"The ramen boom was just percolating in Chicago when Takashi Yagihashi, a chef who has earned a James Beard Award, Michelin stars, and gained national fame while appearing on Iron Chef America and Top Chef Masters, opened this casual Japanese restaurant in River North in 2011. Slurping Turtle was at the forefront of a huge culinary trend in town, packing in diners for more than seven years for ramen, cocktails, and more. Yagihashi, who was also involved with a pair of restaurants in Michigan, left Slurping Turtle about a year before it closed. And although it’s been gone since May, its influence lives on at the many casual Japanese restaurants around the city." - Daniel Gerzina
