Ramen Powerhouse From Tokyo Will Make Midwest Debut In Wicker Park
By Mae Rice in Food on Jan 28, 2016 8:13PM
Earlier this week, we named the best seven bowls of ramen in the city, and already, Tokyo-based Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya is coming to town to contest their seven-seat throne. The ramen powerhouse will open its first Midwest location in Wicker Park, in the storefront once occupied by Max’s Wine Dive at 1482 N. Milwaukee Avenue.
Partner Kevin Yu told according to Chicago Magazine that the 85-seat eatery will have “the creamiest broth”—with gluten-free, vegetarian, and chicken incarnations, as well as traditional pork broth— and ramen noodles shipped in from California.
The chefs will complement the ramen with roughly 18 small plates, like Japanese-style chicken wings, and a bar stocked with Japanese liquor, sake, sochu, and beer, Chicago reports.
There’s also a “strong chance” that Wicker Park will get its own, exclusive line of Japanese-style cocktails, according to the magazine.
Though the restaurant will be new to the Midwest, it won’t be the Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya’s first Stateside location. There are already four locations in the Pacific Northwest—three in Seattle and one, seemingly randomly, in Beaverton, Oregon.
You can check out their menus here. (Don’t worry that the name on the website is “Kukai Ramen”; the whole chain recently changed its name.)