Kinboshi Ramen
Kinboshi Ramen is a Portland, Oregon Japanese ramen restaurant brand formed through the 2021 rebranding of two Marukin Ramen locations.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
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.
History
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 was listed as a finalist in Willamette Week's Best of Portland Best Ramen category.
- 2024
Repeated Portland food-media recognition
[1]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 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]The two Portland restaurants adopted the Kinboshi Ramen name.
- 2016
Marukin opens two Portland locations
[1]Two restaurants opened in Portland under the Marukin Ramen name, establishing the local operations that would later become Kinboshi Ramen.
Products and positioning
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.
Brand decisions
2021
Rebranding from Marukin Ramen to Kinboshi RamenStrategyBackground
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.
Recent events
- 2025
Kinboshi reaches Best of Portland ramen finalist status[4]
Other
Kinboshi was listed as a finalist in the Best Ramen category of Willamette Week's Best of Portland poll.
- 2025
Kinboshi included in a Buckman neighborhood restaurant guide[5]
Other
Kinboshi was included in a review of notable restaurants in Portland's Buckman neighborhood.
- 2024
Kinboshi named a Best of Portland ramen runner-up again[4]
Other
Kinboshi again finished as a runner-up in the Best Ramen category of Willamette Week's annual Best of Portland readers' poll.
- 2024
Kinboshi places third in The Oregonian Readers Choice Awards[5]
Other
Kinboshi ranked third in The Oregonian's annual Readers Choice Awards.
- 2024
Kinboshi included among Portland's notable vegan noodle soups[3]
Other
A Portland food guide highlighted Kinboshi among the city's best vegan noodle-soup destinations.
- 2024
Kinboshi included in Noms Magazine's Portland ramen roundup
Other
Noms Magazine included Kinboshi in a roundup of ten notable ramen options in Portland.
- 2022
Kinboshi Ramen included in Eater Portland's ramen guide[3]
Other
Eater Portland included Kinboshi in an overview of notable ramen destinations in Portland and beyond.
- 2022
Kinboshi's chicken paitan ramen highlighted by Willamette Week[4]
Other
Willamette Week included Kinboshi's chicken paitan ramen in a roundup of standout soups in Portland.
- 2022
Kinboshi named a Best of Portland ramen runner-up[4]
Other
Kinboshi was a runner-up in Willamette Week's Best Ramen readers' poll category.
Sources5 sources
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