen. Â It is a travesty. Â But Wasabi probably currently serves the best Tonkotsu ramen in the area. It's not perfect, the broth is a little salty for my tastes, and the noodles are perfectly al dente when served, but get soft too quickly in the hot broth. For the price I'd probably still rather go to Mitsuwa. Â But when I need my ramen fix, this is my go-to place.
Other small plates are decent, but I'd skip the sushi here.
This is the perfect place when you realize any brunch joint in Logan square is so dang crowded you will have to eat somewhere else while waiting. Â
The Yellowtail (Hamachi) cheek is something I dream about. Â Wasabi's version is fantastic. Â If you order it and don't take the time to suck the collagen from between the facial joints you are a bum and a loser and you should never read my reviews again.
On a lighter note, the roasty toasty pork ramen is excellent, I really wish there were more casual places to slurp Japanese noodles but oh well. Â This broth was described by my 9 year old as "silky" Â what a little food snob. Â He was correct though and if you are not used to these broths stay close to the turlet. Not that they are poisonous, but rather they are so full of awsomeness that your lower GI will celebrate with much rejoicing.
The sashimi platters for lunch are priced very fair, I prefer my sashimi a bit thinner, but they were very fresh.
The menu is a bit daunting, and I think there is some dead weight in the nigiri and skewer options. Â If the place pared down the menu and streamlined a bit I would go 5 stars.
This place has been my new spot for sushi and noodles. It has gluten free items on the menu which i LOOOOVE!
Favorite dish on the menu (that i hope it becomes PERMANENT) are the vegan noodles. All of their noodles are in pork broth EXCEPT the vegan noodles. The noodles are made from buckwheat and they are bathe in a mushroom broth with lost of veggies and buck choy.
Sushi is divine, very meaty  fresh cuts of fish.
Make sure to bring your favorite bottle of wine - BYOB!
I'm sad! Tried calling in to make a reservation for a birthday party with a large group of 23 people. They can't take me in. I spoke to the manager if he would make an exception for this one time. Since, A, I love this place so much that i wanted to spend lot's of $$$ with my precious friends who have never been here before and therefore, B, I am trying to promote this place since it's so good!!! I tried to make this reservation for a thursday evening at 630pm. He recommended me to come as early as 5pm and will not guarantee seating if we show up later than that. Well.... most people get off work at 5 or later, soooooo... I'll bring my people some place else then. My heart is truly broken. So long, wasabi. I need a real good reason to come back to you...
Review Source:Loved it! Not sure how I managed to wait 2 years to eat here! I love the interior; it's much larger than it seems from the street. Modern, sleek. Super hipster clientele.
I had the vegetarian ramen and my husband had one of the traditional pork ramens. Delicious! And filling too. We also shared some rolls. The ArtMex roll was awesome.
I did order delivery from here a couple times; a little pricier than the other delivery sushi spots in the area. I think they recently stopped delivery here anyway and you can only get ramen if you dine in. It's worth it! Take your time to enjoy your ramen; slurp it up. Mmmm.
Hmm... best ramen in Chicago? Â Quite possibly. Â Far superior broth to Slurping Turtle. Â It's a little on the rich side, and I wish there were more of it, but good nonetheless.
I wish they had slightly more options-- maybe beef broth? Â The pork broth is rich and heavy. Â The slices of pork cheek weren't the greatest, but the broth certainly made up for anything lacking in the meat.
I think maybe the noodle to broth ratio was a little high, but that's me being a diva again.
I also added Toro and Hamachi Nigiri. Â Both were adequate, though unimpressive. Â The slices were huge and the fish tasted fresh enough but not really a place I'd come for sushi. Â
I like more artistry with my Nigiri. Â Both pieces could've used some wasabi tucked in between the rice and the fish and possibly some ponzu? Â I felt like I could've gotten some sushi grade fish, sliced it, and threw it on some rice for a very similar result.
For the ramen though, I'd definitely come back.
This is my second time here.
Absolutely loved it the first time, and our server was fantastic.
This time around I went with all my cousins (eight of us) and our waiter was less than satisfactory.
Our food was taking forever, and when we finally did get served we were given a different table's dishes.
Our waiter was confused and when he finally figured it out he scolded the food runners in front of everyone, which was awkward for us.
Then he said, "I'm sorry. It was my birthday last night so I'm not all here."
Umm..okay?
He repeated it no less than six times throughout the night, and I heard him say it to a table next to us.
And during the food confusion he put his hands in his hair and gave a look of all hope lost and said, "just tell me what to do."
It took everything in me to not say "get a new job."
But moving past the disaster that was our server, the food is delicious.
I loved their tonkotsu ramen with the braised pork belly. SO GOOD.
I also had the ArtMex roll. I enjoyed that as well, but I wouldn't go here if I was looking just for sushi.
I say if you're craving ramen as the main course, this is the place.
My bf and I are ramen crazy! Since I moved to Chicago from Los Angeles, it has been hard to find a good ramen spot to calm my ramen urge. From Oak Park to this place it did take awhile to get here but I think it was worth it. The ramen broth was very flavorful and beautifully presented. The cost of it was perhaps $4 dullards more than I would of gotten in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles; however, being 1,500 miles away it was worth to tame my ramen urges!
Review Source:Giant slice of hamachi cheek? I'll take 3, thank you veddy much. Â
This low-key BYOB in Logan is my most awesome discovery thanks to Yelp, and a great replacement for my formerly favorite and now full Friday failure fest that shall remain unnamed, at this time. Â
Came here with my wife, my best friend and his girlfriend who were visiting me for my birthday from L.A., which is known for having some pretty sweet food and drink establishments, especially of the Asian persuasion. Â That being said, I felt a little nervous taking them anywhere in our great city, even if he used to live here. Â I just wanted to make sure there were no frowns after dinner. Â I think it went well! Â
Between the four of us, we ate about half the menu, no joke. Â We were pretty hungry after running around playing tourist and doing Chicago exclusive activities, such as taking pictures with and of The Bean, formally known as Cloud Gate, attempting to get a Rainbow Cone at Park Cafe(which unfortunately put the kibosh on ice cream the day before we got there), eating deep dish, and various other activities. Â Dinner time was approaching and we hadn't figured out a plan for eating when I pulled out my trusty cellular telephone with newfangled Mobile yelp app!
Searching for a place to satisfy a few requirements...seafood for my wife who recently became mostly pescatarian, a hamachi kama app for me, and ramen and/or maki and/or other small plates. Â Wasabi stepped right up and knocked one out for me. Â
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things...
Spicy Roasted Garlic Miso Ramen. Â SRGMR. Â OMG. Â WTF. Â All my favorite things along with pork for good measure? Â And a soft cooked egg? Dude......
Hamachi Kama. Â Generous portion with a good sear. Â Fish oil permeates every layer of meat. Worth the price. Â Eat it with the ponzu. Â
Spicy Super White Tuna Crunch. Â Fresh fish, a handsome and expertly crafted maki roll, perfect balance of spice to not overpower the taste of the fish. Really though all the rolls are awesome, this just happens to be my favorite.
Any of the skewers. Â But especially the short rib, the pork belly, and chicken thighs. Â
Everything they serve is made of love. Â Or maybe the Care Bears stare the hell out of the food. Â The flavors, balance of salt, freshness, the menu and the value? Â Nothing can be beat here. Â At the moment, this is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Chicago.
My stomach hates me for reminding myself of this awesome meal! I want to go back right now... Â There's so much more I loved but I need to end here before
stops typing, grabs car keys and drives to Wasabi
We had several appetizers and the ramen. Â
The soft shell crab, chicken skewers, pork buns were all awesome.
But the ramen? Â I ordered the Miso Ramen purely based on other yelp reviews.
It was a complete let down. Â I really don't get why people like it so much.
It had a couple pieces of greyish pork floating around, and the noodles were only a slight step up from noodles you find in those infamous Ramen packages at the grocery store. Â I was really let down.
And service was simply adequate to slightly sub-par.
You really can't get more well executed than Wasabi.
From sushi, to ramen, to grilled stuff... I haven't had anything here where I was disappointed in quality. Â
The ramen (regular or spicy garlic) with pork belly and pork cheek is pretty freaking delicious. Â Until this place, the only other place in Chicagoland where I've had ramen was at the Mitsuwa cafeteria. Â Ok so that ramen is loads cheaper but the jump in quality is just too awesome.
The hamachi kama is perhaps the most generous cut I've ever had at a Japanese restaurant. Â Because it was bigger, you got more... cartilaginous goodness? Â Whatever. Â If you're a fan of fish neck, you know what I'm talking about.
This place is definitely at the top of the must-go places for whenever we're in the area.
BYOB, Best Ramen in the CIty. Better pork than most "pork" places, HIP and HOT new favorite restaurant of Logan Sq..
{we walk in 6pm on a Saturday no wait and this song is playing}
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7fYnfE5Cycg&s=137a938262f24f8118ba68ca83bc05fbf37c398bb38e28eeb6a89f1b78bd6515" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
setting the stage for one of the best culinary experiences of 2012.
first off, before we even cracked a menu, the lovely blonde waitress was offing to crack beers from our random craft brew 4 pack. we started with a Coffee Stout considering i was loosing steam from Christmas shopping all day, and my afternoon mall drunk was wearing off by this time. Â the beer glasses were smaller than 12oz, but i think that's a Japanese thing. after opening 1 beer to start, filling 2 glasses, there was leftover beer that i offered for the waitress to try. she took it to the back room and came out all smiles. this really got her talking.... scene 2
we and ordered 2 Ramens and she offered to substitute the standard pork belly with PORK CHEEK they had just gotten in. HELLS YEAH I'll eat PORK FACE!. it blew our minds as well as our belt line.! Pork Cheek is THE best (cut) of meat in the world.
Also on SPECIAL was a SURF and Turf sushi roll. complete with steak tar-tar atop the lobster packed roll! Oh-MY-God, i think I'm turning Japanese.
the pork belly skewers were not life changing but probably the porkiest thing i have ever ate. there is absolutely no seasoning on the pork for good reason. It is apparent the pork is cooked in its own its own fat which makes one happier than a pig in mud.
now here's the kicker. no corking fee and they even stored our beer in the cooler in back!
No up charge to replacing pork belly with pork cheek in the soup!
the only and best steak tar tar sushi roll i have ever had. (surf and turf (special))
come hungry and leave 2 waist sizes larger.
As I steadily watch my weight increase, seemingly by the day, it saddens me to finally find a restaurant that has "accessible" ramen (BYOB, reasonably priced, casual atmosphere, doesn't seem to have a wait for a seat, and relatively close to home/work) that is absolutely delicious... Â
I mean- I've heard of soup diets, but I don't think it includes a hot bowl of noodles swimming in an unctuous, rich pork broth and a heaping pile of pork belly and other delicious things.
Tonkatsu Ramen- you are that new friend that mama told me about. Â The one I should stay away from. Â Intriguing, appealing and drawing me back for more, and yet I know it isn't what I need. Â Bad for me, even. Â A guilty pleasure that I will soon find ways to justify keeping around. Â
"Well... Â I can always run it off tomorrow..." Â
"But I ate a salad for lunch..." Â
"Honestly- this is ONLY the fourth time I've been here this week..."
Oh, and the spicy, garlicky bowl of ramen is also really tasty. Â It packs a punch upon the first bite or two, but your palate will get used to it, and crave it, and give you that tremendously conflicted schizophrenic sense that you are enjoying it so much, and hating yourself for it all at the same time.
I had heard great things about this restaurant so I was very excited to try it.
We started off with chicken thigh and pork belly skewers. The chicken thigh was good...pork belly was a little too tough for my liking. Â Then we had the pork buns which were absolutely amazing!
I got the tonkatsu ramen. The broth was great and the portion was generous. Definitely glad I finally got to try it and can't wait to go back soon!
Came here with few friends on a Friday night for dinner. The wait line wasn't too long even when we came after 730pm. We waited for 15 minutes or so. Street parking. They also don't let you wait by the door since the waiters walk around with ramen bowls to serve to customers.
My friends and I all ordered the spicy garlic miso ramen and two sushi rolls - spicy white tuna and surf and turf. The ramen was delicious. All three of us loved it! We savored every parts of it. All three of us finished the entire bowl along with the two rolls of sushi. Sushi was okay, we couldve gone without it but ramen is a definite. We will definitely be going back! Love Wasabi. I've been on a ramen hunt since coming back from Hawaii and have been looking for ramen places to eat!
This has probably become my favorite ramen in Chicago now.
The tonkatsu broth is creamy and delicious. Â Unfortunately for me, I always convince myself that I want a kick (despite my low tolerance of spicy) so I got the spicy garlic ramen. It wasn't that I couldn't handle the spiciness but it was the type of spicy where it goes straight for the back of your throat. I had a hard time swallowing which sucked.
Other than that, the noodles were chewy and delicious. The pork cheek was /droooooooooooool beyond tender and delicious. When I first got my bowl, I was like, "Who would get extra noodles?? There's so much!" and then I ran out before I finished my meat... D= Â The horror...
My only thing is that it's pretty darn pricey and the website says they only serve ramen on the weekends. Sadness...
Best ramen in the city? This girl had to check it out.
Friday night was crazy y'all. Luckily we got a table before the large crowds started trickling in (seems like everyone started getting hit with the ramen bug). We got their fried chicken lollipops and pork belly buns to start. Who doesn't love fried meats slathered in a rich dipping sauce? It was our favorite out of the two. The buns arrived lukewarm...almost cold but still had some good flavors.
This is where our meal hit a lull as we were informed of the backup in the kitchen. For the next thirty minutes, we sat twiddling our thumbs. Until finally our bowls of tonkotsu ramen arrived. I got mine with extra braised bellay ($4). Â While it was a nicely dressed bowl, I thought the extra meat wasn't worth the added $. Our noodles were a touch undercooked.
If I lived in the area, I would be a regular. Despite its trendzy interior, solid bowls of ramen, and expansive fusion offerings, it didn't warrant the repeat commute from my 'hood. For now, I think I'll stick to the quiet comforts of Cocoro.
Hey Chicago, I'm glad that you're getting into some more ramen places; but I remain skeptical of the various chefs jumping on the bandwagon; ramen is notoriously difficult to get right.
You know what I'm not skeptical of anymore? Wasabi. Hands down the best ramen that I've had in Chicago. I've only had the chance to try to Tonkotsu Ramen, but the broth was the right bit of salty without being overbearing and had that just-about-right consistency to it. Great noodles, great pork belly, and good garnishes. Wasabi definitely gets 5 stars for the ramen and deservedly so.
They also serve other Japanese fare, and I tried a few pieces of sushi nigiri - escolar and maguro. They were fine; not the freshest I've had and the rice was a bit warmer than you'd expect, but it was fine. Good, even. But I don't know if I'd pick this place for the sushi, you come here for the ramen. So let's just leave it at that.
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