Oiistar

It was deliciously amazing! The pork belly pozolmen was fantastic and the garlic chx wings! The only bad thing was that they ran out of the pork belly bun but other than that I will come back excitingly.

Bad servers. First time here with my wife. Food was just ok. I been to LA, japan, china for good noodle. This is just a Japanese named noodle with American style.
Appetizer: tuna with bamboo. Tune is not good at all. And the bamboo was mold, with green color on top of one of two pieces they were serving. I tried to let the server know since that’s big issue for costing food poison, he responded:” I don’t think so!!!
And I will get back to you after show to the chef” but during 1 hour 30 meal, no respond. It’s huge disappoint.
Noodle: liked guy said, American style of Japanese named noodle.

Pleasantly surprised how much I like this place. I been to Wasabi, Yusho, Slurping Turtle, High Five… their service is top-​notched. Immediately greeted upon entering and a welcome «feel free to sit wherever» — no snobby attitude here since I know everyone is feeling the ramen craze.
I ordered the classic and the kids ordered the modern. Plentiful and the pork belly was mouthwatering. They are on the smaller portion of pork, but still just as good. There are 3 other noodle options and I wonder what the difference is with their house made vs. thin, wavy and rice. Love to try those variations the next time.
I would say out of the other ones, this is probably the most kid friendly one. There were strollers, kids sat at the bar… definitely a bit more family oriented than the other ones. Staff is incredibly nice and efficient. Bowls are enough, no need to order more noodles. I did order the pork belly bun and with that and a bowl of noodle — I was completely full. Definitely add this one to the ramen list.

Succulent broth/​ramen, homey service and the manager’s mom’s sangria recipe (light and refreshing). Dessert is delish too! Comfort food, just go.

Some of my favorite Ramen in the city. Theres only one place I’ve gone that has them beat. Add a bao before your order, but don’t over do it… these bowls are big!

I had the pleasure of coming here during my winter break and what a nice what to start the new year of 2016. Old friends, new friends, new sights, and some new food spots AYYEEE. First thing first I’m the realest… no, but really side note, there’s this place and also Wasabi. From what my friends tell me it’s either you like this place or Wasabi, so to each his own, but I also tried Wasabi.
And the Winner… Oiistar, that is at least in my book. In my book though, your book probably looks like an Encyclopedia ( Unilocal elites… but I’m on the come up) and mines like the Yellowpages (who even uses that nowadays, does it exist still?), not seen because its all about Googling nowadays…(BUT I’M GONNA GET THERE).
The inside of this establishment has a nice low light setting to it and its not that noisy. They’ve also got a nice bar setup so it’s looking nice and clean. Honestly this was some of the best ramen I had and even the buns were delicious. I decided not get my ramen not spicy because I can’t handle. The noodles were some of the best I’ve tasted in ramen and they also give you plenty of meat. I left my bowl empty and I was the first to finish within our group. I tried wasabi days later and it just didn’t do it for me, the buns and the noodles were kinda good, but just okay. As for price range, I would have to say your not paying that much, but its somewhere in the middle. That dim lighting can get you a bit sleepy once the food hits the spot, but overall great service and I would come here again.

Delicious ramen on a cold&windy Chicago evening ~ *yummy* They’ve got a hip, young vibe going on with quick service on the week day nights. It is dimly lit, but goes with the theme of the restaurant. We got right in and had fast service the entire time. The cucumber salad chicken bun were amazing! Our main courses were the beef brisket and masala ramen soups, both had incredible flavor, but the eggs didn’t taste good — quality issue? Also, I would go light on the noodles next time for less carby/​gluten consciousness.
Overall, I was pleasantly impressed, but would alter the dishes before ordering straight from the menu and minus the egg.

We ordered take out from here and probably should have done a little more research on the food first. We were a bit disappointed that what we got wasn’t what we expected — sometimes it happens when you try a new place and do take out… The food was still good, fresh, delicious… We ordered from the Seasonal Section of the menu and thought it would be Ramen but it was not. So we’ll be back to try the actual Ramen soon!

The room was filled with warmth and my tummy delighted in that of the Ramen broth! Definitely for those demanding a kickstart to their day; it’s just what you’d desire on a day in the wintery Chicago!

After dining at the most overrated ramen establishment in Chicago down the street from Oiistar (Furious Spoon), I realized I had never given due props where props are due! It’s a true shame that Oiistar isn’t on critics’ radars like other ramen joints (ahem, Furious Spoon), because it deserves to be.
Oiistar has been doing quality ramen since before ramen was trendy. Perhaps this is why they aren’t included in that trendy Furious Spoon/​High Five bubble. They should be. Despite coming into Oiistar during peak hours every time our group goes in, our ramen is always served piping hot; fresh out of the kitchen. The signature and spicy ramens are both among my favorite in Chicago and feature some of the freshest ingredients I’ve tasted in ramen.
They also do other Japanese fare surprisingly well, including a wide array of tasty bao tacos and awesome fried chicken/​wings. Great beer on tap, too. The ladies enjoyed their sangria. Servers are attentive and polite and do their best to move your meal along.
When deciding between the trendy place and the tried and true classic, always go with the latter — that being Oiistar.

This is my favorite ramen place in Chicago. Their broth is hearty and the noodles are freshly made.
They also have a good selection of Japanese and American beer on tap.
I give it three stars for now, (my review can be amendable) because on two occasions my husband got food poisoning from this place. The first time we believe it was from the sprout garnish in the baos. The second time from the eggs.
We want to come back and be regular patrons again, but food handling may be an issue. Please note, owners and managers.

Six Words: Delicious ramen — go for the Chadolmen
I arrived on a Wednesday night at around 5:30 with 3 of my friends and we were seated immediately … because it was totally empty. There was one other diner in the restaurant so we got to choose our spots. The restaurant is going for a very minimalist vibe — the seats don’t have backings. It was sort of awkward at first, trying to figure out where to put my bag and my coat but the taller seats at the tall tables have these little shelves. So I stashed my bag and coat in that little cubby.
While we purused the menu and caught up with each other’s lives, the restaurant started to fill up. By 6pm, all the tables were taken and there was a line forming. So I guess 5:30pm is a good time to show up.
Since there were 4 of us, we each decided to get something different so we could sample more. By the time our food arrived, we had a bowl of Oiimen, a bowl of Veggimen, the Chadolmen Modern, and the Tikkamen. Personally, I had the Chadolmen and I found it delicious. It was a Korean-​inspired Ramen that had beef brisket. I’ve been on a brisket kick these past few weeks and this brisket hit the spot. The broth was perfect, the vegetables were good, the meat was great. The noodles — thin ones — were delicous as well. The Oiimen would’ve been my second favorite — the broth was really delicious.
We also opted for a few buns and we easily split 2 buns amongst the four of us. We had the Tempura Shrimp and the Goki. I’m not much of a shrip person but it was really good. The Goki was delicious — the bbq beef was very flavorful.
For dessert, we shared the Bao Donut. It was less bao and more fried dough covered in sugar. There was a crème sauce that you could dip the bao in that made the meal heavenly. You got two bao in an order so, again, it was easily split amongst four.
Definitely will go back again. It was on the pricier side of ramen — we spent about $ 22 a person before tip — but it was delicious and very filling.

Oiistar offer delicious ramen and buns in Wicker Park!
The restaurant feels like a cool minimalist space: it is long and thin with modern wooden tables and stool-​like chairs. Oiistar has a coatrack by the door so that you can hang up your coat instead of sitting on it. It is small and when busy, feels a bit cramped.
I love the food at Oiistar! The ramen is awesome! They recently have updated the menu so that you can choose your type of broth, meat, and noodle. I am a huge fan of the Oiimen Ramen, which comes with tender pork belly, runny soft-​boiled egg, and black mushrooms in a flavorful pork broth! It had the perfect balance of flavor and just the right amount of salt. I also am a fan of the buns! They are a contemporary twist on the classic, which are presented more like open-​face sandwiches. I love the duck and fried cod!

This place serves up awesome ramen goodness! My fiancé loves ramen, so he’s constantly trying to get me to go to various ramen shops around the city. And while I like ramen, it’s definitely not something I crave regularly. But I have to say, Oiistar did not disappoint!
I had the oiimen ramen and it was amazing! Everything was perfectly cooked and went together well. It was classic ramen, but had just enough of a twist to make it fun. I basically licked my bowl clean. We also had the pollo buns and the garlic chicken wings. Both of those were fine, but if you skip them, you won’t be missing anything.
If you plan on eating at the restaurant beware that Oiistar is SMALL. We went on a random weekday and the wait was over half an hour. We ended up having to sit at the bar, which was comfortable, but not ideal if you were looking to sit down for dinner.

What’s not to love about a hot, comforting bowl of ramen noodles?
I came here for lunch with my sister and loved the hip ambiance. We shared an order of the tempura avocado and mushrooms. It was served with a miso pesto which was certainly different and delicious.
The real standout were the noodles. I had the Korean inspired bowl, recommended by my server who informed me that the chef was Korean. I love Korean food, so it didn’t disappoint. There was beef, ground pork, greens, thin ramen, spicy broth, kimchi and a soft boiled egg. The dish was packed with flavor! The broth was so yummy; I was glad we were given giant ladels to lap it all up.
The pieces are reasonable, and the portions big. Come hungry, leave happy!

Love this place
Really good Ramen I think is the best in town
Staff is really friendly music is jazzy
Ambience is nice with the open kitchen makes a really cool vibe !

Pretty good Asian fusion restaurant in Wicker Park. The portions are pretty big! Most dishes are spicy. The décor inside is nice — there’s dim lighting. Service is great! Milwaukee gets pretty busy but you should be able find a spot close by.
This place isn’t my fav but I would say it’s worth a try!

Good! I went with a friend on a Tuesday night and was seated right away. The environment is pretty relaxed. dim lighting. hipster music. Kind of feels like every other restaurant in Chicago which is NOT a bad thing.
We started off with the fried garlic chicken. That was good and pretty good serving size for the price. There were probably 5 wings and we only had enough room to eat 1 – 2 each. Anyway, I was on the hunt for lots of flavor so I chose the ramen umami (miso addition). It hit the spot. but wasn’t like OMG AMAZING (tsujita annex in la, my heart is still with you). It reminds me of Wasabi ramen. but with more broth. and less toppings. Maybe I would’ve preferred the ramen classic because the miso flavoring definitely overshadowed the tonkotsu broth (which is my favorite). It was still really enjoyable. I ended up eating only half and taking the rest home.

Goood stuff at Oiistar. To sum it all up: huge portions, huge spoon to go with it, nice fatty slabs of pork belly, soft boiled eggs, homemade noodles, and delicious pork belly buns. #GDFR
Located in the Wicker Park area so there’s a couple of hipster-​y bars around there that you can walk to after dinner.

Wicker Park, in general, has a vibrant nightlife all year round. However, we Chicagoans know that summer time is our «prime time.» It’s especially fun to cruise near the CTA Damen Blue Line station at our 60-​degrees-​Fahrenheit midsummer night.
Oiistar isn’t too far from the Damen Blue Line station; its approximately ten (10)-minute walking distance southbound along Milwaukee Ave. Eating ramen is analogical to be covered by my favorite blanket or snuggie. In other words, a great bowl of ramen gives me a sense of security, comfort, and belonging.
Ramen in Oiistar might not be, by definition, the most authentic, yet I thought whatever I had was one of the better «fusion» ramen I’ve encountered in the city. I knew that Oiimen appeared to be a popular choice, but I noticed that Chaldomen received many accolades as well. I went with the Chaldomen, for it showcased ground pork, bean sprouts, and pickled veggies in the spicy broth.
The level of greasiness of Chaldomen was acceptable. In my recollection, I thought the ramen in Strings and Wasabi were grease-​heavy. I believe the presence of fresh bean sprouts were helpful to reduce the greasy sensation in my stomach.
Hubby’s spicy veggiemen contained many vegetarians’ favorites: tofu, avocado, and zucchini. Most ramen joints in Chicago offers at least one (1) vegetarian option, so I would say Oiistar could be vegetarian-​friendly.
My first impression on Oiistar was positive. Obviously, it’s a friendly spot for youngsters to hang out. It’s also intimate, but not over-​the-​top romantic. Thus, it’s an appropriate first-​date dinner place in my opinion. Of course, the food hubby and I had this evening was delicious! I will certainly spread the good words of Oiistar to others.