Kaylie Siu
In the Del Mar Highlands Town Center, 10 minutes north of campus lies Japanese restaurant Marufuku Ramen. Tucked away in the corner of the second floor Sky Deck, it may be difficult to find. But its dishes, such as the Marufuku Bites and Chicken Paitan DX, make it well worth the search.
Marufuku Ramen was founded in 2017 in San Francisco by Eiichi Mochizuki and has since expanded to 11 locations across four states; the one in Del Mar opened in 2021. Marufuku offers a small selection of entrees — all of which are ramen dishes — along with common Japanese appetizers, such as gyoza and karaage. The dishes, with the exception of the Marufuku Bites, were all featured on the restaurant’s set Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Eats Week three-course menu.
We first ordered our appetizers. Our waiter Sugui suggested the Marufuku Bites and gyoza, a choice that my taste buds would thank them for soon after. A common appetizer at Japanese restaurants, the gyoza was on the crispier side and seemed to be pan-fried, giving it a nice charred flavor. The Marufuku Bites were heavenly; the open buns filled with chashu pork were soft and fluffy, and the pork was cooked to perfection. It was a delicious beginning to our meal.
For our entrees, we ordered the Hakata Tonkotsu DX and Chicken Paitan DX — DX meaning that the dish came with more toppings, including a thick pork belly for the Tonkotsu DX. It also came with the standard ramen noodles in a pork broth, chashu pork, an egg, bean sprouts, green onions, and corn. The tonkotsu was less rich than others I had tried, with a fairly light flavor profile, and was also whiter in color than one would expect from tonkotsu. Maybe it’s just my taste, but I felt that the flavor could be stronger and more savory, and the noodles struggled to absorb the broth. While it could be improved, it was still an enjoyable eat.
The paitan was far more impressive. The DX version of the chicken paitan came with ramen in a white chicken broth and a grilled chicken leg on a separate, sizzling plate. The chicken leg was delectable and had a tangy flavor that complemented the smooth broth of the ramen well. The ramen itself was quite delicious; the creamy chicken broth coated the noodles with its meaty flavor.
Dessert was a slice of matcha cheesecake with a piece of chocolate mochi on the side. The cheesecake was very soft throughout — even its crust had a texture almost identical to the cheesecake proper. The one-note texture hampered an otherwise appetizing dish. Flavor-wise, I wish that the matcha was more prominent. Overall, while it wasn’t perfect, it was a sweet ending to an otherwise savory meal.
At times, many of the dishes lacked flavor, whether it be the ramen or the matcha cheesecake. Despite this, the food was generally well cooked. It won’t knock your socks off, but Marufuku Ramen is a solid option for those seeking quality Japanese food.