The Ramen Truck

Never had fresh ramen before… oh so good noodles with delicious savory broth, with so many choices to add on — you MUST try this place out if you are a noodle lover!

I love ramen, and was very excited to try this place. What a disappointment. The broth was unpleasantly creamy and greasy — despite it’s thick consistency, there was little umami of any kind. The noodle was starchy, and lacked flavor and «koshi» (that elasticity that makes noodle ramen noodle).
I heard that their noodle is homemade, but «homemade» doesn’t mean «good.» It was so far from great ramen I’ve had in Japan. I wanted to like it and support them, but I don’t think I’d be going back there.

Nope, this isn’t it; I’m still looking for my go-​to ramen shop. I really, really wanted to like this place. I love ramen and have had all varieties all over the place, and sadly this wasn’t close to the best. It wasn’t a BAD bowl of ramen, but it definitely wasn’t great. I ordered the spicy Piri Piri Ramen. It was hot but I wouldn’t call it super spicy. The noodles were okay, but more soft than I like. Overcooked? Maybe. The broth was thickened with something. It was more the consistency of a thin hot and sour soup, not a true broth like I was hoping for. The kimchee didn’t add much and the chashu pork was a soggy mess in the bowl, not holding its shape at all. Flavor was good, but I had a hard time getting past the thickened broth and soft noodles. Sorry, Ramen Truck, we aren’t a good match.

Ugh. Anyone who knows ramen would never rate this place one star. Pay their ratings no heed. They have no clue what they’re talking about this is authentic, honest-​to-​goodness Japanese ramen to the best level you’ll find in Portland. I grew up in Japan and am so sick of the Portland attitude bashing anything that is honestly authentic and not gluten-​free, fusion haute cuisine. This is real Japanese ramen, and it’s awesome.
Go there now. Don’t even look at the vegetable ramen. Get the garlic or the spicy pork. If you have a friend, get one of each and mix the soups. Chashu is amazing and the bEst you’ll get in Portland. Melts in your mouth. Serving size is a little small, and a lot of the little things a true ramen shop would have (Gyoza, chashu donburi) are missing, but this is a cart and the best ramen you’ll find in Portland. Don’t believe the reviews of people who’ve never had real ramen. Go! Go now! And bring a friend!

I live down the alley from The Ramen Truck and I do not get the negative reviews… I have tried the ramen at several Japanese spots around town: Biwa, Wafu, and several others. I think the ramen at this cart is incredible! I have had the garlic broth as well as the spicy piri-​piri broth and both were packed with tender pork, seaweed, green onions, & handmade ramen noodles. I would highly recommend this place to all my friends. Just today I got 2 orders as one son is home sick from school — I consider this an instant «feel better» soup, much like matzo ball or brodo. Really no disappointment here at all, folks! Give them a try.

I’m not a ramen expert, but the broth at this cart was so incredibly fatty that it congealed as it cooled. Very very unappetizing. I’m not picky about my food, but I threw this out after a few bites.
(FYI, there is no covered seating.)

I’m not a ramen expert, I can’t distinguish authentic from not, have an opinion whether the noodles are supposed to be flat or round, or if they compare to those made by my obaasan in Kyoto. I just know what I like and I did not enjoy the Ramen Truck I reviewed my 1-​stars given and in almost every instance I did not finish the meal: the same happened here. First, the cart has a very unclean feel to it. I said feel, whether it is or not who knows. The guy was very friendly. The first few bites had a creamy, flem-​like texture. The noodles were meh and contained a few slivers of pork; maybe this is how it’s supposed to taste. Value-​wise, the portion you get for $ 5 is more than fair. The menu looks like it was written by a third grader. It’s a cart, so I realize handwritten signs are cool, and many strive to look non-​commercial, even non-​conformist. But this truck just looks amateurish. Although I wasn’t looking for white table cloth and candles, a little $ 5 plastic chair to try and enjoy the meal would have been nice.

I’m no hater … if anything, I accentuate the positive all too much. But this cart … Oh my GOD, who have they paid to get any rating above a 1? This cart, dear lord, where to begin.
1). The noodles. The noodles I got were — wait for it — INSTANT NOODLES. Yes, Top Ramen noodles — well, I couldn’t swear to the brand name, but: Are. You. Effing. Kidding? And not fully cooked, either. A stiff yet glutinous mass, something like shoestrings marinated in Elmer’s glue.
2). The broth. Clear, thin, fatty, the flavor of pork FAT, but nothing else. No complexity, no depth. Blah.
And with those 2 failures, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
There is absolutely no love here. They started badly at Unilocal with sock-​puppet rave reviews — that tells you where they’re coming from. My ramen bona-​fides are a year living in Sendai, five years living in Torrance-​Garden Grove area, and working taste buds, but honestly, the last one is the only really important one, no? Avoid. Avoid.
– I see that the owner has answered me below. If they’ve fixed what’s wrong — great, good for them. And if they’ve fixed what’s wrong, reviews like mine will filter out. But the bowl I got was not even a one-​star, and I’m not the only one. I hope they HAVE learned from the rash of one-​star reviews they’ve gotten here on Unilocal.But face it, Ramen Truck, you guys have dished out some really crap ramen! Own up to the one-​star reviews, turn it around, and don’t criticize the people who you’ve given crap noodles to! Great if you usually make noodles yourself. Good for you. But a block of instant noodles are absolutely unmistakable. The day I was there the noodles STILL HAD THE RECTANGULAR SHAPE OF THE PACKAGING. So you guys ran out of noodles, and you dealt with it: OK. I could’ve even forgiven it if they’d been cooked through and through. Stand by your business, I hope it works for you: I stand by my review.

I had read several positive reviews on Unilocal,but those eventually filtered out, replaced with a bunch of negative feedback. After Food Carts Portland did a short review of The Ramen Truck, I had to find out if I should believe the supporters or the haters.
Basically, ordering is simple: pick a broth (only two items at the time I went, a regular tonkotsu pork broth or their garlic-​infused pork broth), choose a size (small or large), and add any additional toppings (hard boiled egg, nori, chashu, etc.).
The Ramen Truck makes their own tonkotsu broth and even makes their own ramen noodles from scratch. Very impressive.
I ordered a small ramen with garlic tonkotsu broth, hard-​boiled egg, and their spicy sauce on the side. Adding the total up from the menu board, I thought I would be paying $ 6.50 for the ramen, but the cart owner only charged me $ 6 here.
The tonkotsu garlic broth here was unlike any ramen broth I’ve encountered. I really enjoyed the thicker, creamier identity that it gave the dish. Very comforting and delicious. I thought the noodles were also very good. Probably a bit soft for my liking (I like my noodles more al dente), but still mad props for making this from scratch.
The flavorful chashu was extremely tender and disintegrated in my mouth without much effort. The hard-​boiled egg was perfectly cooked. The spicy sauce appeared nothing more than the sambal oelek one can get from the Asian section of a supermarket. For me, maybe another spicier sauce (for a side condiment) would be nice.
In mid-​October, The Ramen Truck added a new menu item: piri piri ramen, a spicy broth with a bunch of spicy toppings. The rave reviews have been pouring in for that one as well. I’ll have to try that next time!
The Ramen Truck should consider a vegetarian broth option in the future. I noticed two women coming up to the truck and asking about that. Obviously, they were disappointed when there was no such option available. Catering to specific needs, even gluten-​free, would be great, but the GF option may be more difficult to pull off (since the noodles are made from scratch and cross-​contamination issues would need to be addressed).
Anyway, I’d have to side with the Ramen Truck supporters on this one. It’s a very good meal that should be a hit during the winter months. Personally, I’m thinking anyone giving this cart a negative review could have used any of the following as reasons for their rating:
(1) they were turned off by the thicker broth (perhaps being used to the packaged ramen one likely eats during college);
(2) they had a thinner broth served to them (which the cart owner apparently fixed); or
(3) they had a less flavorful broth during their experience (also seemingly fixed here).
In fact, The Ramen Truck experienced some terrific business after Food Carts Portland did their review. The truck sold out just about each day for a few days after that blog post. At least from what I’ve been reading since my visit, The Ramen Truck has garnered more and more positive word of mouth. If this cart gets an umbrella or tent for the outside seating, they should continue to be a hit as the chilly weather returns to Portland.

I’m surprised at the latest negative reviews on this place. I’m no ramen expert, but for me this place is reminiscent of my last trip to the Hakata ramen stalls in Fukuoka. I’ve only been here twice, but I was happy both times I’ve visited. Nice thick broth, good noodles, pork cooked well, and everything well seasoned. I plan on going back soon!

As another reviewer said, I really wanted to like this place, since I love ramen and had yet to find a food cart dedicated to ramen in Portland.
Alas, I was disappointed. The broth was passable, creamy in texture and with a mild flavor. I liked the Japanese style Chashu in terms of meat tenderness, but it was too salty in my opinion. Portions left something to be desired: for $ 7 «regular» size ($ 5 is «small»), and I had to pay extra $ 1 for a boiled egg. The Chashu provided was also minimal, and I paid another $ 1 for additional Chashu. The total food (including ramen — no vegetables provided except for spring onion and a piece of dried seaweed) provided was less than in restaurants for a similar price of $ 9.
The ramen noodles were the biggest disappointment: thin and flat shaped, sized like instant Chinese noodles, and worse, mushy, not rounded, firm and «sproingy» as with my Japanese favorites. It occurred to me that no mention of the quality of the ramen noodles was made on the truck’s website,
and that is a telling indication. The gentleman co-​owner said he wanted to «rest» the noodles for 48 hours instead of 24, but that is not practical for him. I wonder if the quality would be significantly improved by that.
I think there is a niche for good quality ramen food trucks in Portland, and hope the owners can make changes. Otherwise, I definitely wouldn’t return.

New and unique food cart to the Hawthorne district. Garlic sauce has good flavor. Add spicy sauce for a little kick. Nice patio setting with limited seating. Owners very friendly. For a quick, affordable bite on Hawthorne give them a try.

Okay this is ridiculous. I signed up for Unilocal just to review this place to make sure the truth is coming out. I also went here hoping for delicious ramen because of the awesome comments I read on Unilocal,but when I finally found the hidden truck, I was completely disappointed by the lack of salt and flavor. When I went back to read Unilocal,I realized all the great comments for this this truck is from people who have NEVER reviewed anything else before, so now it just makes me suspicious and a little angry.
Yes, I’m also a first time reviewer, but I know my ramen, and what I had from the truck was NOT tonkotsu ramen. Tonkotsu ramen should have more of a cloudy white soup, this soup was too thin and watery. Something critical was missing, like they didn’t actually simmer it with the pork or not enough pork or not long enough. I ordered the garlic ramen, and was expecting the ramen with mayu (roasted garlic oil), but it just had roasted garlics as a topping, which were good, but didn’t add flavor to the soup. Maybe it was just an off day, but I still think that when all your reviews are coming from people that never reviewed before or barely have any friends, then something is definitely off.
All the components for a great ramen are there, they just need to bind it all together, simmer it a lot longer, and then let the ramen speak for itself.

I really really wanted to like this place. The reviews and menu looked very promising. It sounded like this was going to be a ramen gem.
The soup looked like it had all the components of great ramen, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t there.
The chashu was really great, and the only reason this gets one star instead of 0.
The description of the soup being tonkotsu just did not seem to be true. The broth was completely clear with lots of grease, but somehow the pork flavor never penetrated the soup itself.
All of the ingredients were there, but someone must not have tasted the product, because it was really really really bland. Even a little salt might have rescued it, or at least made it palatable. I hope the owners of the truck do some re-​thinking of their technique because it should not take much to turn this soup from a waste of calories to something wonderful.
The noodles also could have been really good, but they were just overcooked and mushy.

Delightful noodles made from scratch, which isn’t all that common around here. The pork was a tasty and delicate delight. Lots of add-​ons to make your perfect bowl, i’m all about extra kimchi and green onions. my wife got extra corn. Surprisingly hard to find ramen joints here in SE, so this place is a great new addition.