RAKKAN Ramen - Redondo Beach — Restaurant in Redondo Beach

A word of caution ⚠️ this is not for someone looking for that traditional Ramen Broth as this soups base is vegan. If tou do not mind then proceed with our featured review.

Rakkan Ramen has truly become a major staple in my family to the point we tend to visit every Saturday evening before grabbing Gelato nearby. I actually stumbled upon this place during the pandemic last year just when places started to open back up. When it comes to dining I unfortunately have alot of allergies and often worry about cross contamination as well as unfortunate dining restrictions. I tend to look for places that specify truly vegan as I've learned I don't have to really worry about cross contamination. Rakkan happened to check off all my key features I wanted in a place. Great soup, gluten free and veggie noodle options and the bonus soups base being vegan was a done deal.

Customer service has always been exceptional and I love how accomodating they are for ada/ wheelchair accessibility. I never have to worry here. The resturant is always well kept indoor and out and your always greeted the minute you walk up. Every visit is also as though I'm being welcomed back home. It's a very warm and inviting space to say the least.

When it come to food I do have to say although it is exceptional I have actually began to notice inconsistencies with the broth. We always opt for Spicy garnet with either extra noodles, veggies, egg, green onions and sometimes upgrade to a meal to get spicy goyza. Although I've never had a bad tasting Ramen bowl from here we have noticed a drastic difference when it comes to flavoring which can in return affect someone's future return visit if it lacks that same burst of flavor you first had. On one visit one of their newer employees recommended their Nori Sake and now we are hooked. It was ice cold , cloudy and refreshing on these hot summer nights and pairs well with any dish. Speaking of dishes their spicy beef goyza is an absolute hit. The crispy flakey texture and burst of juicy flavor in each bite has become an instant mouth watering memory. Just thinking about taking a bite out of one will send your tastebuds back down memory lane. My only other flaw is just like the consistency with soup flavor I have found noodle texture has varied depending on the food prep chelf as well but when your hungry sometimes can bypass the noodles texture.

Customer service is always exceptional even in instances when they may have forgotten an item with our order. I have witnessed their employees are empowered to make their own decisions in correcting a situation and it's handled gracefully. Although sometimes they may get swamped they never hesitate when it comes to continuing that excellent hospitality.

If you are looking for traditional Ramen this may not be your top choice as my partner says it's missing that Umami flare, however even his big carnivorous appetite has him coming back. He actually prefers the vegan broth on days when flavoring is just right. If your like myself with allergies, and looking for ada accessible places this is definitely a must visit place and I'm proud to be a...

Yes I know, 5 stars. For a Vegetarian based Ramen joint its Umami all the way!

Hear me out and you judge on your own.

First, they are in Soft open mode currently. So they are Not officially open yet. Even though they have a HUGE sign that says Grand Opening on the wall. LOL

They have about 10 tables they are serving INSIDE ONLY at the current Soft opening stage. So be aware. If you show up all excited to try and eat and you see empty patio tables. Don't. They have more 2 person tables then 4 person tables. So 2 person tables get seated faster, since 2 people eat faster and order less then groups of 4. FYI.

We waited a solid hour to eat. Got there at 8pm and added to waitlist, seated by 9pm had our food by 930pm, finished and left by 10pm.

They are open until midnight. So either go late or much earlier in the day to try this place without to much of a wait time.

If you really, really want to try this place with out waiting at all while they are in Soft open phase. Do this- On the way over call and Order togo. Show up 20 min later and eat it on the patio. Wink wink. Your welcome.

Sides are extra. About 2$ or more depending on what you want. So read the list on each bowl and add your fav additions like corn or fresh garlic etc. accordingly.

We loved this place for the Vegetarian broth. All of the Ramen is made with a Vegetarian broth base and you can make some Ramen selections into complete Vegan by asking. It is also clearly marked which Ramen Soups can be Veganized. So this is a huge plus for us!

I order the Spicy Garnet Miso Ramen. No pork. Came out piping how and added corn, nori, fresh garlic + small bowl of Karaage chicken bowl. This was super Umami and very mild. I mean I found my self adding more hot chili oil and finishing the bowl with the Karaage rice bowl and wanting more. But seeing as this would induce a food coma. I stopped. Next time! Muahahahahaa!

Ruby Shrimp Miso Ramen was as well really flavorful. I found it to be great and loves the little extra dried shrimp they topped it with. Bold seafood flavor and with a squeeze of a lime helps cut it down a notch if you want with acidity.

Chicken Buns appetizer came out cute. Almost didn't want to eat them. But we did. Chicken was crispy and had a smooth teriyaki flavor not overly sweet sitting on and of spring mix. Yum!

Edemame was great and tasted fresh and snappy. Great!

Ramen Noodles them selves are right on chewy and bouncy and hold up extremely well in the Ramen broth. We ordered extra ramen noodle on the side for the kids to eat and they absolutely loved it. Going crazy to have another bowl.

Service with a smile and they are extremely eager to please. The place is clean and simply decorated keeping it focused on the food and presentation.

So go on over. I highly recommend this Vegetarian broth Ramen Spot. They are 100% in my book worth it. So mind the wait time if you do end up waiting for a while. Have some patience and show some love.

Enjoy...

A ramen restaurant with quite the selection, some smooth and silky broths while others rich and spicy. I was curious and ordered the limited time curry ramen plus a small chicken karage bowl and it came with a ramen broth I've never tasted before, mildly spicy with a gentle sweetness seeping out from it, it also included: medium firm thin noodles, half of a seasoned egg, two pieces of lean chashu, bamboo shoots and black fungus. The ramen is a symphony of flavors only with one outlier the bamboo shoot, I just don't think the bamboo shoot with the curry broth bodes well together. The small karage bowl was amazing! The chicken karage, crispy, juicy, and not too oily, plus a bit of what I think is sour cream all on top of a bowl of rice, absolutely loved the karage. I've also tried the limited time summer tsukemen which was bright and refreshing, just like the season it was made for, and I also added some hot oil into the broth for a little kick, undoubtedly the tsukemen was good but I think an extra amount of zest would add more to it! On 2/26/2024 I tried the winter seasonal, the Asian Spicy Ramen. Don't let this clear and innocent looking soup fool you as the spiciness rivals the taste of a homogenized yin and yang of szechuan and small chilli's while having the aromatics of a truffle. I've always loved trying the seasonal limited time bowls at rakken ramen as they always have a different uniqueness compared to the generics. I'll be back for another seasonal bowl soon... In the Spring. Overall, a more than enjoyable experience at...