I’ve written about Marukin Ramen before when they first soft opened their SE Ankeny location and talked you through the difference between their ramen offerings. Since then, they have opened their second location at Pine Street Market, they’ve increased the amount of noodles to upside the hearty fullness of their bowls, as the kitchen has gotten more efficient and accurate they now offer more to choose from! Here’s a look at what’s new at Marukin Ramen.
As before, Marukin overall offers 10 kinds of ramen total (get my photos and description of them here), with the Tonkotsu Shoyu and Tonkatsu Red always being available and the other 8 rotating every other day so that 4 are available on a Sun Wed Fri schedule and the other 4 available the other days. Note this important trick: really all 10 ramens are always available – the every other day rotation is reverse at the other location, so if you really want a certain ramen besides the Tonkotsu just look up which location has it that day, the SE Ankeny or the Pine Street Market.
New Scoop! Breaking News! Marukin Ramen is going to start offering a Secret Special Ramen, available only once a week at each location and limited to about 30 bowls because of the amount of work required to create it! Ebi Ramen, a Rich Tiger Shrimp and chicken based broth with sea salt topped with tiger shrimp, bok choy, mushroom age-tofu mix, kikurage, and negi. The ramen will only be announced when it’s available on their social media, so if you don’t follow Marukin Ramen @marukinramen on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook do so now to be in the know.
Their ramen is not available to go since they want to make sure the texture of the noodles and temperature of the broth are perfect – but you can get their newly added donburi, or rice bowls, to eat their or to go at home or at your work desk as applicable. Newly added are a delicious pan fried Jorinji miso pork over rice utilizing local pork and local miso. Though this is the menu now, they may decide to rotate this when the weather warms up – so get over there to get this dish now.
Also perfect right now for warming you up is a hearty pork curry with rice dish and a vegan mapo tofu over rice. The pork curry is also available in a small size during their happy hour.
Meanwhile in the sides section, they’ve changed out the aioli that used to accompany the chicken karaage (Japanese style fried chicken) with a Japanese style tartar sauce.
In addition there is now a shrimp version of the dish, ebi karaage, a deep fried tiger shrimp karaage with Japanese style tartar sauce.
Additionally, for the gyoza, or pot stickers, that had a pork filling, there is also an option now for another kind of gyoza with pork and shrimp filling.
A light shredded daikon salad with ume plum vinaigrette and a salmon nanbanzuke, a dish of marinated salmon and pickled vegetables, are also new. Both of these latter dishes are also available on their happy hour menu 3 – 6 PM.
Have you been to Marukin Ramen yet? What did you enjoy?
Do any of these updates to the menu intrigue you, what would you try?
I STILL have not been there yet! All of their food looks so amazing. That chicken karaage! Thanks for sharing what’s new. It’s a good reminder that I need to get in there soon!
Yes, get in there!
This looks delish! Would you believe I just had ramen out for the first time?
Well that just means now you have a lot of adventures in ramen ahead of you!
Wow. Great post. Now hungry. Is there a line here?
It depends on when you come – obviously right during the lunch rush or after work can be more busy but I think a slight crowd is an authentic ramen ya experience since many in Japan only have a dozen seats!