Ramen deserves a dissertation. Most people are only familiar with the msg-laden shrinkwrapped brick sold to poor college students and eaten with a bizarre sense of pride. I won't go into detail at this moment (but I sure will soon) but that point of comparison is exactly like dismissing Italian pasta because you have only tried Ravioli-O's.

This time of year a huge bowl of ramen, with sheets of nori and wakame (both wonderful seaweeds… don't flinch like that) half an egg, fishcake… yes the Japanese stole gefilte and made it better, beads of glistening fat. It's awesome.

Ginza, so far, is above and beyond anything else I've had in Chicago… Won't somebody let me know where else to go!

(Yeah Ginza again… where the curry rice is also good. And again for Udon)

Ginza (in the Tokyo Hotel)
19 E. Ohio St.