Boxer (originally Boxer Ramen) was a small chain of

ramen is a Chinese noodle dish popularized in Japan. It includes served in several flavors of broth. Common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen h ...

restaurants in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, in the United States. Micah Camden and Katie Poppe opened the original 30-seat Boxer Raman in

downtown Portland Downtown Portland is the central business district of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is on the west bank of the Willamette River in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and where most of the city's high-rise buildi ...

in 2013, followed by a second in January 2015. Matt Lynch and Chris Thornton later joined as partners. Boxer Ramen opened third, fourth, and fifth locations in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively. All of the restaurants closed temporarily in 2020 as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Two of the outposts were converted into other restaurants operated in part by Camden, and two reopened in 2022 and were rebranded as Boxer. A third Boxer opened in Beaverton's Cedar Hills Crossing in December 2022. The company declared

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

in February 2024. In April, Camden announced plans to close all restaurants permanently after service on April 28.

Description

Boxer (originally Boxer Ramen) was a small chain of

fast casual restaurants A fast casual restaurant, found primarily in the United States and Canada, is a restaurant that does not offer full table service, but advertises higher quality food than fast-food restaurants, with fewer frozen or processed ingredients. It is a ...

in the

Portland metropolitan area The Portland metropolitan area is a metropolitan area, metro area with its urban area, core in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington (state), Washington. It has 5 principal cities, the largest being Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Office of Man ...

. The original 30-seat

ramen shop A ramen shop is a restaurant that specializes in ramen dishes, the wheat-flour Japanese noodles in broth. In Japan, ramen shops are very common and popular, and are sometimes referred to as ramen-ya or ramen-ten . Some ramen shops operate in ...

was located in Union Way, a multi-use retail "alleyway project" in the space formerly occupied by

Red Cap Garage Red Cap Garage, sometimes abridged as Red Cap, was a gay bar and nightclub that operated in Portland, Oregon, from 1987 to 2012. The bar was connected to two others called Boxxes and the Brig. It hosted drag queen shows, live music, special events ...

, in downtown Portland's West End. It was described as a "sister restaurant" to Boxer Sushi, opened by Micah Camden in southeast Portland's Hawthorne district in 2012 and closed in September 2014. ''

Portland Monthly ''Portland Monthly'' (also referred to as ''Portland Monthly Magazine'') is a monthly news and general interest magazine which covers food, politics, business, design, events and culture in Portland, Oregon. The magazine was co-founded in 2003 b ...

'' said of the original location's atmosphere and interior: "Micah Camden's neo-pop noodle house looks like a ramen shop designed by ''Lucky Peach'' magazine.

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...

bumps from the sound system and an entire wall is clad in a mural of three cute but devilish Japanese girls hovering over a chicken, pig, or tuna leaping from a

bowl." Three additional locations opened. Their interiors featured pop art decor. The restaurant on Albert Street features "utilitarian plywood decor" and umbrellas hanging from the ceiling, an alley spray-painted gold, and a mural described as "drawings of animal-people eating bowls of animal-people, like an anime episode of ''

BoJack Horseman ''BoJack Horseman'' is an American adult animation, adult animated tragicomedy television series created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. It stars the voices of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. Set primarily in ...

''". Alexander Basek of ''

Food & Wine ''Food & Wine'' is an American monthly magazine published by Dotdash Meredith. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and sea ...

'' said of the interior: "Boxer's generous use of hot pink and unfinished plywood for decor bestows Boxer's small interior with a work-in-progress vibe." The original restaurant accepted cash only and did not offer

take-out A take-out (US, Canada, Philippines) or takeaway (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) is a prepared meal or other food items purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet with the intent to eat elsewhere. A concept found in many ancient cultures, take ...

containers, as of 2013.

side dish A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order, side item, or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entrée or main course at a meal.Japanese pickles are Japanese preserved vegetables (usually pickled in salt, brine, or a bed of rice bran). They are served with rice as an '' okazu'' (side dish), with drinks as an '' otsumami'' (snack), as an accompaniment to or garnish for meals, and as a ...

, ohitashi spinach salads,

okonomiyaki is a Japanese ''teppanyaki'' savory pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients (mixed, or as toppings) cooked on a '' teppan'' (flat griddle). Common additions include cabbage, meat, and seafood, and toppings include ...

tater tots Tater tots are grated potato formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish. "Tater" is a dialect form of the word ''potato''. The name "tater tot" is a registered trademark of the American frozen food company Ore-Ida, b ...

, pork belly buns and pot stickers.

Mochi ice cream Mochi ice cream is a confection made from Japanese mochi (pounded sticky rice) with an ice cream filling. It was invented by Japanese-American businesswoman and community activist Frances Hashimoto with help from her husband, Joel. Description ...

shipped from

Bubbies Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream and Desserts is an ice cream manufacturer in Arizona. Started in 1985 in Honolulu, the production and office facilities are now located in Phoenix, Arizona. The company sells ice cream cakes and mochi ice cream in Hawa ...

Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

was available for

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal; the course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream, and possibly a beverage, such as dessert wine or liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly umami, ...

; flavors included passion fruit. The fourth Boxer Ramen location added a bowl with

short ribs Short ribs are a cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of beef cattle. They consist of a short portion of the rib bone and the surrounding meat, which varies in thickness. There are two major types of cuts: the "flanke ...

to the menu, along with cocktails, including a

Moscow mule A Moscow mule is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice; garnished with a slice or wedge of lime, and a sprig of mint. The drink, being a type of buck, is sometimes called vodka buck. It is popularly served in a copper mug, ...

and

yuzu Yuzu (''Citrus'' × ''junos'', from Japanese language, Japanese or ; ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of China, Chinese origin. Yuzu has been cultivated mainly in East Asia, though it has also recently been grown in New Z ...

-infused

gin and tonic A gin and tonic is a highball cocktail made with gin and tonic water poured over a large amount of ice. The ratio of gin to tonic varies according to taste, strength of the gin, other drink mixers being added, etc., with most recipes calling for ...

History

Original restaurant

Micah Camden announced plans to open Boxer Ramen in April 2013. In August, he and co-owner Katie Poppe confirmed plans to open in late September, but there were some delays while the restaurant offered "soft openings" and "test dinners". October 9 was later announced as the opening date, but this was pushed back to November 1. Boxer Ramen hosted a "ramen free-for-all" on October 31, offering guests bowls at no cost from noon to 3:00 pm. The restaurant celebrated its first anniversary by offering half-price bowls from noon to 9:00 pm on November 1, 2014.

Subsequent locations

Boxer Ramen opened a second location in northeast Portland's Vernon neighborhood, at the intersection of 21st Avenue and Albert Street in the

Alberta Arts District Alberta Arts District is a commercial district in Portland, Oregon which connects the Concordia, King and Vernon neighborhoods in the Northeast quadrant of the city. The district centers on NE Alberta Street, and stretches approximately , fro ...

, in January 2015. Camden and Poppe had applied for a

liquor license A liquor license (or liquor licence in most forms of Commonwealth English) is a governmentally issued permit for businesses to sell, manufacture, store, or otherwise use alcoholic beverages. Canada In Canada, liquor licences are issued by the l ...

by November 2014. The opening kicked off with a ramen bowl giveaway on January 22, and the restaurant initially operated from noon to 10:00 pm. It closed at 9:00 pm on all evenings, as of 2016. The

soft launch A soft launch, also known as a soft opening, is a preview release of a product or service to a limited audience prior to the general public. Soft-launching a product is sometimes used to gather data or customer feedback, prior to making it wi ...

for the third restaurant, housed in a space previously occupied by the Two Tarts Bakery at the intersection of Northwest 23rd Avenue and Kearney Street, in the city's Northwest District, was held on March 25, 2016. Camden and Poppe had applied for a liquor license for the restaurant by November 2015, and were joined by new co-owner Matt Lynch. Similar to the promotional giveaway for the original location, Boxer Ramen offered free ramen bowls on site from 4:00 pm–7:00 pm. The Northwest District restaurant has a 28-seat dining area with an additional 8-seat counter. It offers a similar menu as the first two locations, operating from noon–9:00 pm on weekdays and from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on weekends, as of 2016. The trio opened a fourth location along

East Burnside Street Burnside Street is a major thoroughfare of Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon, and one of a few east–west streets that runs uninterrupted on both sides of the Willamette River. It serves as the dividing line between North Portland and South ...

on December 1, 2017, slightly later than the previously announced opening date of October 15. Boxer Ramen hosted a similar on-site ramen giveaway on November 30. The 40-seat restaurant had a slightly expanded menu, cocktails, and

happy hour Happy hour is a marketing term for a time when a venue such as a restaurant or bar offers reduced prices on alcoholic drinks. Discounted menu items like appetizers are often served during happy hour. This is a way for bars and restaurants to ...

from 10:00 m to midnight on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The restaurant was the largest of the Boxer Ramen locations. Plans for a fifth location in the Westmoreland, district of southeast Portland's Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood were confirmed in 2018. In January 2018, ''

Portland Mercury ''Portland Mercury'' is an alternative bi-weekly newspaper and media company founded in 2000 in Portland, Oregon. It has a sibling publication in Seattle, Washington, called '' The Stranger''. History A prior version of ''The Mercury'' was ...

'' said construction had recently begun on the 32-seat restaurant and anticipated a start by the summer season. Boxer Ramen supported Family Meal, a nonprofit organization supporting "food service and agricultural workers in need in a medical debt crisis", as of 2019. In addition to Camden, Poppe, and Lynch, Chris Thornton was named a co-owner of Boxer Ramen in 2020.

COVID-19 pandemic, rebrand, and closure

When the

prompted Governor

Kate Brown Katherine Brown (born June 21, 1960) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 38th governor of Oregon from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms as the state representative from the 13th distr ...

to close indoor dining, Camden gave teams at all restaurants the choice of temporary closure or continuing as a take-out service. The Boxer Ramen teams elected to pause operations altogether. In September 2020, Camden said of the closures: "Boxer Ramen has always been one of my favorite restaurants. I have five locations. But nobody in the world orders ramen to go." The Burnside location had closed by August, and was converted into Rock Paper Fish, a seafood chain by Camden, Craig Peterson, and

Ndamukong Suh Ndamukong Ngwa Suh ( , born January 6, 1987) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football ...

. By July, the Sellwood restaurant was converted into a second location for Baes Fried Chicken, a

fried chicken Fried chicken, also called Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...

operation by Camden with Suh. Some Boxer Ramen staff continued to work at the satellite Baes, and new employees were hired as well.In 2022, the Northwest District restaurant reopened at a new location in the Slabtown area. It and the Alberta location were rebranded as simply Boxer. The Slabtown restaurant's menu was expanded to include serving

sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...

sashimi is a Japanese cuisine, Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or Raw meat, meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means 'pierced body', i.e., "wikt:刺身, 刺身" = ''sashimi'', whe ...

sake Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...

, and cocktails. A third Boxer opened at Cedar Hills Crossing, in Beaverton, on December 2, 2023. The outpost's expanded menu includes bento boxes with

teriyaki ''Teriyaki'' is a cooking technique in which foods are grilling#Overhead grilling, broiled or Grilling, grilled with a Glaze (cooking technique), glaze of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Although commonly associated with Japanese cuisine, Fish ...

chicken, ahi tuna

poke Poke may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Poke (Ender's Game), Poke (''Ender's Game''), a fictional character * Poke (game), a two-player card game * Poke, a fictional bar owner in the television series ''Treme (season 2), Treme'' * The ...

, pork katsu, and kalbi teriyaki. Drinks include saki, craft beer, Orion, and teas. In February 2024, Boxer declared

, citing heavy debt caused from the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later, Camden announced plans to close all Boxer restaurants permanently after service on April 28, citing the pandemic and inflation as reasons. In August 2024, a group of Boxer employees announced plans to launch Fat Kitty Ramen in two former Boxer locations. An outpost of the California-based gluten-free bakery Kirari West later operated in the space that had housed the 23rd Avenue location.

Reception

Following the opening of the original restaurant, Michael Russell of ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

'' gave Boxer Ramen a "B" rating and called the restaurant a "small step forward" for the city's ramen scene. He described the

tonkotsu is a ramen dish that originated in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and is a specialty dish on the island of Kyushu. The broth for tonkotsu ramen is based on pork bones, which is what the word means in Japanese. It is prepared by boiling t ...

broth as "a salty Japanese carbonara" and deemed the dish Portland's best ramen. Russell also called the okonomiyaki tater tots a "cross-cultural stroke of genius". He later included Boxer in the newspaper's list of the 21 "most painful" restaurant and bar closures of 2024. ''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history '' ...

''s Martin Cizmar said Boxer Ramen "delivers quick, hard jabs" and called the restaurant Camden's "greatest creation yet" (in addition to Boxer Sushi, his other projects have included Blue Star Donuts and Little Big Burger). ''Portland Monthly'' said the spicy red miso ramen "has addictive potential" and recommends the passion fruit

mochi A mochi ( ; Japanese ) is a Japanese rice cake made of , a short-grain Japonica rice, japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The steamed rice is pounded into paste and molded into the ...

, described as "creamy and softly fruity, a Dreamsicle reborn". ''The Oregonian''s Samantha Bakall wrote, "The hip, Southwest Portland ramen-ya is known for its tonkotsu broth, arguably the best in Portland right now. Boxer was one of our favorite ramen shops of 2014." She also included Boxer Ramen in her 2014 list of "50 great Portland-area restaurants where you and a friend can chow down -- and maybe even have a drink -- for under $50". In his review, Ben Waterhouse recommended the pork-bone, shoyu, and tonkotsu broths, and wrote, "nowhere in town offers a bowl more like that you're likely to find after a long night of drinking in Shibuya". Chris Onstad of the ''Portland Mercury'' recommended the tonkotsu-shio ramen in his 2014 review, and complimented the service staff for being "quick, remarkably knowledgable, and friendly to the point of actual charm". He did, however, criticize the restaurant for accepting cash only, and wrote: In 2016, ''Willamette Week'' staff recommended the Northwest District restaurant during neighborhood visits, and Aaron Mesh questioned the Alberta restaurant's relatively early closing time. He wrote, "The puzzling part of a high-gloss take on the Tokyo ramen counter is that it closes at 9 pm. The starter menu ... would be impossibly popular at last call." Furthermore, he opined, "Camden's little big touches remain deft, even as he makes Portland look increasingly like a cartoon." The newspaper's Elise Herron ranked Boxer Ramen number six in her 2019 list of the "seven best places to get tots" in Portland, and wrote, "Seafood lovers will appreciate the fish flake-topped tots with sides of tonkatsu and creamy-spicy sauce." Boxer Ramen won in the "best ramen" category in ''Willamette Week'' 2016 "Best of Portland Readers' Poll", and was runner-up in 2017 and 2020. ''Portland Mercury'' Jenni Moore wrote in 2019, "Boxer Ramen's cool little space on Alberta has purposely exposed-but-glossed-over plywood walls, some pleasant mural art, and an only slightly alarming taxidermy raccoon riding in a canoe... They get extra points for bumping rap from the likes of Big K.R.I.T. and 2Pac, because yes, hip-hop does make my plant-based ramen more enjoyable."

Fodor's Fodor's is a producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor, who created his first travel guide, ''1936...on the Continent'', with the intention of improving upon the directo ...

has described the original location as "often crowded and convivial", and

Thrillist ''Thrillist'' is an online media website covering travel. ''Thrillist'' was founded in 2004 by Ben Lerer and Adam Rich. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands ''The Dodo'', NowThis News, and Seeker to form the digital media ...

said: "This place is all about creating a dish, executing it well, and selling it for a decent price in a good environment. Nestled at the front end of Union Way plaza, this place has been the best place to get ramen in Downtown since its opening, and a great place to stop for post-shopping lunch."

Zagat The ''Zagat Survey'', commonly referred to as Zagat (stylized in all caps; , ) and established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979, is an organization which collects and correlates the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, coverin ...

gives Delta ratings of 4.0 for food, 3.9 for decor, and 4.0 for service, each on a scale of 5. The guide said, "Fans find extreme umami at these no-nonsense Japanese from Micah Camden ... that offer a simple menu of great, rich ramen plus a few side dishes; the compact spaces are not a place to go with groups, but speedy, solicitous service ensures a noodle-icious experience that hits the spot."

References

External links

* {{Vernon, Portland, Oregon 2013 establishments in Oregon 2024 disestablishments in Oregon Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2024 Defunct Japanese restaurants in Oregon Defunct Japanese restaurants in Portland, Oregon Defunct restaurant chains in the United States Defunct restaurants in Northwest District, Portland, Oregon Defunct restaurants in Southeast Portland, Oregon Defunct restaurants in Southwest Portland, Oregon Defunct restaurants in Vernon, Portland, Oregon Ramen shops Restaurants disestablished in 2024 Restaurants established in 2013 Restaurants in Beaverton, Oregon Restaurants in Sellwood-Moreland, Portland, Oregon