A Chicago ramen spot was just named one of the "20 Best New Restaurants of 2024" from Bon Appetit Magazine.
The new ranking was based on visits and research by editors over the course of six months, the list said, spanning restaurants from Columbus, Ohio; to Lockhart, Texas to Denver, Colorado.
"Whether we were immersed in a rack of ribs inspired by Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or a “Progressive Mexican” tasting menu informed by a chef’s travels, we found teams working together in exciting ways," editors wrote.
The final list includes 20 restaurants in cities across15 states: Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois, Portland, Oregon (two restaurants); Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco, California; Washington D.C.; Lockhart, Texas; Charleston, South Carolina (two restaurants); New York, New York; New Orleans, Louisiana; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (two restaurants), Minneapolis, Minnesota; Denver, Colorado, Seattle, Washington and Miami, Florida.
The one Illinois restaurant to make that list was Akahoshi Ramen, located at 2340 N. California Ave. in Chicago's Logan Square. According to editors, the restaurant's owner was once known on Reddit as "Ramen Lord."
"He spent over a decade posting about broth and noodles in the forum r/ramen, where he helped to cultivate a community of more than 1 million devoted enthusiasts," Kate Kassin of Bon Appetite wrote. "At Akahoshi, he’s mastered his craft and found a home for his precision and finesse (To ensure his broth has the ideal viscosity, for instance, he employs a device called a refractometer).
Reservations at the restaurant, which opened in 2023, can be difficult to come by. According to the website, every Monday at 12 p.m. CT, a week of reservations is released, for dates five weeks in advance, with a "large number of walk-ins each day."
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"On average, half of the restaurant is dedicated to walk-ins," the restaurant's website said. "It is typically easiest to walk-in during weekdays from 5-7pm, where we usually have immediate availability."
Reservations must be booked through OpenTable, the website added.
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The full list from Bon Appetit can be found here.
