These days, when you walk around the streets, you can often enjoy food from neighboring countries and Japan. Especially in winter, when hot soup comes to mind, a bowl of “Japanese ramen†filled with care is not only the rich soup, but also the springy noodles and each garnish. Ramen (ramen) is a Japanese noodle dish in which long, thin noodles made from flour are boiled in broth made from pork, chicken, or bonito, and eaten as a garnish. Japanese ramen began when Chinese noodle making techniques came to Japan, and developed greatly when it became popular as a street food in Chinatown at Yokohama's Nagasaki Port in the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912).
There are 4 main types of ramen depending on the broth. Starting with “tonkotsu ramen (tonkotsu ramen),†which uses broth made from orphans of pork bones, “soy sauce ramen (soy sauce ramen)†made by adding soy sauce to pork or chicken broth, “shio ramen (shio ramen)†with a sauce based on salt is added, and “miso ramen (miso ramen)†with Japanese miso added. There is also “tsukemen (tsukemen),†where ramen noodles and broth are served separately. Also, Japanese ramen is famous for its rich garnish and beauty, and soft-boiled eggs, chashu, green onions, seaweed, bean sprouts, and wood ear mushrooms are representative examples that make the flavor and texture of ramen even richer.
Ramen restaurants in Seoul include Menya Hanabi, Menya Sandaime, Butanchu, Hakata Bunko, Oreno Ramen, Ittengo, Nagomi Ramen, Umaido, Ramen Truck, Okawari, Hanamokoshi, Umikaze, Ichimen, Kenbimen RIKI, Jiro Ramen, Saito, Gamamaru Ramen, Ramen Berabo, Aori's Missing, Chotaro, Saga Ramen, Ramen Moto, Ilak, Ichon Ramen, Kintontei, Kintontei Ramen etc. are famous.
Ramen restaurants around the country include Bundang Koi Ramen, Ilsan Kyushu Ultra Amen, Incheon Sotguchechagi, Mimi, Ulsan Oishi Ramen, Yonju Ramen, Daegu Sanshiro, Asarai Chidai, Tengoku, Busan Homeiken Ramen, Chinchi Kurin, Suwon Kiwamaruaji, Daejeon Matsumi Ramen, Uijeongbu Sakura Ramen, and Gyeongsan Kenjo. The romance of a rich soup that melts in winter! Let's take a look at some of the best Japanese ramen restaurants in Seoul.
1. Enjoy the delicate flavor of ramen as you like, 'Butanchu' in Hongdae
Image source: Shikigami user Wannie
Image source: Shikigami user Wannie
“Butanchu,†a Japanese ramen specialty store located in Hongdae, is a place where you can order ramen that suits your preferences. This restaurant offers four types of ramen: “Toko Tonkotsu†and “Toko Shio Tonkotsu,†which are based on a savory broth made from 100% pork bone; “Soyu Tonkotsu†and “Shio Tonkotsu,†which are based on a clean broth made from pork bone plus Japanese dashi. After selecting the ramen, you can select and adjust the amount of 3 types of noodles with different shapes and thicknesses, the amount of sauce, and the amount of garlic, bean sprouts, and green onions. There is also a bargain set menu where you can enjoy various side dishes such as gyoza, karaage, and donburi along with ramen, so be sure to check it out.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 75, Wausan-ro 35-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
▲Opening hours: 11:30 — 23:00 every day, 11:30 — 21:30 on Sundays
â–²Price: Toko tonkotsu 7,500 won, owned tonkotsu 7,500 won
â–²Review (Sikshin Choi Byung-hoon): The most delicious ramen shop I've ever eaten! The rich pork bone broth is really delicious. They even offer a service where hot stones are added to the soup to prevent the soup from cooling when adding sari noodles. I am once again moved by the attention to detail! And the employees were so upset!! I feel like I'm in Japan when I shout.
2. The beginning of the Japanese ramen craze, the constant “Hakata Bunkoâ€
Image source: spring_b_k's Instagram
Image source: yhi2eee's Instagram
“Hatakabunko†is an eye-catching place with an exterior that looks like a long-established Japanese store. This restaurant's ramen is based on a savory broth made from pork bones for 48 hours. The signature menu is “green ramen,†which adds soy sauce to the basic broth and garnishes marinated pork, bean sprouts, chives, and wood ear mushrooms. Even first-time Japanese ramen tasters are proud of its casual simplicity. “In ramen,†which is loved by ramen enthusiasts, is a menu that enhances the meat flavor and fatty flavor of green pork by adding chewy pork fat. I recommend chopping the whole garlic on the table and adding it little by little. The crisp garlic relieves the flavor of ramen. The “chashu rice bowl,†which is topped with plenty of sweet and salty chashu, is also a popular menu.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 43, Dokmak-ro 19-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
▲Opening hours: 11:30 — 03:00 every day, 11:30 — 02:30 on Sundays
â–²Price: In-ramen 8,000 won, blue ramen 8,000 won
â–²Testimonial (My name is Detective Conan): It's common to say that restaurants like these days are common, and long before there was a flood, Dangun Grandpa's Japanese ramen shop was not as hot as it is now, and people lined up to find it in a small alley hahahahaha, the ramen was so heavy and rich that it felt like it was still in a pig's cage, it was really nice to be crushed and eaten right away when it felt like it was in a pig's cage.
3. The rich flavor of chicken broth, Hapjeong “Oreno Ramen Main Storeâ€
Image source: Shikigami user Han Shang Gom
Image source: Shikigami user Han Shang Gom
“Oreno Ramen Main Store†is a Japanese ramen specialty store that was selected by the Michelin Guide in 2019. Orders are placed through an unmanned meal ticket vending machine placed in front of the store. The signature menu is “Tori Paytan Ramen,†which has an attractive rich chicken broth. The white broth made with domestic chicken and various vegetables is almost like beef bone. Chashu made from chicken topped with garnish, soft-boiled eggs, and finely chopped green onions add a rich texture. “Tori Soyu Ramen,†which has similar ingredients to the broth of “Tori Paitan Ramen,†but has a different cooking method, is also a popular menu. It is characterized by its clear yet deep umami. This place operates as a no-kids zone, and they recently opened branches in Insa-dong and Gongdeok, so check it out.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 14, Dokmak-ro 6-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
▲Business hours: 11:30 — 22:00 every day, B/T 15:00 — 17:00
â–²Price: Tori Phaitan ramen 8,000 won, Tori Soyu ramen 8,000 won
â–²Shikigin (Shikigin Substitute Hyumu-chan): The immaculate flavor of the soup is excellent. The aftertaste is clean. It is a flavor that maximizes the umami of chicken broth. Enjoy adding free noodles:)
4. Authentic Kyushu ramen found in Seoul, “Nagomi ramen†in Hongdae
Image source: please_not_docking's Instagram
Image source: Ramendeclaire's Instagram
“Nagomi Ramenâ€, located in Hongdae, is a ramen specialty store that focuses on noodles picked by hand using soy sauce. The signature menu is “Nagomi ramen,†which is an authentic tonkotsu ramen that has been brewed for 48 hours and topped with a low-temperature soft-boiled egg. The soft egg flavor that is eaten with the soup is excellent. “Kuromayu ramen,†which is topped with Kuromayu sauce made by deep-frying garlic in oil five times, is also a popular menu item. This is a special ramen that contains both the unique aroma and flavor of garlic. If you order a menu for one person here, you can use free extra noodles, so you can have a hearty meal. In all of the prepared menus, you can adjust the degree of noodle cooking in 5 levels, and you can also adjust the richness of the broth with rich broth/mild broth according to your preferences.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 50, Hongik-ro 5an-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul
▲Opening hours: 11:30 — 21:00 every day
â–²Price: Nagomi ramen 7,000 won, tonkotsu ramen 6,000 won
â–²Testimonial (Shikigin, Moon Hwa, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday): I've tried 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
5. Kondae's “Umaido Kondae Branchâ€, the originator of tonkotsu ramen
Image source: Shikigami user Wannie
Image source: Shikigami user Kim Jun-kyu
“Umaidoâ€, which has been in operation since 2007, is a ramen specialty store where you can find ramen from the Hakata region of Japan. Like the name of the store, which comes from the Japanese word for “delicious house,†it offers unforgettable ramen flavors to customers who visit this place. The signature menu is “Tonkotsu Ramen Original,†which features the harmonious flavor of rich pork broth and homemade aged raw noodles. The chewy noodles covered with soup are attractive. “Tonkotsu Ramen Spicy,†which contains spicy sauce flavored with natural ingredients in “Tonkotsu Ramen Original,†is also popular. Note that additional ramen sari must be ordered when about 1/2 of the broth is left.
[Shikigami Tip]
â–²Location: 135-2 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
▲Opening hours: 11:30 — 21:30 every day, B/T 14:30 — 17:00
â–²Price: Original tonkotsu ramen 9,000 won, spicy tonkotsu ramen 10,000 won
â–²Review (Kim Jun-gyu, Shikigami): A ramen restaurant in the east of Seoul that competes against Western ramen representative Menya Sandaime. There used to be a lot of waits when there weren't many ramen shops, but now it's OK! Fortunately, the flavor is still there. The rich broth is still perfect for haemaking. The chashu is in excellent condition, but if they serve thicker chashu according to the trend, it wouldn't be worth five stars!!