Ramen Takeya in West Loop specializes in chicken ramen

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Most ramen shops in Chicago tend to focus on a hearty, pork-bone based broth in their bowls.

A new joint on West Fulton Market is focusing more on the chickens.

If the bowl of ramen staring back up at you inside the West Loop's Ramen Takeya looks a little bit different than the bowls you've become accustomed to, that's probably because instead of using pork bones, the kitchen is boiling exclusively chicken bones.

"It's called chicken paitan, only chicken, really creamy and very rich," said co-owner Satoko Takeyama.

The creaminess comes from the collagen in the bones, as well as the skin and fat, but it creates a slightly lighter broth than the usual tonkotsu - or pork bone broth.

"We put pork belly on top, very yellow yolk, soft boiled egg. Also black mushroom and top with little chicken fat and diced onion and green onion," she said.

The other key element: the noodles.

"We buy noodle from California but they make for us particularly for this chicken paitan. It's a little thicker and straight and pick up soup really good," said Takeyama.

Boiled for just about a minute, the curly noodles do give the bowls great texture and also aid in broth absorption. As for tackling these hefty bowls, filled with eggs, bamboo, onions and mushrooms?

"You sip the soup and then slurp the noodle," she said.

Now if you wanted to add some extra flavor, you could add some imported Japanese white pepper or for a little extra spice some of the togarashi you see on every table, but honestly, there's so much flavor in the bowl, it doesn't need a lot of doctoring.

Ramen Takeya

819 W. Fulton Market

(312) 666-7710