FURIOUS SPOON LAUNCHES KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

Furious Spoon, a new ramen concept set to open February 2015 in the Wicker Park neighborhood, recently launched a video on crowdfunding site Kickstarter as a way to educate and involve the community in the restaurant prior to the opening. The video highlights Chef Shin Thompson and his family roots in the art of making and devouring ramen.

Shin (Boinsoree, Kabocha) is opening the concept with partners Anshul Mangal and Mario Ponce (Bar Takito, Takito Kitchen). The restaurant will give Chicagoans a chance to experience a more “true to life” ramen experience with chef-driven food in a fast casual setting. Affordable prices, late night hours and a focus on eating the ramen fast (or furiously) all reflect characteristics of a typical ramen shop in Tokyo.

Ramen noodles continue to cook in the hot broth they are served in and can overcook if the ramen is not eaten at a “furious” speed. Shin recommends slurping up the ramen in 10 minutes or less for the best taste.

Similar to Japanese shops, customers will order and pay at the counter, receive a ticket and have their ramen brought to their table. Customers can watch bowls being prepared by grabbing a seat at the ramen bar – a sunken bar facing the open kitchen – another feature akin to Japanese concepts.

“I want to serve something that I want to eat”, Shin states adding that he first fell in love with ramen at a young age when his uncle, a ramen enthusiast, would bring him to a variety of ramen shops in Hokkaido, Japan. Even with his history with ramen (his grandfather owned a shop in northern Japan), Shin believes ramen still hasn’t fully developed in the food world.

“I wouldn’t call any type of ramen “traditional” since it’s [in comparison] a relatively new dish”, says Thompson “the art of ramen is still very much evolving, even in Japan”. Thompson hopes to add to this evolution by offering seasonal ramen varieties in addition to the core menu of four ramen flavors. Shin states he wants to leave room for creativity and not limit himself to any set style.

The four different types of ramen will be available all under $10 along with a variety of Japanese beers and sakes.

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

The Kickstarter campaign offers various rewards based on the amount donated. Donations start at $5 and go upwards to $1,500 with rewards including free bowls of ramen, invites to exclusive pre-opening events, noodle making lessons with chef, free ramen for a year and more.

The video can be found online at: http://kck.st/1t4VQTv

FURIOUS SPOON

1571 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Chicago, IL 60607
FuriousRamen.com

@Furious_Spoon

Facebook.com/FuriousSpoon