Ramenfest!

It seems every trendy food has a festival all its own these days in Chicago, Doughnuts have their day, poutine has its day, and chili likewise. Baconfest has ballooned over the years to become a culinary juggernaut and one of the hottest tickets of the year. Joining the fray this year is Ramenfest, an apt addition to the local food fest scene considering ramen’s rise to legitimacy over the past few years. The inaugural Ramenfest is right around the corner, taking place November 8 at urbanbelly, one of the progenitors of the noodle craze.

When you think of ramen in Chicago, Bill Kim is one of the key players involved in transforming the brothy noodles from low-brow to tres chic. The chef/owner of urbanbelly, bellyQ, and Belly Shack knows his noodles, making him the perfect chef to launch a full-fledged ramen festival.

The grandiose event features 25 chefs cooking up their own versions of ramen at urbanbelly, each vying for the title of ramen king or queen as deemed by a panel of judges and the public. There will also be drinks on deck and a portion of proceeds benefit Common Threads, which makes that soothing broth taste all the more nourishing.

The inaugural lineup for Ramenfest features an eclectic cross-section of Chicago’s culinary landscape, showing that any dexterous chef from any cuisine can try his or her hand at ramen. The roster includes Thai Dang of Embeya, Lee Wolen of BOKA, Heather Terhune of Sable Kitchen & Bar, Tony Priolo of Piccolo Sogno, Barry Sorkin of Smoque BBQ, Patrick Sheerin of Trenchermen, Shin Matsuda from Ani, Matthias Merges from Yusho, John Vermiglio from A10, Cosmo Goss from The Publican, Doug Psaltis from Ramen-San, and more.

urbanbelly
1400 W. Randolph Street, Chicago
(773) 583-0500
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Ramenfest
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