I’ll just come right out and say that Chuko is now my favorite ramen spot of all time. I’ve tried a bunch of famous ramen spots all over the U.S and Japan, and Chuko takes the cake. I won’t get into arguments of whether it’s the best ramen or not, but it’s made it to the #1 spot on my ramen list. I’m telling you, it’s worth a shot.

The Food 5/5

The menu is small and simple, and you will inevitably want to order EVERYTHING. I’ve been to Chuko twice now, and here’s everything I’ve tried (I’m already thinking about what I’ll be ordering next time):

Miso ramen with spicy ground pork [My most favorite]
Soy ramen with egg and chashu [2nd favorite]
Kimchi ramen [This was my least favorite, but it’s still really good]
Chili oil
Spicy pickles [If you like spicy pickles, these are a must]
Pork bun
Kale salad [Probably the best kale salad I’ve ever had]
Soy Chili Wings [These were amazing, and for the quality of wing, very fairly priced. I mean 6 wings anywhere these days is close to $10]

Every bowl is fantastic, so I don’t think you can go wrong here. If you want to stick to something classic, go for the soy. I really love the miso, but my girlfriend thought it was too butternut-squashy. The spicy ground pork is a really awesome, and something that isn’t as common as it should be. I know the appetizers are expensive, but try to order at least one because they’re really fucking good. If you’re going to order just one, I’d go for either the kale salad or the soy chili wings. The kale salad had a tangy miso dressing, some sort of crunchy potato stuff, and white raisins. Legit one of the best kale salads I’ve ever had!

The Experience 5/5

My favorite thing about the staff at Chuko was that they all seemed like friends. It’s always a better experience seeing the staff joke around with each other and have fun with service. They were all really friendly, professional, and attentive.
They play great music, so I asked our server what song was on. She was so excited I asked about it because it was her playlist and she even wrote down a list of artists for me to check out!
They give you some really high quality napkins.
They use one of the text call back systems so you can wander around

Price/value 4/5

While not exactly cheap, Chuko isn’t expensive when compared to other ramen shops. It sits at a very average price, and for how good the bowls are, they are well deserving of the price. $14-16 bowls. The appetizers are definitely pricey at $10 each, but they’re all pretty amazing and well worth it.

Tl;dr

Chuko is my new favorite ramen joint. It’s near Barclays center, the food is bomb, service is great, and you have fun when you’re there.

Side note: If you go to Chuko and have room for desert, swing by The Chocolate Room and grab a slice of their almond cake. It’s to die for.