A local restaurateur who recently opened a brand new restaurant in Schaumburg is hoping to open two more ramen restaurants in Chicagoland’s Northwest Suburbs.
Chef Kenta Ikehata, a Tokyo native who recently opened his third restaurant in Chicagoland, is already looking ahead with what’s next. After opening his first Illinois restaurant, Chicago Ramen, in Des Plaines in early 2020, Ikehata opened Chicago Sushi, Chicago Ramen Lab in Rolling Meadows, and most recently, Chicago Ramen Annex, at 1608 E. Algonquin Road, in Schaumburg. The last restaurant opened on Thursday in the former home of Hong Kong Cafe.
Now, Ikehata hopes to open two more ramen shops in the Northwest Suburbs later this year, once Ramen Annex is running smoothly, according to Eater Chicago. Additional details have yet to be revealed, but Ikehata appears to want to keep all of his businesses in one area, as Chicago Sushi is also located in Des Plaines. Ikehata is also working on opening Chicago Ramen Wheeling early this year.
Many of Ikehata’s restaurants feature authentic Japanese ramen styles that are not often seen at other restaurants. For example, Chicago Ramen Annex features Jiro ramen. Over at Chicago Ramen, Ikehata created a following with his signature tsukemen, also known as dipping ramen. The exact style of ramen at these two new restaurants is to be determined, but devoted followers can bet it will be an authentic culinary experience.
