Chicago Ramen

There are plenty of places to get a bowl of tonkotsu or miso ramen throughout Chicago, but few specialize in tsukemen—Japanese dipping noodles. At Chicago Ramen in Des Plaines, which also has several spin-offs and outposts in the suburbs, chef Kenta Ikehata offers the best version of the dish we’ve tried. Essentially deconstructed ramen, it consists of cold noodles served with a bowl of rich broth that's meant for dipping. For something more traditional, we recommend the white mapo tofu ramen, a marriage of Asian staples.