Happy Cup Ramen Truck

I tried this place once and the ramen was delicious! Sadly they are out of business and the truck is not there anymore.

Are these guys still in business? They used to stop by 5900 Wilshire a lot but I haven’t seen them in ages.
The ramen is shockingly authentic, down to the very polite and hardworking older Japanese man serving up the noodles. Don’t bother rushing him, he sometimes takes his time making every bowl just right and it’s worth it.
I love all the choices in add-​ons like corn and the soft boiled egg. I’m a fan of the tonkatsu broth, with is really rich (similar to Daikokuya) and the miso ramen that’s packed full of vegetables.
Please come back, I miss you so much.

We originally had planned to go to Asa Ramen but then realized it was a Sunday and they are closed on Sundays. So I recalled seeing this food truck parked on Western right before the plaza so we decided to give it a try.
The truck is a good idea — but the way they deliver the noodles, not so good. They give it to you in this paper cup, huuuge paper cup and they just put everything in it, really well packed with ramen noodles. We actually sat right by the truck as they have 2 little seating areas, was kind of cute actually. Eating in the middle of the street.
But when I tried eating the food, it was just … soggy and mushy. There was not enough soup because the noodles soaked it all up. It was just a big pile of… mush… I ate about ¹⁄₃ of it and just had to trash the rest. :(So sad though… ‘coz I really like the idea of a ramen food truck.

Seriously. I know what you’re thinking «Ramen? Big whoop»
I’m a huge fan of cup o noodles. That shit is cheap, easy to make, and tastes relatively good.
Happy Cup is not even in the same universe as that garbage.
A HUGE bowl of perfectly cooked ramen noodles, loaded with delicious toppings and served fresh! The broth itself is reason enough to buy these bad boys.
I also had their pork buns which were about 3x the size of comparable pork buns I’ve seen. The pork was amazing but, the size of the bun made for quite a large amount of straight dough before you found any of the meat. But seriously I could give 2 shits cause even the dough tasted BOMB!
Jump on this truck and give it a whirl! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

I REALLY wanted to like this truck. After a night out celebrating a friend’s birthday in downtown LA, we somehow ended up at the Denny’s off Western and 190^th. On the way, I noticed a brightly lit truck down the street with the unmistakable red lamp marked «ramen». My cousin and I hustled down there without a line in sight. It must have been new at the time.
We were drunk and excited, waiting for our hot steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen. What we got was almost flavorless. It wasn’t bad, but when you’ve been drinking you really want some delicious salty flavor. Portion was disappointingly small, too.
I’d be willing to give this truck another shot, but the price just doesn’t justify what you get. I rather go down the street to Hakata Ramen, Gardena Ramen, or Asa Café, where the prices are close to what this truck is pushing.

Now they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. And really, it’s mostly true. Especially when you’re dealing with street food.
Before all the fancy kogi truck wrapping food trucks were basically that stereotypical roach coach look to them but cranked out some really good quality food for really dirt cheap prices.
In the case of Happy Cup Ramen Truck. I probably should have passed judgment based on the exterior because it was… yeah.
The menu is written in a very basic white sheet of paper and it does depend on what day you come on what you’ll be able to order.
I had the tonkotsu ramen. which had a pork broth going and I have to admit, it could have used a lot more broth as the flavor was a bit in the lacking department.
I can’t really complain too much about the price. Most of their soups come in a pretty cheap under 10 range. So it’s really good if you’re just stumbling out of the club after last call and need some soup to sober you up, in the way that only a broth filled item can.
But if you’re looking for a lunch meal or something in a food truck festival setting, you’re going to be a little let down by what you get.
It’s really not a pretty looking truck and the food on the inside sort of matches that all-​over-​the-​place look.

On Friday nights after my softball after exiting the 405 freeway on Western Ave passing by South Bay Toyota i always see this truck parked in front. I kept saying hmm Ramen truck one of these days i’ll try it. So after my game i was going to get pizza so again as i passed by this truck i said one day so when i got to Pizza Machine they were just closing ok so now what i didn’t want burgers or tacos so i drove back to the Ramen truck got there right before they were leaving so i ordered the Happy Cup ramen which is the basic ramen and a spam musubi that was displayed by the order window. The ramen was ok not the best but good enough for me the dashi could have been more tasty i think it needs more shoyu or something. The musubi was good the sauce was pretty tasty and the rice didn’t crumble apart like other spam musubis. Overall my tummy was satisfy and will order from them again.

Mobile ramen — how cool!!! 3.75 stars so I’ll round up!
Not bad at all, and it’s especially convenient when they are sitting right there on the side of the road and I’m tired and on the way home –_​– I have to say this is the only thing that magnetically draws me away from Del Taco when I turn off from the 405/​Western exit!
I usually get the shoyu or tonkotsu ramen, with boiled egg and bean sprouts, sometimes extra chashu if I feel like it. Every time I’ve ordered, the food has been made pretty well with no complaints from me. I usually stop if it’s not crowded though, not sure if that makes any difference or not. Pretty friendly service too, but not a lot of small talk.
Not bad stuff and Happy Cup has made me realize something — that if you have ramen in a styrofoam cup, it will stay hotter for a MUCH longer time! So this is one thing that is actually better than in a sit-​down place =D I still have to conduct an experiment to answer one question that I have though… is it the noodles that keep the soup hot? Or is it the soup that keeps the noodles hot??? Maybe this is a mystery that can never be answered, along with the Loch Ness monster, and other eternal mysteries…
My only thing is they should get more organized with their calendar and twitter stuff of when they will be at certain places, I think that could help a lot to get more regular traffic going for them. Oh yeah and move their speakers away from the place where you place the orders since you can’t hear anything they say when there are speakers blaring right at you! Maybe move them to the other end or something???

i’m sure i ordered ramen…
the happy cup truck is almost always open late-​night, on weekends (in front of the south bay toyota, on western ave, in gardena). since i get off of work around 2:30am, i don’t have a lot of food options available to me. ramen always sounds super delish, so i stop by every once in a while. i typically get their shoyu ramen – super small portion for $ 6 with a pinch of green onions, a slice of pork, and lots of oil. it’s «allllliiight” – at absolute best… but it beats having to sit down at denny’s alone or cook for myself.
today i decided to get their miso ramen – you know, shake things up a bit. i got home and wanted to dig in, but it was scalding hot! it’s been sitting here out in the open for over 20 minutes now (i had time to watch an entire simpsons episode) && i put in two ice cubes, and it’s finally a safe temperature to start digging in.
so uh… where’s the broth? there are a bunch of noodles sitting under a ton of cabbage and some stuff that looks like ground pork. the minuscule amount of liquid that sits at the bottom is orange and greasy. seriously WHATHECK??? this is, by far, the worst ramen i’ve ever had – it’s so bad, i don’t even know if i can call it ramen… it’s closer to chow mein than it is to ramen.
so…i’m starving, && i decide to eat it despite my reservations. (oh yah, this mess cost me $ 7, and i tipped on top of that! what a fool i am!) the noodles are disintegrating in my mouth. DISINTEGRATING IN MY MOUTH. it was like the cook left the noodles sitting in the broth for hours and hours and hours and hours…
i’m tempted to drive back and complain – it’s THAT bad. aklfjaihhaeu. sad cup. sad laurie t.

It’s hard to rate food when you don’t know what to taste for and I’m by no mean’s a ramen conniseur. I ordered the Miso ramen and ground park. It was a cold rainy day and a bowl of hot soup fit the moment.
I’m looking forward to trying Santouka Ramen recommended to me by a friend. That way I’ll have a benchmark to measure ramen against.

This truck was parked by my office off of Bundy and Olympic.
Now let me say a couple of things. I’m from a town full of authentic Japanese fare, and my step-​father is Japanese, so I know what places rock and what places don’t.
Point blank, this ramen sucked.
Here are a few of my beefs:
1) I purposely ordered the gyoza because I needed something to put in my soup. um. THEY BURNED MY GYOZA. Really, how are you gonna serve BURNT gyoza out of a truck. and I was the only customer there. I even tweeted about it being burnt and they didnt acknowledge my complaint. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE GUYS
2) The ramen took forever and again, I was the only customer there
3) The noodles were gummy and under cooked.
4) Where was the soup? LOL It was non-​existent. The broth was «ok» and I wish there was more of it. I think I got like 4 ladles of broth and it was done.
I was expecting a nice hot ladle of goodness but instead got stopped up by burnt and gummy. It was cold that day too. I should have just went to the Dim sum truck up the street! they never steer me wrong! :/

One of the rare places that is open til late, waiting for you to stop by for a cup of ramen.
I went drinking with my friends at Asa.
As the place was closing up, the mama and staff there said let’s walk and go eat Ramen. So we tagged along with some other customers we met that night and found this truck infront of the Toyota car dealership on Western. I ordered tonkotsu ramen which came with a hanjuku egg which was impressive. The pork buns there were also great! The ramen comes in a styrophone cup/​bowl and you will be eating outside in the cold, possibly standing or sitting at the curb of the car dealership.
Since I’m from hakata, which is famous for their yatai (street vendors), I give this hidden jem on wheels 4 stars. There’s something magical about eating a hot bowl of ramen in the cold night after a night’s drinking.

Not my favorite Ramen, but still I ate the whole bowl. I guess my ramen tastebuds got used to the deeper flavoring that’s common these days. My company who prefers a lighter broth was a big fan, and apparently a follower to the Ramen maker. (The old Japanese man) He apparently used to have a Ramen place in the South bay, so I won’t doubt his skills.
They have Shoyu, Shio, Miso, and tanmen. Also they have a variety of side orders like Rice, chicken etc.
This is a TRUCK, so I’m not expecting a gorgeous ramen. Something on the go, and accessible. BUT I’m impressed that they owner provides seats and tables for his customers and if you choose to you can have your ramen in actual bowls not a styrofoam cup.
I’m willing to give this ramen another try, these days ramen are filled with Oil and Salt, which deceives you of taste. I shall give this place another try when I hadn’t had strong flavored Ramen back to back.
Oh, on the weekends he stops by in front of the Toyota Dealership on Western from 8PM (9PM?)!

Bad ramen.
Saltiest egg I’ve ever tasted.
A $ 2 bag of any ramen is leagues better.
Pity.

It’s not trying to be a hip food truck, which is the appeal. The old Japanese man who drives the ghetto van cooks up your dishes is probably the owner. He’s quiet as he works, but will probably listen to your woes if you are the only one there. It reminds me of a giant version of yatai, or ramen cart you will find in Japan Salary Mans go after their late drinking. Equally so, don’t expect the best ramen in town, but I guarantee it is the best ramen you will find after 10pm within walking distance if you see this truck around.
Funny how food trucks now seem to be a destination, or something people may wait 20 – 40 mins for. To me, food trucks have always been a no frills food choice on wheels, conveniently there for you. That’s what this ramen truck is all about.
Tip: Request to eat there, he will serve it to you in a real noodle bowl. To Go it’s the flimsy styrofoam bowl.

ramen to-​go is just not right. i guess it’s the same idea as the old school mobile yatai, so there isn’t much to expect. for what it is, i think it could and should be less. if i’m gonna be driving to the truck, i might as well drive to a real ramen shop and pay a $ 1~2 more, and i’m sure i’d be happier there. i forgot to mention there’s also gyoza, onigiri balls, bento, natto on rice, and curry rice here. i guess being versatile is good.
happy cup’s gotta up the quality (better stock, serve in a real bowl, etc) or down the price for happy customers and happy Unilocal stars.

3.5 /​5
Wow, lots of bad reviews! Well, I give this an above average score because the fact that they’re open until 3am
Quality of the ramen: it’s not the best but it’s still good after a night out of drinking. You can spend $ 6.50 here or the same at taco bell which kinda gets old after a while. Their staff and owner were very nice as well.

I happened to see this ramen truck on the way heading back home. This truck reminds me of what we used to see back in Asia (A small stand selling only few items).
Food trucks became extremely popular over this past year (esp. Koji Taco). However, its still predominately Mexican/​American or Korean Food. Japanese food wise, its completely left out in this region until Happy Cup Ramen showed up.
I had horrible experience eating at Mottainai Ramen few days ago where everyone in our party left sick (
). Since then, I am intrigued to try out this new ramen joint.
This Ramen truck as been running for 2 to 3 months. By a Japanese guy who used to owned a restaurant in South bay area, then supervised and Shinsengumi for approx 6 months. The menu offered plenty items for a food truck! From Ramen (7 different flavors) to Fried rice, curry rice, fried items.etc. Price is on average about $ 6.50.
Now to the Core. ** Note this is a Food Truck, so I have taken off service component or the presentation part from the review.
Tonkotsu Ramen (Rich Pork Broth) — It was served with bean sprout, a slice of chashu pork. The Noodle was good in terms of firmness and they used the typical ramen noddle (wavy one, so it can pick up the soup easily). BBQ pork (chashu) was tender, but not the point that will melt in your mouth. The broth, however, was not as Rich/​Thick as I expected. Its somewhat thin, but I can still taste the chicken/​pork broth. I think the owner altered the taste a bit so it is not as salty as compares to traditional Japanese broth. However, for late night eats (8pm to 3am), its fast, simple and delicious for what you are paying for (and pretty authentic, too).
Like others suggested. This place is not fancy, but its definitely a solid Ramen joint. Next time if you happen to be in the area and feeling hungry? Give it a try.
You can follow them on Twitter @HappyCupRamen

**My review was originally posted on 06−10−10 — but for some reason — it didn’t get listed, but I’m really the first one to review Happy Cup Ramen Truck**
This is a rare occasion where I went to this truck alone — found by no other than Twitter. @HappyCupRamen.
I was out and about doing some errands, and Happy Cup happened to be close to where I was running around. I decided to stop by and check out a new truck.
Don’t be concerned — the outside isn’t as fancy or coordinated as other trucks out there. I thought for sure they left before I arrived, but I noticed the ramen sign on the side, and I sighed in relief. I’m sure as business picks up — they might get a little more fancy/​flashy with their truck.
There was absolutely NO line, but they were about to leave, and lunchtime was already over.
Looking over the menu, I chose the Tonkatsu Ramen, and they graciously made it — even tho it’s only available on fridays.
About 5 – 10 minutes later (I wasn’t sure, I wasn’t checking the time, and I wasn’t in a hurry) the food came out. It smelled delicious!
I got home and opened up the to-​go-​container. Depite it smelling really good, I was a little suprised by the lack of broth. It was there, but there wasn’t enough of it. Please please PLEASE add more broth?
The pork just MELTED in my mouth — it was SO flavorful and delicious. The noodles were cooked perfectly.
The Ramen was well flavored, but I’d like to see more broth and less sprouts. Thanks! I’ll be returning — most likely with the DMTB. :)

My preference is to try more than one item and/​or after more than one visit before writing a review but the BBQ Pork Rice Cup was such a disappointment that I decided to post (perhaps prematurely).
My philosophy on food trucks is to keep your menu mean and lean. The downfall of Happy Cup may be their wide selection. The rice cup ($ 4.50) came with veggies– cabbage, tomatoes, bean sprouts– on top. I normally don’t like salads in my rice bowl, but I thought I’d go for it. My bad.
The worst part was the super-​sweet sauce on the pork. I ordered BBQ pork so I was expecting… BBQ pork. What I got strongly resembled (and I suspect actually was) teriyaki. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of teriyaki so that clearly contributed to the bad reaction. BUT I didn’t order a teriyaki bowl. I ordered a barbeque pork rice cup.
It was a bad experience. The dish was so sweet that it almost made me ill. I could still taste it hours later. Yeah… ick. To be fair, I probably should have ordered ramen at the ramen truck. Lesson learned and I won’t be back to try more.