The smell of broth and tapioca greets you at the door as you walk into Tanaka Ramen in Bolingbrook, Illinois. A host seats you at a table and you are left to peruse the extensive menu. Authentic ramen is served to you piping hot along with different drinks and appetizers.

My love for appetizers is unmatched; the meal is not complete unless I have something to snack on before the entrée. The edamame – lightly salted boiled soybeans – are perfect to start your meal off right. There isn’t a salt overload and it is great to create a base for the ramen you are about to eat.

The pork gyoza, or hand-made pork pot stickers, are served with a spicy pot sticker dipping sauce. If you are looking for something to prepare your mouth for some spicy ramen, this is the appetizer for you.

I have a particularly weak palette and do not frequently order spicy food. In the past my family has ordered the Tanaka Spicy Miso Ramen. While I can’t quite handle the heat, the ground pork soboro and half-seasoned egg blend beautifully with the spicy bean sprouts and thick noodles.

My personal favorite ramen to order is the Tanaka Chicken. There is nothing spicy about the dish which helps me enjoy the ramen more. The half-seasoned egg and the chicken chashu is my favorite part of the dish, but the spinach and thin noodles make a close second.

Tanaka Ramen serves a plethora of authentic tea and smoothie drinks. I often order a mango tea lemonade with strawberry popping boba. I frequently partner my salty dinner with a sweet drink. I love the way that the boba bursts in my mouth while I sip on the mango tea lemonade.

While the mango tea lemonade is refreshing, I am completely committed to the brown sugar milk tea. Personally, I do not enjoy the texture of tapioca, but the milk tea is the best I’ve had in the Downers Grove area. It is creamy and has the best ratio of brown sugar to milk; oftentimes I will receive a brown sugar milk tea that tastes like milk with the faint taste of brown sugar.

If you are looking for a new restaurant that is filled with great aesthetics and delicious food, Tanaka Ramen is the place for you.