This week, Champaign’s ISHI will have ramen pop-ups featuring Chef Ken Ishibashi’s signature ramen. For four days, the Japanese restaurant’s usual lunch menu will be slimmed down to a few dishes because it’s all about ramen this week.
The ramen will be available this Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday for lunch and Friday for dinner. The last time I ate this ramen during an ISHI pop-up, it was absolutely amazing. The ramen had a from-scratch pork and chicken broth with sliced chashu (braised pork belly), a perfect egg, bamboo shoots, scallions, and nori — and tasted so delicious.
Of course, the ramen week menu will feature freshly-baked desserts by the in-house bakery Kaori’s Oven. Additionally, on Friday and Saturday, there will be a special sandwich for a repeat collaborative pop-up with Pond Street of Urbana. Find ISHI restaurant in the old Yellowfin restaurant space just off Kirby Avenue across from Jarling’s.
There are no reservations for the ramen pop-ups; it’s first-come, first-served. The restaurant has eight seats at the sushi bar plus one table for four and is quite popular, so plan on waiting to eat the ramen. But ISHI’s excellent food is worth the wait.
ISHI restaurant
305 Cedar St
Champaign
W+Th 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
F 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Sa noon to 3 p.m.
