"Increase your chances of eating the best ramen in Chicago without a long wait by going to Akahoshi Ramen solo. Our favorite place to sit is at the kitchen counter. That means a view of cooks making giant noodle pulls using equally giant chopsticks, woks breathing fire, and the chef blow-torching pork slices. But as long as a bowl of ramen is in front of you, there isn’t a bad seat at Akahoshi—even if you’re stuck sitting at the window, gazing at the post office across the street. Reservations are released five weeks out at noon every Monday. If you can’t get one, you can set an alert on OpenTable. But we've also had success just walking in and snagging a seat or two—just be prepared for about a 30-45 minute wait. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"Reservations at this pop-up turned restaurant are booked five weeks out, and a line forms outside 30 minutes before they open. But once you’ve finagled your way into a seat and had your first taste of their ramen, it’s clear why. Each of their four bowls is distinct, with only a handful of toppings, giving every ingredient room to showcase its flavor. But the must-order is their namesake dish, the Akahoshi Miso. Without even factoring in tasty wok-fried bean sprouts, pork chashu, and springy housemade noodles, we’d happily wait in line just for the rich garlicky broth. Reservations are released five weeks out at noon every Monday. If you can’t get one, you can set an alert on OpenTable. But we've also had success just walking in and snagging a seat or two—just be prepared for about a 30-45 minute wait." - team infatuation
"Akahoshi Ramen evolved from a hard-to-get-into pop-up into a full-fledged, hard-to-get-into restaurant. Reservations are booked five weeks out, and a line forms outside 30 minutes before they open. But once you’ve finagled your way into a seat and had your first taste of their ramen, it’s clear why. Each of their four bowls is distinct, with only a handful of toppings, giving every ingredient room to showcase its flavor. But the must-order is their namesake dish, the Akahoshi Miso. Without even factoring in tasty wok-fried bean sprouts, pork chashu, and springy housemade noodles, we’d happily wait in line just for the rich garlicky broth. Reservations are released five weeks out at noon every Monday. If you can’t get one, you can set an alert on OpenTable. But we've also had success just walking in and snagging a seat or two—just be prepared for about a 30-45 minute wait. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru
"Akahoshi Ramen evolved from a hard-to-get-into pop-up into a full-fledged, hard-to-get-into restaurant. Reservations are booked five weeks out, and a line forms outside 30 minutes before they open. But once you’ve finagled your way into a seat and had your first taste of their ramen, it’s clear why. Each of their four bowls is distinct, with only a handful of toppings, giving every ingredient room to showcase its flavor. But the must-order is their namesake dish, the Akahoshi Miso. Without even factoring in tasty wok-fried bean sprouts, pork chashu, and springy housemade noodles, we’d happily wait in line just for the rich garlicky broth. Reservations are released five weeks out at noon every Monday. If you can’t get one, you can set an alert on OpenTable. But we've also had success just walking in and snagging a seat or two—just be prepared for about a 30-45 minute wait. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"The Verdict: Do whatever you need to do to get in. It’s not surprising that this Logan Square spot has been packed the minute since opening. Its owner, a Redditor-turned-chef known as "Ramen_Lord", has a large following and his past pop-ups sold out instantly. But eating is believing—bowls of rich and creamy Akahoshi Miso and soupless tantanmen flavored with tingly Sichuan peppercorns are delicious and worth racing to grab a spot at a booth or the communal table. Chances are, reservations are all booked when you’re done reading this. But they allow walk-ins, so you can probably snag a spot if you get there before they open at 5pm. Reservations are released five weeks out at noon every Monday. If you can’t get one, you can set an alert on OpenTable. But we've also had success just walking in and snagging a seat or two—just be prepared for about a 30-45 minute wait. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - adrian kane, veda kilaru, john ringor, nick allen