Where & Wear: High Five Ramen
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Hidden under Green Street Smoked Meats in West Loop is the elusive High Five Ramen. Getting in can be difficult as the lines are infamously long. However, the wait is worth it once you enter this underground industrialist, tonkatsu-style ramen haven. Surrounded by concrete walls and lit by dim lights, the ramen bar only has a handful of seats for the optimal exclusive cool-kids-only experience.
I would recommend their Signature Bowl with half spice, which comes with some amazingly tender and fatty pork belly, black garlic oil, and an assortment of veggies. However, for vegetarians the Maitake Bowl is unbeatable. Made out of mushroom miso and served with maitake mushrooms, I even sometimes prefer this to the pork-based ramen since the umami flavor is so good.
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The only down side to this place is that there are no reservations, but there are a lot of bars in the area to spend some time at before hand!
To try and fit in with the underground, I-probably-have-a-better-taste-in-music-than-you vibe I would wear a leather jacket, like this classic Allsaints one, wide pants like these from Everlane, and a simple tee with white sneakers.
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