Bigbop + Ramen (Chicago)
Better than what you ate in college, but certainly not the best you’ll find in Chicago.
Bigbop ramen is filling, cheap, and tastes good. Sure, you put this ramen toe-to-toe with the top-tier ramen joints in Chicago like Ramen-San and it’s not even comparable…but at $9 bucks for a large half bowl who cares? I’ve tried both the tonsutka (pork) and spicy miso, and I thought the spicy miso broth was the much better option. The spicy miso was more umami-packed, and the spice level was perfect: it makes your nose run, but isn’t “blow your head off” spicy.
I also like Bigbop because it’s hole-in-the-wall-ish, meaning you can eat there by yourself and not look like the starving ramen degenerate that you are.
P.S. If you think ramen is a third-rate food, only appropriate for dorm rooms and 7-11s, then you’re weak, your bloodline is weak, and you won’t survive the winter.
