Strings Ramen Shop Hyde Park

Amazing vegetarian ramen. The noodles were soooo good! Great service too!!!

Being a frequent visitor of ramen restaurants, I was pretty excited to see a new swanky ramen/Japanese restaurant open in my neighborhood. I had been to the Chinatown location several times in the past and would say that the experience is similar. Items on the menu are the same, although this location is much more spacious, bright, and less loud.

My friends and I came around 6pm on a weeknight and there was no wait. By 7pm though, 2-3 parties were waiting for tables. We got the kuro buta tsukemen and tonkotsu, which were served within 10 minutes of ordering. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of their noodles. They are straight (not curly) and have more of an al-dente texture that feels harder to the bite than most ramen noodles. The broth was good though, very umami, not too salty, and very heavy on the sesame flavor. The tonkotsu ramen only came with one piece of meat, which was a bit underwhelming, but the rest of the bowl was good. Even though we came for ramen, I love that Strings also has great rice bowls, sashimi, and vegetarian options.

The new restaurant has a nice variety of seating and decor but service was a bit all over the place, as I expected for a new restaurant. I'm sure it'll improve as they settle in business, and will definitely be back!

The taste was beyond my expectation. I actually enjoyed it as a ramen lover from an Asian country. This was my first ramen in the US and this has definitely set my expectation higher. I want to try the spiciest ramen the next time I visit.

Ordered tonkatsu ramen with extra eggs (they came cold) and pork yakisoba. Pretty tasty food but slow service. Unsure if pepperoni is standard yakisoba fare, but it was a bit greasy and odd. Good broth; noods were chewy and nice.

Soft opening right now during 5-10pm. Pretty good bowl for the US. I ordered the tonkotsu ramen, and the waiter asked if I wanted pork loin or pork belly—I went for the pork belly.

My highlight was the meat, which was nice and tender. Noodles are fine, just a little too thick for my personal taste. They only give half an egg by default... I guess it looks better in pictures, but I would've preferred an entire egg.