If this place does not need more reasons to like, how about this. A to-go ramen for my wife was packed as such 1) container of broth*, 2) container of noodles and 3) container with toppings, so it all could be combined and heated as needed.

*Not sure if it's been noted, but for customers like the Condiment Queen who forsake swine, there's a vegetarian broth.

And speaking of what's not been mentioned, how come no one told me this soup would make me less radioactive?

A friend and I made it over to Ramen Misoya for lunch Friday. We arrived just before their 11:30am opening and were the first ones in the door, but by the time we left at about noon the place was full and there were at least 10 people waiting to sit down.

I had the kome ramen (and added an egg) and was very impressed. One highlight of the bowl for me was the noodles - thicker than Mitsuwa's (which I think are a bit on the thin side), and chewy. I'm the type that when served a hot bowl of ramen slurps the noodles vigorously so that the noodles retain their structure and these most certainly did, every single one of them. Really terrific noodles, though interestingly a little shorter than most I've encountered, which should please messy slurpers.

I also loved the flavor of the chashu pork. This is only the second time I've had chashu pork that was charred after simmering and I absolutely love the flavor this approach adds to the pork. The flavor was really sensational. Purists would probably complain this pork was not tender enough and it certainly required a little more chewing than it probably should have, but the flavor was so terrific I was easily able to overlook what was a very minor flaw in my mind.

As for the broth, delicious; though I think I prefer Mitsuwa's, even though I may not necessarily be comparing apples to apples. I will note though that the broth I experienced at Rokurinsha in Tokyo incorporated fish and fish powder which added an entirely new dimension to the broth which I loved. That being said, this was a terrific bowl and the accompaniments were also terrific, including the warm and perfectly soft boiled egg. I will also note that it's a huge bowl, bigger than I've ever been served.

We also split the chicken karaage which did not impress me as much. I found the chicken (really small bits of dark meat) to be rather dry and tough and the crust fine but unremarkable. Perhaps if they didn't cut the chicken into whopper-size nuggets, it would be better.

But I'll absolutely return for the terrific ramen. Thanks to the noodles and the chashu pork, I prefer it to what I get at Mitsuwa. And the service was prompt and the staff so friendly.

So bummed that Torishin closed. It was a really authentic place made hubby and I feel like we were back in Japan. Be that as it may, glad a great ramen place has opened up in its place ( and not a bank or cell phone store). Can't wait to try this place.

Public Service Announcement


Odd that they underlined the may be closed longer part as well. Either they're just being honest or they know it'll be longer...good thing I got my fix last night.

Ramen Misoya has reopened. There's not much visible change from the outside. I was hoping they would put some tables in the former "waiting room", however it's still just a waiting room. The parking lot was full to overflowing at noon today, so I ended up going to Santouka instead. I hope to get back there soon for a post-remodel report.

stevez wrote:Ramen Misoya has reopened. There's not much visible change from the outside. I was hoping they would put some tables in the former "waiting room", however it's still just a waiting room. The parking lot was full to overflowing at noon today, so I ended up going to Santouka instead. I hope to get back there soon for a post-remodel report.

I went last week and things were as delicious as ever. The place was completely packed by about noon. If you want to go for lunch I recommend going as soon as they open at 11:30.

Were there any changes to the space that you noticed?

None that I could see

The pork was a little chewy today but all in all a great bowl of ramen.
First in the door at 11:30 and just full by noon with no one waiting.

So who the hell knew? I had to come all the way across the country to discover a Ramen place that has a location in New York City.

I briefly noticed a few of their locations on the wall.. New York City, Bangkok, Montreal, Sao Paulo, Taiwan and now..... Niles IL?

I didn't really study the menu. There are few different types of Ramen, a few different styles.. My waitress said, this one is the most popular, I noticed a photo, it looked great, I ordered it and asked for a shot of spice.. you can see that tablespoon of red paste on my photo.

The Ramen Broth has a strong sweet miso taste.. It was almost over powering but, I dug it.. You can tell that the broth is made from a stock and not a powder. But, really, it was extremely salty and miso-y. I like extreme flavors.. There was also three large in diameter but thin pieces of pork belly that was rolled, sliced and grilled.. Had a porky taste.. I in fact, didn't even finish all the pork belly. The actually Ramen was ok.. I have had better and been to places that seem to highlight the noodle more.. Here I believe the broth is the real focus. My one complaint, the green tea sucks here.. It's almost like made from some sort of Matcha powdery mix. WTF? You are a Japanese restaurant, green tea, it's like a thing in Japan, no? Don't people drink Green Tea in Japan? Like Genmaicha, Bancha, Sencha, you know not this garbage Konacha powder shit.. i understand you don't have to give it away for free but, you should have an option for someone who wants to drink a nice glass of tea and is willing to pay for it.

So there is a location near St Marks in Manhattan.. Though I would eat at the Manhattan location, I live in Brooklyn and there are several places i have to pass, that I like better. But, if i was in the area I could see looking forward to that strong Miso Taste

Daniel wrote:My one complaint, the green tea sucks here.. It's almost like made from some sort of Matcha powdery mix. WTF? You are a Japanese restaurant, green tea, it's like a thing in Japan, no? Don't people drink Green Tea in Japan? Like Genmaicha, Bancha, Sencha, you know not this garbage Konacha powder shit.. i understand you don't have to give it away for free but, you should have an option for someone who wants to drink a nice glass of tea and is willing to pay for it.

I'm not commenting on the tea served at Misoya because I don't think I tried it, but I wouldn't call matcha a lesser quality green tea. It's just different . . . and often much more expensive than other green teas (and often fantastic). Tea made with konacha can be very good too. Most likely, they're just serving crappy green tea . . . it happens.

I don't disagree.. It was just a shitty mix, i should have said.

I was not a part of Pigmon and Laikom's ramen excursion, but I have been to several of these locations in recent months.
Though I haven't been to all of Chicago's offerings, Ramen Misoya retains the crown of those places I have.

Most recent visit to Misoya proved they are the king of ramen. Arriving at 6:30 this past Wednesday, we were seated right away. Had a few appetizers before we got to the really good stuff.

Chicken Karaage


Gyoza

Eh, this time around the dumplings were seared a bit too long. A bit burnt.

"Spicy" Tonkotsu Ramen with pork and miso flavored egg

The perfect bowl; noodles perfect, broth perfect, pork delicious, eggs were perfectly honjuku, better than I've had elsewhere (thanks Pigmon for the word).

Though it's a bit out of my way, I will gladly travel the distance for the perfect ramen.

PSA: Misoya is closed for minor renovations this week through Friday. Found out the hard way

Thanks! I was headed there on Tuesday

I enjoyed my first visit to Ramen Misoya quite some time back, but my most recent visit was far more enjoyable. The kome ramen was really terrific the other day, including the broth, springy noodles and added egg. While my first visit generated a bowl that I slightly preferred to Santouka's, the ramen during my most recent visit blew away Santouka's.

That being said, I have yet to encounter chashu pork anywhere as tender or delicious as the chashu pork I experienced in Tokyo . . . where it just melts in your mouth. It was certainly tender enough at Misoya, but I would like to encounter much more (and perhaps more depth of flavor from the pork, that often comes from a little char).

Today's the day that Japanese chain and suburban ramen stalwart Ramen Misoya officially joins the ramen rush in the city of Chicago, opening the doors to its Streeterville location (213 E. Ohio St.)

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/12/28/106 ... n-am-intel

Thanks for the report Dave!
Misoya is my favorite Ramen place, even tried the one in Las Vegas and it didn't disappoint. Wished parking was cheaper and such but it's closer than the Mount Prospect location.