Furious Spoon: Shin Thompson's Ramen Shop

Had the pleasure of dining at Furious Spoon tonight for friend's & family (the official opening is this upcoming Wednesday, February 18th at 5:00pm). I have been a big fan of Shin Thompson's since his Bonsoiree days and l loved his ramen at Kabocha, so was extremely happy when I learned he was opening a ramen shop. This is a much different venue than his prior restaurants; casual, inexpensive, very energetic and a relatively quick meal. The ramen was fantastic; there are four different options (and a handful of sides - very concise menu); I opted for the spiciest version (the Furious Ramen). The noodles were incredible and the flavors of the broth amazing as well; the egg, mushrooms and other vegetarian additions to the ramen were perfectly cooked. The only minor flaw was the brisket was a bit too tough and fatty. The heat level was perfect for me; definitely had a bite but nothing over-the-top where it detracted from the rest of the flavor profile. Portions were very generous and I loved the giant spoon for slurping up the broth.

The space looks appealing and definitely a lively, energetic (but not uncomfortably loud) vibe; the staff we encountered were all friendly and enthusiastic. There is a long, narrow open kitchen with a row of low bar seats facing the kitchen, then a row of high tables horizontal to the bar seats. Aside from the aisle being quite narrow between the bar seats and the row of tables I really liked the venue from an aesthetic standpoint and ambiance.

I definitely foresee several return trips to Furious Spoon, especially once the weather warms up a tad as it is within about a 1/2 hour walk of my home. Am ecstatic to have Chef Thompson's incredible ramen available again.

Furious Spoon
1571 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
773-687-8445

And now I want a bowl. May have to grab provisions and make some tomorrow because I could wither between now and the 18th.

I visited last night, and was very impressed. I had a long day at work - our 2nd in line cook quit, then fought with me over a bonus he thought he deserved even though he was quitting... then I slipped on the last stair going downstairs and fell so hard on my back I almost passed out (cement stairs)... I was not in the mood to go out, but it was date night - and we ended up at Furious Spoon.

I included the backstory (no pun intended) to give you an idea of the unpleasant mood I was in . My visit to Furious Spoon made me over the moon happy again! ..

I had the "Furious Ramen", wife had the veggie. Both were full of flavor, nice balance of spices, and great broth. The noodles were fantastic, and attention to detail was superb. I added some roasted garlic to mine, which was a great choice, and we sat at the counter. Decor is fun, music is loud - but fun - nostalgic 90's hip hop (not the vulgar kind, just 90's Hip Hop).

Food came out fast, service was attentive, and again - both Ramen we tried were fantastic!! I am still thinking about the flavor today. The "Furious Spoon" ramen was spicy, and a few peppers that went straight down my throat hurt a little, but it left me wanting more. The soft boiled egg was perfectly cooked, and ran a little when I broke it...great rich flavor. It's also a pretty cheap date (for a well-cooked meal), about $12/person including T&T with a Japanese Beer for the lady..

They seemed very eager to please, place was busy, and the overall vibe was very enjoyable. I'll be back soon.

We had a lovely late lunch here today. Kid and I had the Shoyu ramen and husband went for the Furious Ramen. As mentioned above, the menu is very spare, but the noodles, broth, and additions were all very good. I was particularly happy with the noodles-- and the service. No wait, plus Stan's Donuts for dessert. Can't be beat.

I've been there twice.
I still have not had the "Furious Ramen". I have a slight reluctance to try consuming anything that fiery. {Have I mentioned here I really did not enjoy Keizo Shimamoto's Green Curry Ramen @ Bassanova in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo?}
First time there, I had the Shoyu ramen . I added roasted garlic, and the poached egg to it. This was good. The broth was spot-on for umami.
Second time there, prior to the Logan Square Draught Beer Society's annual pub crawl, I tried its Miso ramen . This time, I added only the egg. This was not as satisfying, mostly due to the egg being a little too undercooked for me. I'd like the egg to be a little more solid, rather than runny.
It would seem that the next time I go there, I should try the Furious ramen. But I might not.
Here is a photograph of our oyaji on the 2nd visit .
If you don't have the meter running on your parked vehicle (I'm always on transit when I visit here), try the ramen down the block at Rodan.

Ramen Hotspot Furious Spoon Planning Pilsen Location Next

http://chicago.eater.com/2016/2/9/10950 ... n-location

I wish them success, but I am unable to understand how they are working on a third restaurant so quickly. I mean there are better bowls of ramen to be had on the same street (Oiistar), let alone in the whole city. I worry that they are expanding too fast and that it will end in tragedy as so many restaurant ventures have.

I mean there are better bowls of ramen to be had on the same street (Oiistar), let alone in the whole city.

You state that as if it is some sort of fact!

Does anyone know if the rooftop bar at the new Logan Sq location is open yet? The restaurant itself appears to be open but I cannot get them to answer the phone (at any location).

The Logan Square location just held Friends & Family last evening; not sure if they are opening to the public today - if not it should be in the very near future. Not sure if the rooftop is going to be ready on day one.

Furious Spoon
2410 N Milwaukee Ave (at W Fullerton Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 770-3559
furiousramen.com

Gonzo70 wrote:The Logan Square location just held Friends & Family last evening; not sure if they are opening to the public today - if not it should be in the very near future. Not sure if the rooftop is going to be ready on day one.

They did announce on social media they are open to the public starting today!

Furious Spoon, a popular Chicago ramen chain that began in Wicker Park in 2015, will open its first Lakeview location in the summer at 3200 N. Halsted St.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017013 ... -nightclub

I went to the Logan Square location the other day. It's a nice spot, and I appreciated the hip hop, but from a strictly ramen standpoint, I'd put it a level below Yusho or Misoya. Still, it was very satisfying.

Love,
John

Ideal Machine wrote:I went to the Logan Square location the other day. It's a nice spot, and I appreciated the hip hop, but from a strictly ramen standpoint, I'd put it a level below Yusho or Misoya. Still, it was very satisfying.

Love,
John

Super salty and pretty one-dimensional. It's a convenient stop between a few bars I frequent and my apartment but nothing I'd go out of my way for, especially when I haven't been drinking. And the volume level of the music is beyond annoying. When the weather's nice, I sit outside at the picnic tables just so I can avoid it . . . and from that vantage point, the constant rumble of the Blue Line is a vast improvement.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Ideal Machine wrote:I went to the Logan Square location the other day. It's a nice spot, and I appreciated the hip hop, but from a strictly ramen standpoint, I'd put it a level below Yusho or Misoya. Still, it was very satisfying.

Love,
John

Super salty and pretty one-dimensional. It's a convenient stop between a few bars I frequent and my apartment but nothing I'd go out of my way for, especially when I haven't been drinking. And the volume level of the music is beyond annoying. When the weather's nice, I sit outside at the picnic tables just so I can avoid it . . . and from that vantage point, the constant rumble of the Blue Line is a vast improvement.

=R=

I think what Furious Spoon was doing and what Furious Spoon is now doing are at opposite ends of the spectrum - broth, noodles, chashu . . . nothing is at it was when there was just one location. Night and day in my opinion. I used to think it was very good and now I think it's just average.

Furious is my least favorite of the main ramen (focused) spots in Chicago. The broth is too rich and unbalanced, and the ratio of noodles to broth is always weird to me as well. Usually not enough broth. I also hate how they do the egg. The pork was way better when they first opened, but I guess too many people complained it was too fatty and they changed it. Whatever. It's not the worst ramen ever, and it's nice that they're open late. The noodles are good quality as well.

I'll always miss the Strings 2. Most underrated spot. They had awesome mushroom / veggie ramen that's not at the main location as well as the Ostrich or other game meats. Much better depth of flavor their broths in general.

bnl wrote:

I mean there are better bowls of ramen to be had on the same street (Oiistar), let alone in the whole city.

You state that as if it is some sort of fact!

I think it's pretty clear that pretty much everything said on these forums is an opinion. I will, however, note that recent posts suggest that my hypothesis was correct.

Evanston is getting a piece of the Furious Spoon expansion next. The burgeoning local ramen chain will open its first suburban shop this fall at 1700 Maple St., a former Red Robin Burger Works location

http://chicago.eater.com/2017/3/20/1498 ... ramen-shop

botd wrote:

bnl wrote: "I mean there are better bowls of ramen to be had on the same street (Oiistar), let alone in the whole city."

You state that as if it is some sort of fact!

I think it's pretty clear that pretty much everything said on these forums is an opinion. I will, however, note that recent posts suggest that my hypothesis was correct.

It was a fact that Oiistar was better when you wrote it, and it still is. Furious Spoon isn't in same league as Misoya, Oiistar or Wasabi. I'm irritated they're coming to downtown Evanston. I want their expansion-over-perfection business model to crash and burn.

As somebody who has now been to Japan thirteen times, and had lots of bowls of ramen (including my very first one in December 2005 - I think the report is out there on LiveJournal), I think I can encapsulate what Shin Thompson is (now) trying to do with Furious Spoon.
In Japan, there is an undeclared distinction between (regular) ramen and 'drunk' ramen.
The Chicago locations for Furious Spoon are in communities with a significant amount of alcohol-serving venues. While the original Furious Spoon at 1560 N. Milwaukee Ave. and at 2410 N. Milwaukee have licenses to sell alcohol, their licenses end at 26:00 hours [2:00 am for you American clock-watchers ]. Unless it tries to upgrade its licenses to the 28:00 version, I ponder if its overall idea is to be the venue where {ahem} drunkards fall into after a night of drinking, needing something to get into their stomach to absorb some of that alcohol. In other words, to make the best 'drunk' ramen.
I would allow that Furious Spoon offers a very good 'drunk' ramen. I look forward to tasting its ramen at the NW corner of Belmont and Halsted.

Furious Spoon Evanston. Sign on door warning about music content, friendly interactive food runner mentioned Evanston location toned down content in deference to the community. Spacious, bright, friendly, clean, clear counter ordering, three distinct seating areas with an outside patio, if summer ever arrives, and plentiful meter parking weekday lunch.

While I liked the upbeat staff and space I can't say same for the food. Mushy noodles, zero chew, first slurp of broth yielded disappointment, poached not molten egg, though the menu does say poached, plus it appears they dropped an egg in the broth which broke apart so they added another. Furious not particularly furious, bland pork belly and white pepper chicken dry and tasteless.



I am not particularly conversant or obsessed with ramen, probably had about a dozen bowls all told, mostly at Santouka in Mitsuwa, a few at Oiister, both places I enjoy, and a memorable bowl with a ramen obsessed nephew at Ramen Yamadaya in San Francisco's Japantown. This by way of saying take my ramen observations with a flake of Maldon.

Lunch, with a Reed's Ginger Beer and boring deep fried ground chicken dumplings came to $29.02 with tax and an 18% tip, the most I've spent for a solo weekday lunch in a very (very) long time, absurdly expensive on the deliciousness to cost scale.

Last time at Mitsuwa the line for Santouka wrapped around the food court so I opted for udon from Mugimaru which I enjoyed immensely.

If you are in that vicinity again and looking for good Ramen, Torino Ramen in Wilmette may be worth the extra drive.

We've been there 5-6 times and it has always been very good. I'm partial to the Tan Tan which includes sesame and ground pork in the broth. Also very good bao, kaarage, takoyaki and gyoza.

Started by a group of Japanese Moms who take turns in the kitchen.

bw77 wrote:If you are in that vicinity again and looking for good Ramen, Torino Ramen in Wilmette may be worth the extra drive.

We've been there 5-6 times and it has always been very good. I'm partial to the Tan Tan which includes sesame and ground pork in the broth. Also very good bao, kaarage, takoyaki and gyoza.

Started by a group of Japanese Moms who take turns in the kitchen.

Feel free to start a dedicated thread for this place if you so desire. It might be helpful.

Thanks,

=R=
for the Moderators

Next time I'll read the reviews first. Lunch today at the Milwaukee Avenue mother ship (?). Pretty much completely concur with what the esteemed Mr. Wiviott has to say above. Probably the biggest disappointment was the noodles but nothing especially stood out as something I'd consider going back for. And at $14 for a not-especially large bowl, I thought it all-in-all a visit not worth repeating.

Gypsy Boy wrote:Next time I'll read the reviews first. Lunch today at the Milwaukee Avenue mother ship (?). Pretty much completely concur with what the esteemed Mr. Wiviott has to say above. Probably the biggest disappointment was the noodles but nothing especially stood out as something I'd consider going back for. And at $14 for a not-especially large bowl, I thought it all-in-all a visit not worth repeating.

It's really a shame, because when they just started out they were putting out excellent ramen with much attention to detail . . . not anymore, not at all.

I would say the dreaded expanded too quickly formula is in play. A pity as it was good when there was only 1. Have heard it's hard to get good help since my father would bitch to me about it when Kennedy was pres, so no news there.

Furious Spoon, a mini-chain of ramen shops by chef Shin Thompson, is abandoning its fast-casual format in favor of full service.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/c ... story.html

This post is going to be a little strange.
Because, back in November, Furious Spoon had a campaign {"Ramen Season Pass"} in which, if you filled up a 4x5 'bingo card', which consisted of squares notated

• Ramen or Rice Bowl (7)
• Starter (9)
• Beverage (4)

by the end of the month, you can receive one free bowl of ramen a day in December.

I filled up my card.
But it is now the 4th of December, and I have not yet gone there for my free daily bowl. I think the cause of that is I am concurring with the more recent replies in here. The ramen's quality has slid.
I have now had the Furious ramen. It was not too fiery (which is OK). The shrimp ramen was pretty tasty. But the chicken ramen (Mother Clucker's) was not good. The chunks of chicken in the bowl collided with the broth's taste.
The tap beer on offer though (brewed by Emperical Brwy.) is a solid lager, and only $4.50.
I will go to any of a number of their shops for subsequent free bowls.
I shall mention that, perhaps if you go there during lunch or dinner hours (i.e.: not later in the evening), Hip Hop music is still playing, but it's the commercial 1980-90s tunes which you may have previously heard (M.C. Hammer, Salt-n-Pepa, Warren G.), and in which expletives are not prominent.

Unfortunately I had high hopes for this place when they opened, but they have consistently been the most inconsistent ramen shops in Chicago. The broth isn't great. ..extra money for a tiny pinch of the furious sauce is absurd. The noodles ARE good, however, the broth to noodle ratio is ALWAYS out of whack. I've had terribly rude service before at the Logan location (but I can overlook that, as that isn't typical). Not even close to being at the top of the list for Chicago ramen. Usually I'll drive right past it and go to Wasabi or Strings.