Specialty food trucks are all the rage, and finally there’s a ramen truck in OC. Billing themselves as “The first Ramen on wheels in OC,” Ranchan Ramen has been on the road for just under 2 months.
It’s hard to miss their big pink truck with their ramen-slurping pig. I trotted up to the truck to check out the menu. I really wanted to try their okonomiyaki and oki sliders along with the ramen, but being short on time and appetite, I settled on a bowl of their signature Spicy Ranchan Special ramen.
The tonkotsu-based ramen comes with a variety of toppings: green onions, fried onions, nori, corn, marinated hard-boiled egg, 2 thick slices of chashu, and a slice of naruto.
Their web site warns that the spicy ramen is “very spicy,” and it actually is. The spicy soup hits the spot, but overpowers the weak tonkotsu flavor. There’s also a mellow-sweet flavor from the corn that permeates the soup. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of corn or sweet flavors in my ramen, but your mileage may vary.
The noodles were dense and chewy, almost udon-like in taste and texture. I’m more used to this kind of noodles in Korean ramen. They were filling, and went well with the soup and especially the fried onions.
The chashu was the star of this ramen. The chashu was lean and thick, and very flavorful. My preference is for fattier chashu, but these were tasty and not too dry.
Looking for a quick bowl of ramen on-the-go? Go check out the Ranchan Ramen truck. It’s a fun experience, and the people there are super-friendly. And if you can handle the heat, try the spicy ramen. Let us know what you think!
Ranchan Ramen
Check their website for times and locations
714-360-8702
(Credit card for $10+ orders only)
