Had a great meal at Futatsuki yesterday. Learned that they import their Hakata-style ramen noodles from Japan, which makes sense since the super low hydration style usually requires industrial-grade noodle machines to produce.
The chicken karaage was very moist and well-seasoned; however, it did seem to lack a satisfying crispiness that one expects from karaage. This paired very well with my Two Hearted Ale (don't forget they're BYOB if you care to dine in!).
Chicken karaage The ramen itself is a very light tonkotsu cut with chicken (rather than pork) fat, which adds to the savoriness without overwhelming you with richness. The toppings were great, with the exception of the menma (overly briny and not marinated long enough). The ajitama was one of the best I've had in Chicago and it appears that they use an equilibrium brine to flavor the egg. The noodles were firm, Hakata-style ramen, which is very typical with this style of tonkotsu. They were cooked beautifully (with this low hydration, they tend to only need 20-30 seconds in boiling water before overcooking) and came out quick. Their kaedama was a bargain at $2.50 so I ordered it as I was finishing up my original portion of noodles.
Tonkotsu ramen with ajitama
Hakata-style ramen shot Overall, a great meal and I'll be coming back often. I'll eventually try some of their rice bowls and curry since I've seen lots of good reviews about them.