The steaming heat wave has disappeared, and Korea is as chilly as if autumn had arrived. Here are some “Japanese ramen restaurants†hidden all over the place these days when I think of a warm soup rather than a cool ice cream. If you put noodles on a cutlery and take a bite with warm soup, you can enjoy the deep, rich flavor of the broth and Japanese ramen, where you can feel the chewiness of the noodles.
1. Basil ramen “Ittengo†with unique visuals
At “Ittengo†located in Hapjeong, you can find unique ramen that you've never experienced before. “Midorikame,†which has a somewhat surprising green visual, is a ramen containing fragrant basil, and the scent of basil blends into the deep, rich ramen broth to neutralize the broth that you can feel when you feel it. The combination of the unique flavor of the broth, the soft chashu that has been baked with a torch, and the crisp noodles make you feel the unique charm of Ittengo. Note that you can order a sweet Japanese-style omelette with a fluffy texture in the evening.
Photo source: yeveeeely's Instagram
â–²Location: 396-14 Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul â–²Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 11:30 – 22:00, Friday & Saturday 11:20 – 23:00, closed on Sundays, break time 15:00-17:00 â–²Price: Midori Kame 9,000 won â–²Review (Papamon the food): When I took a bite of the basil ramen that I originally tried because I liked to try something new, oh… but later I picked up a bowl and ate it's a strange flavor that can only be eaten here.
2. Ramen eaten with gyoza and cod “Asaraichidaiâ€
You can enjoy healthy ramen at “Asaraichidai†located in the SK Leaders View shopping district in Geumgeum-dong. All of Asaraichidai's ramen broth uses a “toripitan†broth made from chicken without any other additives, so you can enjoy a lighter and more refreshing flavor. “Kinomi ramen,†which is a unique and popular menu here, contains a spicy sauce (seasoning) made from five kinds of nuts, and you can enjoy a different flavor of Japanese ramen when eaten with pickled radish. If you want to try all the different toppings, I recommend “Asara Special Ramen,†which has a rich flavor. A variety of side dishes are also available, such as rice bowls that are eaten with ramen, grilled pork, etc., so be sure to check them out.
Photo Source: jung_woosung's Instagram
â–²Location: Suseong SK Reader's View Apartment, 95, Dongdaegu-ro, Suseong-gu, Daegu â–²Opening hours: 11:00-21:00, break time 16:00 – 17:00 â–²Price: Asara Special Ramen 13,000 won â–²Review (no meal): I went when I was completely hungry, so I added hot Korean food, so I added T_T air rice and rolled up the rice… the soup felt different from a different place
3. “Nagomi & Genroku†in Hongdae has an attractive deep soup
“Nagomi Ramen†in Hongdae is a ramen specialty store that focuses on hand-picked noodles using gansu. “Nagomi ramen,†which is tonkotsu ramen topped with a low-temperature soft-boiled egg as a topping, is the most popular dish here, and has an excellent soft egg flavor eaten with soup. “Gyeokshin ramen,†which adds a unique spiciness to tonkotsu ramen, relieves the unique feeling of ramen. Note that all Nagomi ramen menus can adjust the degree of cooking of the noodles in 5 levels, and the richness of the broth can also be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Photo Source: mmmotttttt's Instagram
â–²Location: B1F, 370-24, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul â–²Opening hours: 11:30 – 21:00, closed for holidays â–²Price: Nagomi ramen 7,000 won â–²Review (Shikigami, Moon, Hwa, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday): I've eaten countless ramen in Japan and Korea, but I don't think there's any place in the country that tastes as close to authentic Hakata tonkotsu ramen. I had a bowl on my way home from work and came home, and it reminded me again at night hehe
4. Suwon “Kiwa Maruaji†that you want to eat with the addition of pork
“Kiwa Maruaji†at the entrance of an exotic store specializes in ramen and donburi. “Miramen,†which is a basic tonkotsu ramen, is also a popular menu, but “special ramen,†which has basic vegetables and chashu added to the miramen, is even more popular. Noodles and rice can be added to all menus, so it's a good idea to check it out if you're short on the amount. Gokuramen (chicken ramen) for people who like spiciness is a menu that fits Korean tastes and is recommended for those who are not comfortable with traditional Japanese ramen. Please note that the Japanese soft-boiled egg stew “ajitamago,†which is easy to eat with the menu, and the Japanese hot spring egg “onsen tamago†can be ordered separately.
Photo source: sungok9's Instagram
â–²Location: 89-11 Uman-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do â–²Business hours: 11:00-22:00 (early closing when ingredients run out) â–²Price range: 7,500 won for specialty ramen â–²Review (Shikigin Niyaninho): Tonkotsu ramen is a place that really makes the soup
5. “Ramen Truck†is a ramen restaurant that always has a line to eat
The “ramen truck†located in Sangsu is a famous ramen shop where you have to wait in line to taste it after receiving a waiting ticket. The only menu here is ramen and additional toppings. Ramen eaten with sliced green onions, soft-boiled eggs, and crunchy bean sprouts in a broth made by adding garlic to chicken and pork is delicious without being salty and has a deep soup flavor. Chashu, which has a soft texture and is full of flavor, is delicious even if you eat it alone, but you can also eat it with noodles. It's a good idea to consider waiting when visiting at mealtime, so it's a good idea to keep that in mind.
Photo source: tiantm's Instagram
â–²Location: 89-11 Uman-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do â–²Opening hours: 11:30 — 24:00, break time 14:30 – 17:00 â–²Price range: Ramen 7,000 won â–²Review (Shikigin CidaTalk Talk): It's small, and there aren't many seats, so I have to wait a bit (I personally don't like standing in line, so it makes me think of eating in line). The ramen made with pork broth is actually a bit heavy and I get tired of eating it, but the broth here is refreshing, light, and cool! Eggs… it's fantastic.
6. Busan “Sapporo Kuma†not only has warm ramen but also cold ramen
At “Sapporo Kuma,†which reminds me of a ramen shop located in a Japanese alley, you can feel the unique atmosphere of Japan. Cold ramen is definitely popular in Sapporo Kuma during the summer season. If you eat the sweet and sour soup stock, chewy noodles, and crunchy vegetables together, the harmonious flavor that enhances the taste buds during the hot summer months is excellent. In addition to this, miso ramen, which is eaten with noodles and bean sprouts in a warm broth, is popular. They also sell mini rice bowls, rice balls, and yakigyoza that go well with ramen, so be sure to check them out.
Photo Source: shingilwoo's Instagram
▲Location: 14-3, Nampo-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Busan ▲Business hours: 12:00 — 21:30, closed on Mondays ▲Price range: Miso ramen 6,000 won, cold ramen 7,000 won ▲Review (Shikigin, Chocolate Duckoo): In the summer, I went out with my friends for a cold ramen one miso ramen, and of course, yakigyoza had to eat an extra hoho to feel Kuma.
7. Deep tonkotsu ramen “Menya Higashi†in Yeonnam-dong
“Menya Higashi†is an authentic Japanese ramen specialty store, and their popular menu is “Higashi ramen,†which is a rich beef bone broth that has been brewed over a long period of time every day, topped with well-cooked chashu. The garlic-flavored “Ninniku Ramen†is also well received by people who want a different kind of ramen. All of Menya Higashi's ramen are freshly picked and aged, so the chewy texture of the noodles is impressive and goes well with the light broth. In addition to ramen, they also sell donburi and gyoza, so there's a wide range of options to choose from, so be sure to check it out.
Photo Source: eun2nue's Instagram
â–²Location: 266-12, Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul â–²Business hours: 12:00 – 22:00 â–²Price range: Higashi ramen 7,000 won â–²Review (Shikigin Busan Nyoza): Garlic is a ninniku, my friend ate basic tonkotsu, and I think I can choose according to my taste hehe I like garlic, I like garlic, Ninniku, and my friend is Tonkotsu, who is faithful to the basics, is life ramen
8. 'Chinchikurin' in Busan where the atmosphere doubles the flavor
Seomyeon “Chinchikurin†is a ramen specialty store run directly by a Japanese person and operates as a bar in the evening, so you can enjoy ramen as a snack. “Soyu ramen,†which is flavored with Japanese soy sauce, and “chashu ramen,†which has tea sugar added to Soyu ramen, are popular among all for their clean and basic flavors. At Chinchikurin, you can also enjoy the spicy “Jigoku Ramen,†and you can adjust the level of spiciness in steps 1, 2, and 3. All menus can be ordered for an additional 1,000 won, minus the portion. Please note that at lunchtime (12:00 – 14:00), there is a bargain set that includes karaage and rice for an additional 3,000 won when ordering noodles.
Photo Source: yolo._.as87's Instagram
â–²Location: 18, Jungang-daero 691beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan â–²Business hours: 12:00 – 02:00 on weekdays (break time 14:30 – 18:00 on weekdays), 12:00 – 02:00 on Sundays (break time 15:00 – 17:00 on Sundays, closed on Mondays â–²Price range: Chashu ramen 8,000 won â–²Review (I go eat beer and ramen in the evening): I went to eat beer and ramen in the evening~~ The atmosphere wasn't too bright, and there's nothing to say anything about the taste~~
9. Japanese raw ramen specialty store “Kamamarui†in Sinchon
At “Gamamarui†in Sinchon, you can enjoy ramen made from freshly picked noodles. When ordering, you can choose between a fresh, light flavor or a rich, deep flavor, and the degree of ripeness of the noodles can also be selected from katamen (the core of the noodles is alive and fluffy), normal noodles (the most suitable noodle condition), and ripe noodles (soft and chewy flavor), so you can order according to your preferences. It's a good idea to note that Gamamarui offers mapo tofu and rice balls for free, but in the summer months, they serve cold donguri soup.
Photo source: Yongnan_'s Instagram
â–²Location: 91-6 Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul â–²Business hours: 11:00-21:00, break time 15:00 – 17:00, closed on Sundays and public holidays â–²Price range: Chashu ramen 9,500 won â–²Review (Shikigin Ukiki 9212): It shows the essence of savory and rich tonkotsu ramen. Hehe, the store is prepared so that you can eat as much mapa tofu as you like, but I didn't eat it on purpose to focus on the flavor of the ramen hehehe
10. Geoje's Flavored Ramen “Aso Ramenâ€
Unlike regular ramen shops where noodles are boiled and served with broth, “Aso Ramenâ€, located near Okpo Market, you can enjoy unique ramen that has gone through a fire show where noodles and vegetables are stir-fried together. Tonkotsu ramen contains marbled rice instead of chashu, giving it a differentiated feel. Ramen with a rich broth can be eaten by rolling the rice in the soup after eating all the noodles. Note that with the exception of Nagasaki champon, you can choose between mild and cool flavors for all ramen.
Photo Source: seol_lee's Instagram
â–²Location: 13 Seongsan-ro, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do â–²Business hours: Weekdays 19:00 – 23:00, Saturday 11:00-23:00, closed on Sundays & Mondays â–²Price range: Tonkotsu ramen 7,000 won â–²Review (Shikigin Moulungaksim): I ordered tonkotsu ramen, but why did the smell come from?!? It's absolutely delicious!!! I feel like eating a different kind of ramen lol