My name’s Rudong, but my friends call me Rudy. My professional journey has been a long one, and it didn’t start in the kitchen. I used to be an auditor at a Big Four accounting firm. I had worked hard to reach that point, but deep down I couldn’t ignore the feeling of being lost. I knew I wanted something more. Then one day, I had a bowl of ramen that changed everything.

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Savoring that delicious ramen brought me immense joy and relief from the stress I had been carrying. It was an awakening. In that moment, I realized that ramen can be healing and provide a sense of comfort during difficult times.

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It inspired me to quit my stable job and embark on a new journey. It wasn’t an easy path, but my purpose was clear: to learn the art of making ramen. I was determined to create not just good ramen, but exceptional ramen. I wanted to use the freshest ingredients and prepare everything from scratch, from our Ajitama eggs and our Char Siu pork to our Tonkatsu broth. I dreamed of opening a restaurant that offers an unforgettable dining experience, filled with warmth, great service, and the same connection and joy I found in that bowl of high-quality ramen.

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So here I am now, proudly welcoming you to Rudy’s Ramen, a small, local ramen shop in Wicker Park. If I can inspire or bring comfort to even just a single person through my ramen, I will have achieved what I set out to do.