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Akahoshi Ramen

Visa Dining Collection

$30 and under

Japanese

2340 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-2906

Make a reservation

2 people

May 6, 2025

May 2025

7:00 PM

About this restaurant

Hot spot
Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions

Akahoshi Ramen is a humble ramen shop in the city of Chicago. Everything is made in the restaurant, including all soups, seasonings, toppings, and noodles.

We are not an authentic ramen shop, though we value the history of ramen, and our ramen is influenced by its past and its future potential. The dish, popularized in Japan after World War 2, is symbolic of both struggle and perseverance. It is both a simple dish, and a fantastically complex one that we treat with reverence and respect.

Roughly translating to “Red Star,” the name “Akahoshi” is a love letter to two cities; Sapporo, Hokkaido, where red stars adorn city monuments, and Chicago, Illinois, where the red star decorates the city flag. Our ramen is influenced by Japanese and American ideals in cooking.

We hope you will join us to enjoy a bowl of ramen, made with the respect and passion it deserves.

Why they're an Icon

From the OpenTable editors: One of Bon Appétit's 2024 best new restaurants in America, this Logan Square spot is the brainchild of Mike Satinover, better known as "Ramen Lord" to the fan base he built up over a decade posting about ramen on Reddit. Get comfortable at one of the spacious booths, or watch the action at the counter overlooking the kitchen, and choose from four different ramens like the Akahoshi Miso, with pork chashu and bamboo shoots. Each bowl is made with incredible attention to detail, showcasing just how nuanced ramen can be.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Japanese, Ramen
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Website
https://www.akahoshiramen.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
2340 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-2906
Neighborhood
Logan Square
Cross street
California and Fullerton
Parking details
None
Public transit
California Blue Line Stop
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access

Popular dishes

Akahoshi Miso$19.00
The namesake of the shop. Blend of misos, homemade crinkly Sapporo-style noodles, plenty of lard. Topped with beansprouts, green onions, menma bamboo shoots, pork chashu
Midwest Shoyu$18.50
Modernity meets origins. Clear chicken soup, onion oil, soy sauce with katsuobushi, straight thin noodles with Midwest wheat. Topped with green onions, nori, menma bamboo shoots, pork chashu, shio koji chicken breast, narutomaki, fried onion
Soupless Tantanmen$18.00
Soupless variant of ramen, based loosely on Dandan noodles. Extra thick noodles, ma-la spice, sesame. Topped with pork soboro, green onions, bok choi
Aburasoba$18.00
Soupless variant of ramen, popularized by college students at Waseda University. Extra thick noodles, garlic, soy sauce. Topped with textures, chopped chashu
April Monthly Special: Clam Shio$24.00
Clam as an inclusion in Shio (salt) ramen has become quite popular both in Japan and in America. Littleneck and manila clam dashi blended with clear chicken soup. Sake and white wine. Topped with pork chashu, green onion, menma, clams

Extra Toppings

Extra Chashu$7.00
Housemade pork chashu, simmered in soy sauce and seasonings
Extra Chicken$6.00
Shio koji marinated chicken, gently poached
Ajitama Egg*$2.00
Slagel Farms egg, soft boiled, marinated for days
Kaedama$4.00
Extra homemade noodles of your choice (Crinkly Sapporo, Wide and Thick, or Midwest Flat)
Gekikara Spice Powder$2.00
For spice heads. Blend of togarashi, Carolina Reaper, white pepper
All other toppings | $1 ea.
House Ma-La seasoning / Bamboo Shoots / Green Onions / Beansprouts / Nori / etc.

Sides

Rice$3.00
Japanese Koshihikari short-grain rice
Chashu Rice Bowl$8.00
Chopped pork chashu on top of rice
Ikura Rice bowl*$15.00
Salmon roe on rice, a classic of Hokkaido

*THESE ITEMS CAN BE ORDERED RAW OR UNDERCOOKED, OR MAY CONTAIN RAW OR UNDERCOOKED INGREDIENTS. CONSUMING RAW OR UNDERCOOKED MEATS, POULTRY, SEAFOOD, SHELLFISH, OR EGGS MAY INCREASE YOUR RISK OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

What 445 people are saying

Akahoshi Ramen reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Chicago / Illinois
Japanese
Chicago
Japanese

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Akahoshi Ramen offers an "amazing" dining experience with "the best ramen in Chicago." Guests rave about the flavorful broths, particularly the Akahoshi Miso and Midwest Shoyu. The "service was outstanding" and the atmosphere is lively. Monthly specials are a "must-try." Reservations are highly recommended due to demand.

445 Reviews

D
David
Chicago2 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My gf got thee signature restaurant miso ramen, and the meat was cold at the center. It came out a bit too salty. Couldn’t finish the broth. The May special was a hit for me: Kitakata Chashu-men. The Chashu Rice Bowl was small and simple. The rice can use more flavoring. The protein portion was small. The service was very quick, maybe too quick to warm up the meat before serving. lol….
Is this helpful?
D
Douglas
Chicago1 review
5.0
Dined on April 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
There is a reason it’s hard to get a reservation. Food is out of this world. We had a party of 6 and tried almost everything on menu and couldn’t decide which was best as they were all that good.
Is this helpful?
M
MICHELLE VIP
Aberdeen1 review
5.0
Dined on April 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As always, the ramen was simply outstanding! One can tell from the ingredients and the execution that a lot of hard work and care went into each dish!
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D
Daniel
Chicago3 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My favorite Ramen in the city. Easily. Thank you to the team.
Is this helpful?
A
Arthur
Chicago2 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 19, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Worth the wait to get reservations. Will def try to be back
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago1 review
3.0
Dined on April 17, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
We got the akahoshi miso and the clam (April special). Both broths were sooooo salty and it made the experience not nearly as enjoyable. We probably won’t be back.
Is this helpful?
A
Alex
Chicago6 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The service and food were outstanding as always! The drinks were cold, the ramen was hot, and our server was very friendly. 100% coming back.
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O
Oscar
Chicago1 review
2.0
Dined on April 12, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Overhyped subpar ramen spot in Logan Square. Don’t waste your time and money.
Is this helpful?
A
Anders VIP
New Orleans2 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic per usual. Best ramen in the city. April Monthly special was great
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T
Tyson
Chicago2 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 9, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Akahoshi is always a solid choice if you want to taste some true depth in the broth. The fresh noodles have been mastered and when you taste their miso broth, you wish you could live in the bowl. Definitiley one of the most respectable Ramen spots in Chicago.
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FAQs

Akahoshi Ramen is rated 4.8 stars by 445 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2340 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647-2906

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
California and Fullerton
Neighborhood
Logan Square
Hours of operation
Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Japanese, Ramen
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Public transit
California Blue Line Stop
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access

Website
https://www.akahoshiramen.com/

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat

Akahoshi Ramen

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Why they're an Icon

Dining areas

Additional information

Popular dishes

Ramune

Akahoshi Miso

Soupless Tantanmen

Menu

Ramen

Akahoshi Miso$19.00

Midwest Shoyu$18.50

Soupless Tantanmen$18.00

Aburasoba$18.00

April Monthly Special: Clam Shio$24.00

Extra Toppings

Extra Chashu$7.00

Extra Chicken$6.00

Ajitama Egg*$2.00

Kaedama$4.00

Gekikara Spice Powder$2.00

All other toppings | $1 ea.

Sides

Rice$3.00

Chashu Rice Bowl$8.00

Ikura Rice bowl*$15.00

*THESE ITEMS CAN BE ORDERED RAW OR UNDERCOOKED, OR MAY CONTAIN RAW OR UNDERCOOKED INGREDIENTS. CONSUMING RAW OR UNDERCOOKED MEATS, POULTRY, SEAFOOD, SHELLFISH, OR EGGS MAY INCREASE YOUR RISK OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

What 445 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Akahoshi Ramen restaurant rated?

Is Akahoshi Ramen currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information