By Olivia Follman 

Hapa Ramen Review — Complex in Origin

The evening has set in, the sun taking leave over the horizon. Constant waves of chatter among friends, families, and strangers alike amidst numerous food tucks, gathered on the corner of SE Division ST and SE 28TH ST here in vibrant Portland OR. Each truck eagerly claiming their quality and taste to be worth shamelessly boasting about. My close friends and I, are in search of one thing however. Ramen.

Maruchan ramen is not welcome here. Our food truck is the Hapa Ramen truck. The line moves quickly each patron eager to delve into their own bowl of savory delight. I choose the Hapa Ramen Tsukemen ramen, and the Shio ramen. The Tsukemen ramen is robust and savory, pork belly broth pourable or dipable, over al dente noodles, scallions, kelp, shiitake mushrooms, and egg. The flavor is a warm, satisfying symphony that leaves me smiling with cheeks full of noodles. I wash down bite, after delicious bite, with Hapa’s “Plantation iced tea”. Perfectly steeped black tea is mixed with sweet pineapple juice just tart enough to make my lips pucker. With each sip I find myself thoroughly pleased and waiting for the next time I can enjoy these with friends.

The Hapa Ramen Shio bowl surprises me with its complexity. Hawaiian salt is blended delicately with a chicken and fish broth. The light fatty nature of the broth just enough to coat my lips before I lick them clean and dig into the noodles again greedily with my chopsticks. There’s a subtle tingle on the edge of my tongue from the chili threads, and the satisfying portions of pork balance each bite. The bean sprouts give a gentle crunch value to the dish, which keeps the ramen from being all soft ingredients. A generous helping of scallions and spinach color the bowl with bits of vibrant green, and the hard boiled egg makes my taste buds sing with delight. The smooth velvety yolk cooked to perfection coupled with the elasticity of eggy ramen noodles all together makes me wish I had a second stomach so I might eat more of this delicacy without worry of being too full to finish.

After I finished my meal I was given the honor and opportunity of taking a few minutes to hear from Michael, the co-owner of Hapa Ramen. He told me about his roots in Japanese cuisine. The light in his voice was supported by a confident yet laid back behavior. His explanations were sure and to the point, he told me about his training under and expert Japanese ramen chef ( a Shokunin). Through our short conversation I felt as though I had been given a peek into an elaborate struggle to come out, and serve with everything they had.