I've been looking forward to Ani Ramen opening in Summit since I saw the announcement a few weeks ago and immediately screenshotted and texted it to all of my local friends. As of last week, they're open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.
The atmosphere is super fun, family-friendly (high chairs available and it's pretty bustling so kids would fit right in!), and the entire menu is very reasonably priced. Plus a HUGE bonus for me: it's BYOB. Parking in Summit can be an issue, but Ani is accessible from both Springfield Ave and the DeForest parking lot entrance around the back - super convenient.
They were kind enough to host my husband and me for lunch and we were both so happy with the atmosphere, the service, and most importantly the food!
First, a confession: I've never actually had ramen. I felt it was not a substantial enough meal for an eater of my caliber, but I'm happy to report that I've been proven wrong!
We headed in to Ani before they opened at 11:30am because I'm someone who immediately starts thinking of lunch about an hour after I eat breakfast and it didn't even occur to me how early it was. Anyway, we were graciously welcomed in even though they weren't even officially "open" yet. Our server spent substantial time patiently answering my many questions and made some great suggestions for both of us.
To start, we got the "Ani special" wings and the pork belly bao buns. Both. So. Amazing.
 Ani special wings |  Pork belly bao buns |
The Ani special wings were unbelievably crispy for being covered in sauce the way they were. Not spicy, not sweet, just an unobtrusive but deliciously-spiced glaze. The pork belly bao buns were like beautiful tiny burgers, perfectly sized and with just the right proportions and temperatures of meat, cabbage, pickled cucumbers, and spicy miso mayo. (I literally just ate all of this and I'm salivating thinking about it again.)
And then the ramen arrived! I got the Shoyu Ramen (the "classic") but switched out the pork for chicken and added in a marinated soft boiled egg, scallions and cabbage, and bean sprouts. My husband got the Ani Ramen because he is immediately sold on anything "pork belly."
I love the options for customization on the ramens (a big plus while dining with children) and all of the add-ons are very reasonably priced. Personally, I consider myself a home chef and because I make mostly everything myself I'm used to eating things made to my exact taste specifications. I'm often disappointed by restaurant experiences because of the lack of control I have over my dish, but not so at Ani Ramen! I was substituting, omitting, and adding in ingredients at my pleasure! Next time I'll go for the umami bomb because just the name of it gets me embarrassingly excited.
 Shoyu ramen with chicken, bean sprouts, cabbage, soft boiled egg, and scallions |
I was shocked at how filling the ramen was. Yes, we did have two appetizers first, but that doesn't usually stop me from from finishing my main dish, and in this case we actually took home leftovers!
Overall, we were really happy with our meal at Ani Ramen Summit and will definitely be returning. Such a nice addition to downtown Summit!
*Disclaimer: I was provided with a meal at Ani Ramen in exchange for this article, but all opinions (and genuine enthusiasm) are my own.*
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