Kumo tonkotsu
$17The 18-hour pork broth with shio tare, chashu belly, a marinated egg, spinach, scallion and nori.
Ramen bar · Logan Square, Chicago
Eighteen hours
in every bowl
Kumo is a 30-seat counter for slow-boiled tonkotsu, a vegan miso that holds its own, and hot bowls every night until 1am.
18 hrson the tonkotsu, every batch
30 seatswalk-ins only, no bookings
1 amlast bowl, seven nights a week
The broth
Why it takes all day
Kumo means cloud. It's what good tonkotsu looks like when the bones have given up everything: opaque, glossy and rich enough to coat a noodle. There's no shortcut to that, so the pot never stops.
雲
Kumo, “cloud.” Named for the broth, which turns milky-white around hour twelve.
- Hr 07:00 AM
Bones in
Pork trotters and femur bones, blanched and scrubbed clean so the broth stays sweet, not murky.
- Hr 1–11Rolling boil
A hard, loud boil
Not a simmer. The fierce boil is what breaks collagen and fat into the broth. We top the pot up with water every hour.
- Hr 12The cloud
It turns white
Around midday the broth emulsifies and goes opaque. Aromatics go in for the last stretch: charred onion, garlic, ginger.
- Hr 181:00 AM
Strained for tomorrow
Strained, rested and seasoned bowl by bowl with our shio and shoyu tares. Then the next batch goes on.
Menu
Four bowls, done properly
A short menu so the kitchen can get every bowl right. Noodles are made for us by a Chicago noodle maker, firm by default. Ask for softer.
Red cloud
$18Tonkotsu with our sesame chili paste, torched chashu, bean sprouts and a soft egg. Pick your heat, one to five.
Vegan miso
$16Kombu and shiitake dashi with white and red miso, roasted sesame, seared tofu, charred corn and greens. Egg-free noodles.
Pork gyoza
$9Six, pan-fried with a lacy crisp bottom. Black vinegar and chili oil.
Mushroom gyoza
$9Shiitake, cabbage and ginger. Vegan.
Chashu bao
$8Two steamed buns, torched pork belly, kewpie and pickled cucumber.
Karaage
$11Soy and ginger fried chicken thigh, lemon and yuzu mayo.
Smashed cucumber
$6Sesame, garlic and rice vinegar. Vegan.
Ajitama egg
$2.5Soy-marinated overnight, jammy yolk.
Kaedama
$3A second serving of noodles into what's left of your broth.
Extra chashu
$5Two more slices of rolled pork belly.
Seared tofu
$3For any bowl. Vegan.
Corn butter
$2Charred sweet corn and a pat of butter, melting in.
Black garlic oil
$1.5Mayu, burnt slowly. Adds smoke and depth.
Sapporo draft
$7Cold, crisp, the obvious choice.
Whisky highball
$11Japanese whisky, very cold soda, lemon peel.
Local IPA
$8A rotating tap from a Chicago brewery.
Cold sake
$12Junmai, by the 180ml carafe.
Yuzu soda
$5House-made, not too sweet.
Barley tea
$3Iced mugicha, free refills.
Chicago time--:--
Kitchen closes in--
Late night
Kitchen open till 1am
For the bartenders, line cooks, nurses and night owls of Logan Square. The full menu runs until close, and from 10pm the night bowl joins it.
Night bowl
$13A smaller tonkotsu with chopped chashu, corn butter and a jammy egg. From 10pm.
Gyoza + highball
$15Six gyoza and a whisky highball, after 11pm.
Industry nights
10% offSunday and Monday after 10pm, if you work in a kitchen or behind a bar.
The bar
Thirty seats, one long counter
Most seats face the kitchen, so you watch your bowl come together. It's small and it gets busy, which is how a ramen bar should feel.
30
18 counter stools and three four-tops. Groups of up to four, please.
~20
Minutes, the usual wait on a Friday at 8pm. Weeknights and after 11pm, usually none.
01
Add your name
No reservations. Give your name and number to the host at the door.
02
Get a text
Grab a drink nearby. We'll text you when your seats are ready.
03
Slurp loudly
Bowls come fast. Eat while the noodles are firm, then order kaedama.
Good to know
Before you come
Can I book a table?
No, Kumo is walk-in only so the counter stays open to the neighbourhood. Put your name down at the door and we'll text you when seats are ready.
Is the vegan miso really vegan?
Yes. The broth is kombu and shiitake, the noodles are egg-free and it's cooked in its own pot with its own ladles. The mushroom gyoza and smashed cucumber are vegan too.
Do you have gluten-free noodles?
We can swap in rice noodles for any bowl. Our tares contain soy sauce, so tell your server about allergies and we'll walk you through what's safe.
Can I get takeout?
Yes, call ahead or order at the door. Broth and noodles are packed separately so nothing goes soggy on the way home.
Is the bar accessible?
Step-free entrance, an accessible restroom and table-height seating. Let the host know and we'll keep a table for you.
Visit
Find the steam on Milwaukee
Two blocks from the Logan Square Blue Line. Look for the white noren curtain and the line of people who know.
Hours
| Monday | 5pm – 1am |
| Tuesday | 5pm – 1am |
| Wednesday | 5pm – 1am |
| Thursday | 5pm – 1am |
| Friday | 5pm – 1am |
| Saturday | 12pm – 1am |
| Sunday | 12pm – 1am |
2618 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Blue Line to Logan Square, a 3-minute walk
Bike racks out front, Divvy dock on Kedzie