Oct. 20--Act fast: As of this writing, there are only 16 general admission tickets left for Ramenfest.
Last year, the festival sold out with 300 attendees and 1,500 people on the waitlist, says chef and fest organizer Bill Kim.
Kim, who arguably helped usher in Chicago's age of mainstream ramen with his then-Avondale restaurant Urbanbelly, is bringing back Ramenfest for the second year on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Urbanbelly's new West Loop location (1400 W. Randolph St.).
What differentiates this festival from many others is the sheer star wattage of chefs present, from Michelin-rated restaurants to fried chicken spots. Among those presenting their takes of ramen this year: Erling Wu-Bower of Nico Osteria, Giuseppe Tentori of GT Fish Oyster, Sarah Jordan of Johnny's Grill, Chris Pandel of Swift Sons and Christine Cikowski/Joshua Kulp of Honey Butter Fried Chicken.
A portion of the $75 ticket goes towards Common Threads, the culinary education non-profit founded by chef Art Smith.
Get more information about the festival here.
kpang@tribpub.com
Twitter @pang
