Ramen royalty opening new restaurant in Palatine

The man who once opened a restaurant dubbed the “king of Tonkotsu ramen” is expanding his food empire into Palatine.

Japanese chef and restaurateur Kenta Ikehata plans a June opening of Chicago Ramen at 3 E. Northwest Highway, according to the restaurant’s website.

Chicago Ramen also has locations in Des Plaines, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Wheeling, Algonquin and Mundelein.

Trained at Tsujita, one of the best ramen shops in Tokyo, Ikehata moved to Los Angeles and opened Tsujita’s first U.S. location. The late Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold described the restaurant as “the king of Tonkotsu ramen in Los Angeles” in a 2017 review.

Tonkotsu ramen is known for its broth, prepared by boiling pork bones in water.

The menu at Chicago Ramen includes noodle dishes served with a variety of ingredients, including beef, chicken and vegetables. Some offerings also contain egg and curry, and some are served in the tsukemen style, with noodles eaten after being dipped in a separate bowl of broth.

The restaurant’s developers are scheduled to go before Palatine’s planning and zoning commission May 14, as part of their request for a special use permit for a restaurant with liquor service.

Palatine Community Development Director Mike Jacobs said the restaurant has received its building permit and is going through final inspections prior to opening. The liquor approval, he said, is a separate process.