There's a new restaurant in DFW doing Japanese ramen but with a special twist. Called Rakkan Ramen, it’s part of a Japanese chain known for doing plant-based broths — rare in the ramen world — and it's now open at 3121 Olympus Blvd. #150, in a cool storefront between The Sound at Cypress Waters and North Lake.
Coppell is the first Dallas-area location for the chain, which made its Texas debut in 2021 when it opened a location in Houston, followed by a second location in Katy in 2023.
Founded in Japan and headquartered in California, Rakkan Ramen is known for its vegetarian broths, made from vegetables like mushrooms and seaweed, as opposed to the more common meat-based broths such as tonkotsu, made from pork bones.
"Sometimes, because of all the fats coming out of the meats, meat-based ramen can be really heavy in your stomach,” says owner Shawn Kim. “But our ramen is light and easier to digest."
The broths get their intense flavoring from prototypical ramen ingredients like miso, sesame, seaweed, onion, and garlic. There's just no slick, animal-fat sheen on the surface.
While the broths are completely plant-based, the restaurant is not vegetarian; many offerings contain grilled pork and chicken. Most are named for gemstones such as the Amber Ramen, their most popular option, made with soy sauce and Umami Sauce, containing dried bonito and dried sardines, with pork, onion, bamboo shoots, and seasoned egg.
Their spiciest is the Asian Spicy Ramen with grilled pork, thin noodles, onion, bamboo shoots, egg, and Thai chili.
Rakka Ramen patioRakkan Ramen
The menu does feature four entirely vegan ramens, including Garnet Ramen, with noodles, mushrooms, green onion, corn, and tofu in a deep, creamy, savory broth.
Beyond ramen, other offerings include rice bowls, gyoza, and sushi handrolls. The food menu is basically identical across franchises, but Coppell has a standout drink menu that includes a premium selection of sake.
The vegetarian broths may raise some eyebrows, Kim says, since meat is such an important component in many Japanese dishes. But he promises that Rakkan Ramen maintains the authenticity of the cultural dish while packing a powerful flavor.
“I’m not vegetarian, so I was kind of doubting how good the plant-based broth would be myself,” Kim says of when he first tried the restaurant before joining the franchise. “After trying it, I was a little bit shocked.”
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