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Rakkan Ramen

 

Rakkan Ramen has been on our to-try list for a long time. Ramen is one of Shannon's favorite foods, so he tends to keep a running list of local places that are opening. Add this to the fact that this location has been tantalizingly setting up to open in the Tustin District for months with their menu on full display, teasing us every time we go to see a movie there, and you get a recipe for two trips in one weekend! That's right.

We didn't have anything else going on, so we decided to hop on over to The District and finally try Rakkan Ramen last Saturday. I had the hot green tea ($2, free refills, 5 calories), which was a strong, bitter matcha. The cup was hot but the tea was drinkable immediately. We each ordered the Spicy Garnet Vegan ($15.50, 580 calories), which uses their miso sauce and which the menu describes as "Vegetable broth, sesame paste, spicy miso, grilled pork, black pepper, green onion, bamboo shoots, seasoned egg, fried garlic with RAKKAN noodles...Made with an original blend of spicy miso. Our flavorful miso is complemented by a lingering punch of spice." It is also described as "Spicy and hot!"

Yesterday we went back to see Wakanda Forever and were ready for a mid-afternoon lunch after. This time we ordered the seasonal Spicy Creamy Ramen ($15.50, 840 calories), vegan version again. Their seasonal specials are for 1 month at a time and feature an appetizer and a ramen. The Spicy Creamy Ramen one comes in their Creamy Sauce. The menu says: "Vegetable broth, spicy miso, grilled pork, green onion, bamboo shoots, seasoned egg, sesame seeds with RAKKAN noodles...Rich, creamy and delectable with a punch of spicy miso."

A few thoughts:
  • Broth was delicious but was not very spicy to us. It tasted pleasantly like it was spicy, but without any pain, tingling, or numbness. I could definitely have added some of the spices at the table to it, but I chose not to as I liked the broth flavor as is.
  • Vegan options all contain the following substitutions: "*Vegan Ramen Substitute: pork to UMAMI shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots to corn, egg to tofu."
  • Shiitake mushrooms were very nicely cooked, my second favorite part after the broth.
  • Went around 4pm and it was empty when we got there but completely full by the time we left around 5pm.
  • Pretty filling, still had room for (two) dessert(s).
  • Spoons make it easy to get the toppings/noodles even if you are not adept at chopsticks.
  • The two ramens were pretty similar. Both had a spicy miso broth. I could tell the creamy broth was creamy in comparison but it was not so creamy that you might notice without a comparison point. I would not call it thick; don't go in expecting broccoli cheddar.
  • Overall I am excited to try more ramens of the month. Our waitress let us know that December will be featuring a curry ramen and a vegan appetizer. I'm very excited to see how the curry ramen compares since it sounds like it will be a much different base than the ones we tried. I would also be interested in just substituting chicken for pork instead of the full vegan option and seeing how that is.
  • I was able to finish the first ramen, but not the second, probably due to having Ike's Love and Sandwiches for breakfast the second day.
  • Follow up your meal with Dolce Gelato and Baked Dessert Bar!
  • Patio ambiance is quite pleasant. It's not as crowded as some of the other outdoor malls in the area, especially on a weekday afternoon, and they have the mall beautifully lit up. Right now they were also putting up Christmas decorations so it was fun to watch.
  • Inside space is kind of cramped, but not sure they could improve this at all. They just don't have much space to work with.
How I felt after: full, satisfied, sleepy, ambivalent about dessert.
Enjoyability: 😸😸😸😸😸
Cooperativity: 😸😸😸😸 (nice place to chat, but not really an activity, and you have your own plates)

Recommend? Yes, and I hope to try all the monthly features. At the very least, we will probably go after the movies each time.


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