Marukin's Ankeny spot officially opened on April 1 and already there were lines for the food here. Since there's only so many seats available, the line may not move too quickly during peak feeding time. Still, it wasn't an unreasonable wait.
At this time, Marukin is going with three different ramens each day, rotating selection. There's also gyoza, chicken karaage, and curry options.
I started with the Chicken Karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), $5 for a small order of 4 pieces. Since the chicken is rather small, in retrospect, I should have just ordered the large ($8) to get three more pieces. Good breading on the chicken, and no mistaking that ginger in there. The karaage goes very well with a squirt of lemon and their wasabi aioli.
Being the spicy demon panda I am, I naturally ordered the Marukin Red Ramen ($10), which starts with a chicken paitan broth and a bunch of chile oil. Noodles are accompanied by greens, menma-seasoned bamboo shoots, chashu pork, roasted onions, leeks, green onions, and a soft-boiled egg.
Once again, another quality ramen spot in Portland. The noodles here have a flatter look to them than a couple of other ramen spots I've been to, but that's merely an observation. Marukin's chicken paitan broth is wonderfully hearty and delicious. Execution all on point here.
And yes, for those wondering, there is beer here. A few options to choose from, actually.
I do wonder if Marukin will eventually open up the floodgates on ramen options, or if they will stick with the limited three ramens per day. Considering their popularity right now, I wouldn't blame them if they kept things the same. Food can fly out the door much faster that way.
Check this hot ramen spot out! 8.75/10
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