Refer to the Master Post for details.

I started strong by eating way too many bowls of ramen back in March. But then it got too hot for soup, so I paused. But I'm back now and clearing out my backlog!

Ratings range from 0-5, with 3 representing a pretty average bowl of ramen.

This post:

Aodake Ramen – 1.5
Bill Kim's Ramen Bar – 2
Birdman Ramen – 5
Chicago Ramen – 3
Daifuku Ramen – 4
Dakgogi – 4
Dodomi Sushi Rotary – 3.5
E Ramen – 4.25
Friends Ramen – 3

Aodake Ramen

(La Grange, Photo 1)

I ordered: seafood garlic miso ramen (+chili paste)
Price: $22.00
Time to arrive: 81 minutes
Overall: 1.5. I really didn’t enjoy this bowl of ramen because it travelled so poorly.
Broth: 1. This was much too thick and had an unpleasant, coarse, grainy texture from the miso. There was no depth of flavor and it tasted neither of garlic nor seafood.
Noodles: 1.5. Mushy.
Toppings: 3.5. Toppings included bean sprouts, cabbage, corn, crab stick, egg, fish cake, garlic, scallions, shrimp, squid, and wood ear mushrooms. The amount of toppings was generous and the seafood was of fair quality (except the squid, which was too chewy). The egg was ever so slightly overcooked from transit but otherwise nice and jammy.
Packaging: 1. Everything was sent together in one bowl, which resulted in soggy noodles and semi-congealed broth. This isn’t a 0 because the bowl was solid and ingredients were nicely layered.
Value: 1. Although the quantity of food was good, it really didn’t deliver well and thus wasn’t an enjoyable meal.
Would I order again? No.

Bill Kim's Ramen Bar

(West Loop, Photos 2-3)

I ordered: shrimp ramen
Price: $20.50
Time to arrive: 37 minutes
Overall: 2. I enjoyed the noodles but found everything else rather disappointing.
Broth: 1.5. The broth was a promising, inviting, glossy, fiery orange color with an intriguing aroma and lots of big chili flakes. Unfortunately, it was seasoned with far too much five-spice powder, which completely overpowered my palate. It looked much spicier than it tasted and had a nice mouthfeel otherwise.
Noodles: 4. This was probably the best part of the dish. I liked the thin, wavy noodles and thought they had a pleasant, slightly chewy texture.
Toppings: 2. The toppings included bean sprouts, cabbage, cilantro, egg, chili garlic marinade, Korean chili powder, scallions, and spicy shrimp. I asked for no bean sprouts or cilantro, and my scallions mysteriously disappeared. I still received what appeared to be kimchi-esque bean sprouts on the side (didn’t like). The shrimp was well-cooked but certainly not spicy, and the egg was way overdone for my taste. I really didn’t enjoy having raw cabbage in my ramen.
Packaging: 3. The noodles and toppings were served together in one bowl, with the broth in a separate container. It traveled pretty well.
Value: 1. I thought this was overpriced since most of the toppings were cheap. There were only a couple pieces of shrimp, so the cost didn’t feel justified to me.
Would I order again? Definitely not.

Birdman Ramen

(Streeterville, Photos 4-5)

I ordered: Szechuan tori paitan with chicken karaage
Price: $16.95
Time to arrive: 30 minutes
Overall: 5. This was absolutely delicious!
Broth: 5. The broth was smooth and creamy and had great depth despite being chicken-based, plus a pleasant kick from the chili flakes and oil. Not crazy spicy but it had enough of that familiar Szechuan flavor to at least deserve its name.
Noodles: 5. The noodles were firm and thin and perfectly complemented the broth.
Toppings: 5. Toppings included bamboo, chicken karaage, egg, scallion, and seaweed. This was simple but effective and well-executed. The chicken was ridiculously thick and juicy yet the batter was nice and light. There was also a lot of it, which was awesome. The egg was perfectly jammy.
Packaging: 3.5. The packaging was fairly standard, with the noodles and toppings in one bowl and the broth in a separate container. The ingredients were nicely arranged and everything traveled well.
Value: 4. The price was pretty typical but it came with a lot of karaage and tasted great!
Would I order again? Definitely. I will be adding this to my regular ramen rotation and I want to try their other flavors.

Chicago Ramen

(Park Ridge, Photos 6-7)

I ordered: spicy white miso ramen with egg
Price: $17.95
Time to arrive: 120 minutes
Overall: 3. There were a lot of ups and downs to this bowl of ramen.
Broth: 2.5. I didn’t particularly enjoy the flavor of the broth – it had a sort of pungent, smoky taste that reminded me of black garlic, though none was mentioned in the listing. It felt more like tsukemen than ramen due to the thickness of the broth, especially once I mixed in the spicy paste.
Noodles: 5. Despite the long delivery time, the noodles still had a very nice, firm texture. I liked their thickness and slight chewiness.
Toppings: 3.75. Toppings included bamboo shoots, egg, pork char siu, scallions, and spicy paste. I enjoyed the juicy char siu but of course wished there was at least another slice. The egg was a little overdone, with parts of the yolk slightly jammy and parts hard boiled. I suspect it was perfect when made but overcooked in transit. The spicy paste was incredibly garlicky, which normally I wouldn’t mind, but I felt it overpowered the white miso base.
Packaging: 2. This was a bit odd. The noodles and toppings came together in one bowl, while the broth was sent in a second bowl which also contained bean sprouts, onions, and what appeared to be ground pork. The former traveled okay but the latter congealed into an unappealing gloop.
Value: 2. This felt like fairly average pricing for a bowl of delivery ramen. I was a little sad to pay extra for the egg.
Would I order again? No. This delivery was simply too far and wasn’t a great experience for either me or my driver.

Daifuku Ramen

(Chinatown, Photos 8-9)

I ordered: Daifuku spicy garlic ramen (level I)
Price: $15.99
Time to arrive: 43 minutes
Overall: 4. This was a fairly classic ramen which was solid across the board!
Broth: 4. The broth was pleasant and exactly as described – garlicky with a touch of heat. The spicy element came from an oil, which kept floating to the surface, so I had to keep stirring things around to make sure I didn’t get a big mouthful of it. The base was a basic pork tonkotsu broth which got the job done.
Noodles: 4. The noodles were quite firm, but I didn’t mind. They were a little chunky and held onto the broth well.
Toppings: 4.5. Toppings included bamboo shoots, corn, egg, char siu, scallions, and wood ear mushrooms. The amount of toppings was generous. The egg was absolutely perfect (at last!!!) but I only got half (alas…). The char siu was ultra tender, practically disintegrating when I poked it with my chopsticks. The pork was a bit fatty but being broiled helped hold it together.
Packaging: 3.5. The packaging was pretty typical but traveled very well so it still looked nice upon arrival. The toppings and noodles came in one bowl while the broth was kept separate in another container.
Value: 4. This was a fair price for a decent bowl of ramen with a lot of ingredients, plus it tasted good.
Would I order again? Yes. I’d like to try their other ramens.

Dakgogi

(Hodgkins, Photos 10-11)

I ordered: katsuoboshi pork ramen
Price: $17.94
Time to arrive: 55 minutes
Overall: 4. I enjoyed this bowl of noodles!
Broth: 4.5. This had quite a deep umami flavor – but from mushrooms rather than pork. Surprisingly, I still really liked it despite not being a mushroom lover. It had a silky texture and pleasant aftertaste. It was further improved by stirring the katsuoboshi in, which gave it additional complexity and balanced the mushrooms.
Noodles: 3.75. These were on the thinner side and didn’t have much flavor or excitement on their own, but they held onto the broth nicely.
Toppings: 4. Toppings were supposedly bamboo shoots, braised pork belly, corn, egg, katsuoboshi (bonito flakes), scallions, seaweed, sesame seeds, and shichimi togarashi. Tragically, my egg was nowhere to be found, and to rub salt in my wounds, they added bean sprouts. Aside from those missteps, I enjoyed all the toppings, especially the pork belly, which was tender and had a rich, savory soy-braised flavor.
Packaging: 4.5. The noodles and toppings came together in a large, extra-wide bowl, which meant that everything still looked rather nice upon arrival. The broth came separately in another container.
Value: 3.5. The price seemed pretty typical. The portion size was hearty and the toppings were generous, plus it tasted good.
Would I order again? Maybe! On taste alone, this would be a definite yes. But it’s super far away so I’d feel sorry for making someone drive all that way to deliver to me regularly.

Dodomi Sushi Rotary

(Uptown, Photos 12-13)

I ordered: Jiro-style beef ramen (mild tonkotsu)
Price: $24.55
Time to arrive: 49 minutes
Overall: 3.5. This was a massive bowl of ramen which tasted okay.
Broth: 4. This had a nice, rich, meaty flavor and smooth texture, but it was slightly too salty.
Noodles: 3.5. I liked the chewiness of these noodles, but they were super thin and it felt like they couldn’t hold their own against the rest of the bowl.
Toppings: 3.5. Toppings included bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, corn, egg, scallions, seaweed, and sliced beef. There was a massive amount of toppings. It felt like there was an entire bag of bean sprouts alone (sadly…). The egg was close to perfectly cooked. The amount of beef was generous, but I thought it was too thick and wasn’t a fan of the seasoning.
Packaging: 3. The noodles and toppings came together in one bowl with the broth in a separate bowl. It traveled well.
Value: 3. This bowl was quite expensive, but the portion size was huge and it came with a ton of toppings, so I felt the price was fair.
Would I order again? No. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t delicious enough to me to warrant reordering.

E Ramen

(Bridgeport, Photos 14-15)

I ordered: tonkotsu garlic lovers ramen
Price: $15.95
Time to arrive: 49 minutes
Overall: 4. This was a simple, comforting bowl of ramen that hit the spot.
Broth: 4.5. Sometimes, garlicky broth can be abrasive if it relies too heavily on raw garlic. Fortunately, that was not the case here – the garlic flavor was mellow and pleasant without overwhelming the tonkotsu base. The broth had a fairly subtle flavor overall but was nicely balanced.
Noodles: 4. I liked the thinness of the noodles and thought they suited the dish, but they were a little soft for my liking.
Toppings: 4. Toppings included bean sprouts, egg, Korean powder, pork belly, and scallions. The amount of pork belly was very generous and it was perfectly cooked, but it wasn’t strongly seasoned. The egg arrived somewhat overdone. I’m not sure what they meant by “Korean powder” but there didn’t seem to be any?
Packaging: 3. The toppings and noodles came together in one bowl with the broth served separately. It traveled fine.
Value: 4. It was a hefty portion for a typical price and it tasted nice.
Would I order again? Yes! This was good, and they have several other ramen options that also sound appealing to me.

Friends Ramen

(Near North Side, Photos 16-17)

I ordered: spicy miso ramen (small)
Price: $10
Time to arrive: 32 minutes
Overall: 3. It was fine, but didn’t suit my personal preferences.
Broth: 3.5. This had an unusual taste on its own which I didn’t care for. It was greatly improved once I mixed everything together and it ended up having an enjoyable level of heat.
Noodles: 3. Not my favorite. They were quite slippery, and the look and feel was a little too reminiscent of spaghetti for my liking.
Toppings: 3. This bowl came with bamboo shoots, corn, egg, pork belly, scallions, seaweed, spicy miso paste, and wood ear mushrooms. I found the amount of toppings generous. The produce was nice but the pork belly was a letdown (flavorless and a bit dry), as was the egg (too hard boiled).
Packaging: 3. The noodles and toppings came together in one bowl with the broth in a separate container. It held up okay in transit but didn’t look particularly appealing as all the toppings ended up jumbled. It was tedious to pluck out all the corn.
Value: 4.5. Nitpicking aside, this was a very filling meal and had a nice variety of ingredients for $10.
Would I order again? Probably not.

by elynias