Stopped for a quick bite and couldn’t have been happier with our choice. The ramen was rich, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. Alex took the time to walk us through the menu and made excellent recommendations that really elevated our meal. Fantastic service and delicious food! We will absolutely be back!
Meredith Becraft
Ramen was absolutely amazing. Can’t get a much better meal on a chilly night in Chicago.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mike Oho
The best one, which I tried ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Curtis Park
Oiistar is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner Sunny is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. Amazing ramen. Must come back. 10/10.
Jan Stover
Love the pork belly ramens that I have tried. Wasn’t into the kimchi rice main but I think that’s just personal preference. Big portions. I always try and sit at the chefs counter it’s out of the way and fun to watch them. Always try and go near open or close so I don’t have to wait for a table.
Xavier Sanchez
Really good ramen and great service. Eddie is a chill guy, he was attentive and kind.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
lola farmer
This restaurant is PHENOMENAL! Food came out in less than 10 minute intervals, and we had a VIP view of the kitchen at our seats. The quality of food was next level - each item was meticulously plated and each bite was better than the previous. Highly recommend, it is the best restaurant in Wicker Park.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Haoxi Wang
10/10 ramen and great portion sizes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Allison Kojima
Pretty solid spot for some ramen (4.5/5 stars)! My friend and I visited here on a Tuesday afternoon so thankfully there was a good amount of space for street parking. Right when we walked in, we were greeted by a very welcoming/friendly server who took us to our seat. I enjoyed how open and aired out the restaurant felt. The big windows also allowed so much natural lighting to come in which felt nice during lunch time.
This is what my friend and I ordered: Tonkatsu Buns Umami (Spicy Level 2) Paitan Shio Fried Garlic Chicken Sambal
Both ramens had a savory, rich broth which was very satisfying. The char shiu (pork belly) was an absolute star- so tender and flavorful (honestly the best I’ve had in a while). The portions are also pretty large too so I had to take my leftovers to go.
The Tonkatsu Buns were good but nothing really special in my opinion. As for the fried garlic chicken, the flavor was spot on but the texture was okay- I wish it wasa tad bit crispier since the sauce made the exterior a little soft.
Overall, my friend and I had a pleasant experience at Oiistar and we can’t wait to come back and try more items from the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Isavel Giustino
Very Yummy! I had the Pozolomen and i personally didn't like it much, it had diced tomatoes and that threw me off but my brother had the musselmen (mussel ramen) and that was delicious! I want to go back and try other bowls.
The restaurant is very pleasant and the staff is great. Of the two ramen dishes I tried, one was delicious, but the vegetarian one is terribile... It's made with veggies that don't belong in ramen (avocado; lettuce...) and the broth is tasteless. Still, I recommend going. Just don't do the vegetarian option
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Cody
The #5 and #6 are my favorite bowls of ramen in the city; I come here monthly just for them.
The marinated pork is wildly flavorful and so tender, and the broths are stupendous; I don't get overwhelmed by salt or any one note of flavor. The portions are very generous in the bowls, meat included.
The buns and chicken are also great, but I just can't stary from the ramen whenever I visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Archival Hong
I had an excellent experience at this ramen house! Based on my server’s enthusiastic recommendation, I ordered the Paitan Shio Ramen with Fukuoka Garlic, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The broth was rich and flavorful, the meat was tender and delicious, and the tamago was perfectly cooked—not overdone, just right. I’m already looking forward to my next visit to try more dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Valeriia Shapovalova
I want to share my experience at this ramen place. I asked to substitute the pork belly with chicken because I have an allergy to pork meat proteins (myosin, actin, and α-gal). I can safely eat pork broth, but I cannot eat the actual pork meat.
Instead of showing understanding, the manager behaved terribly — insulting me and even asking if I “always try not to pay for food.” This was shocking and completely unprofessional. On top of that, when I asked the server to remove the pork belly ( blamed myself even) and substitute it with chicken, they never mentioned any extra charge, never asked about my allergies, and just added chicken to the bill without a word.
So apparently, at this place it is normal to mislead customers and normal for managers to speak to guests in such a rude way. Absolutely unacceptable.
This was my 5th visit here — and definitely my last. My advice: test your food for allergens, train your staff to smile and show basic politeness, and learn what real service means.
Unfortunately, this place will never again be a recommendation from me.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
David Caudill
Absolutely mediocre. Spicy ramen was identical to what my companion ordered. ZERO spiciness, just what looked like maybe a teaspoon of chili oil. Everything about this was rushed and lacked depth and flavor. No fattiness in the broth, no salty miso umami depth, no flavor imparted from the ingredients added to the soup. Green onions, without a lot of flavor? They've got to be SO dry and old. The pork belly bao was too large to be eaten without a fork and a knife, and turned out to be EXACTLY the same pork belly preparation as our ramen. This is mall food court ramen. Decidedly average. 1 star for atmosphere because that patio needs to do something about it's awful fly issues.
Stopped for a quick bite and couldn’t have been happier with our choice. The ramen was rich, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. Alex took the time to walk us through the menu and made excellent recommendations that really elevated our meal. Fantastic service and delicious food! We will absolutely be back!
Ramen was absolutely amazing. Can’t get a much better meal on a chilly night in Chicago.
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best one, which I tried ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Oiistar is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner Sunny is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. Amazing ramen. Must come back. 10/10.
Love the pork belly ramens that I have tried. Wasn’t into the kimchi rice main but I think that’s just personal preference. Big portions. I always try and sit at the chefs counter it’s out of the way and fun to watch them. Always try and go near open or close so I don’t have to wait for a table.
Really good ramen and great service. Eddie is a chill guy, he was attentive and kind.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This restaurant is PHENOMENAL! Food came out in less than 10 minute intervals, and we had a VIP view of the kitchen at our seats. The quality of food was next level - each item was meticulously plated and each bite was better than the previous. Highly recommend, it is the best restaurant in Wicker Park.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
10/10 ramen and great portion sizes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pretty solid spot for some ramen (4.5/5 stars)!
My friend and I visited here on a Tuesday afternoon so thankfully there was a good amount of space for street parking. Right when we walked in, we were greeted by a very welcoming/friendly server who took us to our seat. I enjoyed how open and aired out the restaurant felt. The big windows also allowed so much natural lighting to come in which felt nice during lunch time.
This is what my friend and I ordered:
Tonkatsu Buns
Umami (Spicy Level 2)
Paitan Shio
Fried Garlic Chicken Sambal
Both ramens had a savory, rich broth which was very satisfying. The char shiu (pork belly) was an absolute star- so tender and flavorful (honestly the best I’ve had in a while). The portions are also pretty large too so I had to take my leftovers to go.
The Tonkatsu Buns were good but nothing really special in my opinion. As for the fried garlic chicken, the flavor was spot on but the texture was okay- I wish it wasa tad bit crispier since the sauce made the exterior a little soft.
Overall, my friend and I had a pleasant experience at Oiistar and we can’t wait to come back and try more items from the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Very Yummy! I had the Pozolomen and i personally didn't like it much, it had diced tomatoes and that threw me off but my brother had the musselmen (mussel ramen) and that was delicious! I want to go back and try other bowls.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The restaurant is very pleasant and the staff is great. Of the two ramen dishes I tried, one was delicious, but the vegetarian one is terribile... It's made with veggies that don't belong in ramen (avocado; lettuce...) and the broth is tasteless. Still, I recommend going. Just don't do the vegetarian option
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The #5 and #6 are my favorite bowls of ramen in the city; I come here monthly just for them.
The marinated pork is wildly flavorful and so tender, and the broths are stupendous; I don't get overwhelmed by salt or any one note of flavor. The portions are very generous in the bowls, meat included.
The buns and chicken are also great, but I just can't stary from the ramen whenever I visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
I had an excellent experience at this ramen house! Based on my server’s enthusiastic recommendation, I ordered the Paitan Shio Ramen with Fukuoka Garlic, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The broth was rich and flavorful, the meat was tender and delicious, and the tamago was perfectly cooked—not overdone, just right. I’m already looking forward to my next visit to try more dishes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I want to share my experience at this ramen place. I asked to substitute the pork belly with chicken because I have an allergy to pork meat proteins (myosin, actin, and α-gal). I can safely eat pork broth, but I cannot eat the actual pork meat.
Instead of showing understanding, the manager behaved terribly — insulting me and even asking if I “always try not to pay for food.” This was shocking and completely unprofessional. On top of that, when I asked the server to remove the pork belly ( blamed myself even) and substitute it with chicken, they never mentioned any extra charge, never asked about my allergies, and just added chicken to the bill without a word.
So apparently, at this place it is normal to mislead customers and normal for managers to speak to guests in such a rude way. Absolutely unacceptable.
This was my 5th visit here — and definitely my last.
My advice: test your food for allergens, train your staff to smile and show basic politeness, and learn what real service means.
Unfortunately, this place will never again be a recommendation from me.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Absolutely mediocre. Spicy ramen was identical to what my companion ordered. ZERO spiciness, just what looked like maybe a teaspoon of chili oil. Everything about this was rushed and lacked depth and flavor. No fattiness in the broth, no salty miso umami depth, no flavor imparted from the ingredients added to the soup. Green onions, without a lot of flavor? They've got to be SO dry and old.
The pork belly bao was too large to be eaten without a fork and a knife, and turned out to be EXACTLY the same pork belly preparation as our ramen. This is mall food court ramen. Decidedly average. 1 star for atmosphere because that patio needs to do something about it's awful fly issues.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 3
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