"Reservations for this Logan Square ramen shop open up five weeks in advance but sell out in minutes. Chef-owner Mike Satinover, also known as “Ramen_Lord,” chronicled his self-taught journey of achieving ramen authority on Reddit for over a decade and then IRL with pop-ups before opening his own ramen shop in late 2023. At Akahoshi, his fastidious expertise is on display. The menu contains four types of ramen, plus rotating specials, two rice side dishes, and additions like extra noodles or an ajitama egg. Sitting at the kitchen counter is a front row seat to the theatrics—Satinover blow-torches each slice of fatty pork, throws bean sprouts into a smoky wok, and watches over the cooking of homemade noodles, available in two varieties: thin and crinkly for the two types of soup-filled bowls (Akahoshi miso and shoyu) and soft, thick noodles for the brothless varieties (tantanmen based loosely on Dandan noodles, and aburasoba, a soupless variant). On a good night, you might get lucky enough to have Satinover present your bowl of ramen, which can feel like a divine offering from the Ramen Lord himself." - ByKate Kassin
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