Had some ramen from Chicago Ramen Annex while working Combo Breaker 2024. It was Jiro style, but on the lighter side of the junk food ramen. It was a little underwhelming at first—which is not what jiro style is about—but once I added garlic & spice myself, it turned out alright. To note: I asked the server for “zen mashi”, & she had no idea what I was talking about, & just gave me the extra veggies, which were nice and crispy. The chashu was huge & had a decent flavor, but it was cold & somewhat off putting because of that. Surprisingly, the ajidama (an extra charge) was not cold, but was slightly overcooked. The noodles were the thick flat ones & took on the flsvor of the soup well, which was slightly vinegary, but without the extra oil that mashi would normally get you. Probably for the best tbh, since I had to catch a flight immediately after.

Probably wouldn’t go back by myself, but I was glad to see this style make it’s way stateside, & wouldn’t be opposed to going with folks who want to give it a try. They also have a mabo dofu ramen which seems pretty interesting!

Noodles: 3.5/5

Soup: 2.5/5

Toppings: 2.5/5