Kinboshi Ramen

Kinboshi Ramen is a Japanese restaurant brand based in Portland, Oregon. The business emerged in 2021 when two Portland locations that had previously operated under the Marukin Ramen name were rebranded as Kinboshi Ramen. The restaurants trace their local presence to the opening of two Marukin shops in 2016, including a Pine Street location established in connection with Portland's Old Town Japanese heritage. The brand's offering centers on ramen, with a menu that has included meat-based, vegetarian, and vegan preparations. Documented examples include chicken paitan ramen, regular and spicy miso ramen, and soy-milk-based shio tonyu ramen. This mix gives Kinboshi a position within Portland's Japanese dining scene that combines conventional ramen styles with options for diners seeking plant-based meals. The menu has therefore been noted not only for its broth-focused ramen but also for its vegan and vegetarian selection. Kinboshi has received repeated attention from Portland food publications and local reader-award programs. Eater Portland included the restaurant in a 2022 guide to notable ramen destinations in Portland and beyond, while Willamette Week highlighted its chicken paitan ramen in a 2022 roundup of standout soups. The restaurant was a runner-up in the Best Ramen category of Willamette Week's Best of Portland readers' poll in 2022 and 2024, and became a finalist in that category in 2025. Kinboshi also placed third in The Oregonian's 2024 Readers Choice Awards. Additional coverage has recognized the restaurant among Portland's strongest vegan noodle-soup options and among notable restaurants in the city's Buckman neighborhood. The brand's physical footprint has changed since the rebranding: one of the two locations has closed, while the available reference material identifies Kinboshi as an active Portland restaurant brand. Its identity is primarily local rather than national, with recognition built through neighborhood dining, ramen specialization, plant-based menu options, and favorable coverage in Portland food media.

Kinboshi Ramen's Portland presence developed from two restaurants that originally operated as Marukin Ramen. Marukin opened two Portland shops in 2016. Contemporary local coverage described the Pine Street location as an effort connected to the area's Japanese heritage, particularly the history of Portland's Old Town. The restaurants later underwent a brand change, and both became known as Kinboshi Ramen in 2021. The rebranding established Kinboshi as a distinct local ramen identity while retaining the restaurants' focus on Japanese noodle soups. Its documented menu has included several categories of ramen, including chicken paitan, miso, spicy miso, and shio tonyu preparations. The menu has also offered vegan and vegetarian choices, including versions using miso and a soy-milk-based broth. These plant-based options have been an important part of the restaurant's public profile and have contributed to its inclusion in Portland guides focused on vegan dining. After the 2021 changeover, the brand received regular recognition from local and regional food media. Eater Portland included Kinboshi in a 2022 overview of notable ramen restaurants. Willamette Week featured its chicken paitan ramen in a 2022 list of standout soups and subsequently recognized the restaurant in its Best of Portland readers' poll. Kinboshi was a Best Ramen runner-up in 2022 and 2024, then a finalist in 2025. The Oregonian's 2024 Readers Choice Awards placed it third, and other Portland food coverage included the restaurant among the city's notable vegan noodle-soup destinations, ramen restaurants, and Buckman neighborhood eateries. The brand's original two-location footprint did not remain intact: one Kinboshi location has since closed, although the available reference material continues to describe Kinboshi Ramen as an active Portland restaurant. No reliable information in the supplied sources identifies a founder, corporate parent, current executives, ownership structure, or the exact date of the closure.

• 2025

  Best Ramen finalist

  [1]Kinboshi Ramenen.wikipedia.org

  Kinboshi was listed as a finalist in Willamette Week's Best of Portland Best Ramen category.

• 2024

  Repeated Portland food-media recognition

  [1]Kinboshi Ramenen.wikipedia.org

  Kinboshi was again a Best Ramen runner-up, placed third in The Oregonian's Readers Choice Awards, and appeared in Portland ramen and vegan noodle-soup guides.

• 2022

  First documented wave of major local recognition

  [1]Kinboshi Ramenen.wikipedia.org

  Kinboshi appeared in Eater Portland's ramen guide, received a Willamette Week soup-feature mention, and became a Best Ramen runner-up in the Best of Portland readers' poll.

• 2021

  Two Marukin locations rebranded as Kinboshi Ramen

  [1]Kinboshi Ramenen.wikipedia.org

  The two Portland restaurants adopted the Kinboshi Ramen name.

• 2016

  Marukin opens two Portland locations

  [1]Kinboshi Ramenen.wikipedia.org

  Two restaurants opened in Portland under the Marukin Ramen name, establishing the local operations that would later become Kinboshi Ramen.

A Portland Japanese ramen restaurant brand known for broth-centered noodle soups and a menu that includes substantial vegan and vegetarian choices.

• Ramen

  Chicken paitan ramen

  A chicken-based ramen offering associated with Kinboshi's menu and highlighted by Willamette Week in its coverage of Portland's notable soups.

• Ramen

  Miso ramen

  Kinboshi has offered a regular miso ramen as part of its Japanese noodle-soup menu.

• Ramen

  Spicy miso ramen

  A spicy variation on the restaurant's miso ramen, included among its documented menu options and available within its broader vegetarian and vegan selection.

• Ramen

  Shio tonyu ramen

  A soy-milk-based shio tonyu ramen that illustrates Kinboshi's use of plant-based broth styles and its appeal to vegan and vegetarian diners.

• 2021

  Rebranding from Marukin Ramen to Kinboshi RamenStrategy

  Background

  Two Portland restaurants had operated under the Marukin Ramen name since their opening in 2016.

  Action taken

  The two locations were rebranded as Kinboshi Ramen.

  Aftermath

  The rebranding created the Kinboshi Ramen identity in Portland. One of the locations later closed, but the available reference material does not provide the closure date or explain the reason.

  Source

1. 1Kinboshi Ramenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kinboshi Ramen official websitekinboshiramen.com
3. 3Eater Portlandpdx.eater.com
4. 4Willamette Weekwweek.com
5. 5The Oregonianoregonlive.com