Furious Spoon is a Trendy Restaurant Where Daters Enjoy Ramen Noodles & Hip-Hop Music

The Short Version: Furious Spoon features handmade noodles and fresh seasonal ingredients in its ramen dishes, so diners can taste the quality and flavor in every bite — or slurp. This Chicago restaurant transports diners to Japan and serves an authentic ramen dining experience with a modern twist. Couples can visit Furious Spoon on a date night to savor piping hot ramen, craft cocktails (or sake bombs!), and hip-hop music all at the same time.

The roots of the Furious Spoon restaurant in Chicago can be traced back to a small family-owned ramen shop in Hokkaido, Japan.

Award-winning Chef Shin Thompson has always had a passion for good food. He grew up watching his grandfather serve steaming hot bowls of ramen in Japan. After earning a Michelin Star for his imaginative cuisine, Chef Shin paid homage to his family’s traditions by opening his own quick-service ramen restaurant.

Chef Shin Thompson founded Furious Spoon to put his own creative twist on traditional ramen dishes.

The Furious Spoon’s unique name references the tried-and-true way to eat ramen noodles — in fast and furious fashion. Slurping up noodles, broth, pork, and other mix-ins as quickly as possible is commonplace in Japanese culture, and there’s a good reason why.

“In Tokyo, guests slurp their noodles furiously so that the noodles and other ingredients do not overcook in the steaming broth,” the Furious Spoon team explained.

Furious Spoon has taken inspiration from the youthful and energetic crowds of Tokyo and created a space full of color, flavor, and fun. From the hip-hop playlist to the graffiti art decor, the restaurant has a unique style that immediately captures attention. The kitchen’s handmade noodles and craft cocktails keep people coming back for more.

Stopping by Furious Spoon for a casual date night can lead to a fun and flavorful exploration. The menu features four core ramen flavors as well as some seasonal varieties that highlight fresh ingredients and Asian spices.

In 2019, the Eater Chicago blog named Furious Spoon among the best ramen spots in the city. According to the article, “Shin Thompson has turned his casual ramen bar into a burgeoning empire in next to no time.”

Furious Spoon attracts an eclectic crowd of ramen lovers and casual diners. On an average day, the restaurant will see a mix of students, professionals, couples, and families gathering for a communal dining experience. The bowls of ramen come out fast (and hot!), so it’s a perfect spot for a casual date or a lunch break.

“We even get a few families that come through with young children and introduce their little ones to ramen with our Lil’ Slurper Bowl,” the Furious Spoon team told us. “No matter the age range, you can always see people nodding their heads and singing along to the throwback hip-hop songs that are scoring their ramen meals.”

Couples can turn up the heat on a date by ordering a bowl of ramen and dumplings.

The menu features a variety of spicy and savory ramen bowls, and it also has cocktails that pair perfectly with the meal. The Furious Ramen Bowl is the kitchen’s signature dish, and it features a spicy miso pork broth packed with house-made chashu, steamed chicken and pork dumplings, garlic relish, marinated mushrooms, fury sauce, and a poached egg. Needless to say, it gets ordered a lot on chilly afternoons and evenings.

All the restaurant’s ramen dishes include handmade ramen noodles that are made using techniques that have worked for generations. The kitchens even have noodle makers imported from Japan to ensure the noodles come out just right.

“Our ramen dishes range from more classic Asian flavors to Asian flavors with bold American twists,” the Furious Spoon team said. “We believe that quality is not something to sacrifice when offering an authentic ramen experience.”

Couples on a date typically enjoy sharing a cocktail along with their bowls of ramen, and the Furious Margarita is a popular choice. This original cocktail is made with Espolon Reposado Tequila, combier, and habanero syrup. And the drinks menu includes Furious Lager, an unfiltered Japanese-style lager brewed in Chicago by Empirical Brewery.

“For a fun date night meal, we definitely recommend sipping on a few craft cocktails first, then dive in by sharing a plate of our steamed or fried dumplings as an appetizer,” the Furious Spoon team said. “Once you’ve had your dumpling cravings satisfied, we recommend moving onto a couple ramen bowls that you can each slurp on or even share — if you’re so bold — with your date!”

Furious Spoon isn’t just known for its delicious ramen. It’s always known for its hip-hop beats and casual atmosphere. The neighborhood locations offer a fun place to catch up with friends or enjoy people-watching while eating ramen solo. Young diners often take things up a notch by ordering sake bombs to drop in their lager.

A lot of couples enjoyed eating at Furious Spoon because of its chill yet upbeat vibes. The intimate space facilitates conversations over dinner and drinks, and the fast-paced service ensures there’ll be little downtime on the date.

Furious Spoon plans to open new locations in Chicago in the next year.

Of course, some of the dine-in experiences at the restaurant have had to pause temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, carryout and delivery deals have ensured that customers can keep the fun going on their own.

Furious Spoon developed to-go sake bomb bundles for its delivery menu, and it hosted allowed guests to pick up pre-made kits and cook along at home during a digital class.

“We, like most in the restaurant industry, have had to take a few steps back in the last year,” the Furious Spoon team said. “But we are hopeful and excited to get back on track.”

After a challenging year, both the Logan Square and Lakeview locations have stayed open for business (though it was mostly delivery business) and continued to offer hot ramen with a smile. Fans have praised the Furious Spoon team for maintaining high flavor standards as well as high safety standards throughout the pandemic.

“This was my first time in months eating out in a public place,” said one Yelp reviewer. “This was the perfect first date back out on the food scene. Thanks to great service from the best bartender ever, we had excellent service and even better drinks.”

“I loved the vibe here! It was dimly lit, had a full service bar, and they played all your favorite hip-hop songs,” another person said in a review. “I couldn’t stop tapping my foot and bobbing my head. At one point, it felt like karaoke because everyone sang a part of a song at some point.”

Chef Thompson drew from his technical knowledge and childhood memories to reimagine the traditional Japanese dish of ramen noodles. And it has started a sensation. Today, Furious Spoon has become beloved in Chicago for its unique flavors, zesty cocktails, and hip-hop beats.

“People should definitely consider choosing Furious Spoon as an exciting date night spot,” the team said. “It gives you a chance to get out of your comfort zone in a relaxed, but lively, atmosphere.”

Furious Spoon is a casual date spot where good food comes first — and fast! Couples can grab a seat anywhere they like and order sake bombs or dumplings to start their date on a high note. The fast service keeps things moving and gives couples a lot to talk about in between sips and slurps.

“It means the world to us that we can provide a place for people to gather together to have fun and enjoy a good meal,” the Furious Spoon team told us. “Food brings people together, and we are happy to contribute to that.”