Gangnam Station ramen, spicy kara paitan and kimchi: Oreno Ramen

I was craving good ramen in Gangnam and went looking, which led me to Oreno Ramen Gangnam, famous as a Michelin restaurant 🍜 I already love ramen so I went in with high expectations, and honestly, this place was just so good…🥹 The karapaitan I ordered was completely my type! Between the wontons and the Japanese-online-famous stuff…

Oreno Ramen Gangnam / 28-9 Teheran-ro 1-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 2F / Daily 11:00–20:30 / Last order 20:00

What kind of place is Oreno Ramen Gangnam? The Gangnam branch of the Hapjeong original

I was hunting for a good ramen spot in Gangnam and ended up at Oreno Ramen Gangnam! It's famous as a Michelin restaurant too, so I was really excited before even walking in haha. The original branch is in Hapjeong!

How long is the weekday lunch wait at Oreno Ramen Gangnam?

As expected for a famous Gangnam ramen spot, there was a wait even on a weekday! Probably because it was lunchtime. We waited about 20 minutes before getting seated. Still, the turnover was faster than I expected, so it didn't feel like a super long wait haha.

The menu: tori paitan and kara paitan, two bowls only

Oreno Ramen serves tori paitan, kara paitan, and more. I was in the mood for something spicy that day, so I ordered the kara paitan 🌶️

Inside Oreno Ramen Gangnam: seating and table setup

They even had waiting seats, which I really appreciated,

and the inside was clean and way bigger than I expected. There were quite a lot of solo diners too. Seeing the wait, I could tell this popular Gangnam Station ramen spot was on another level haha.

The seats were tidy and neat, which was such a nice touch! There was ice water on hand, and each table even had wet wipes and hair ties — such a thoughtful detail haha.

Free refills of noodles, rice and broth: how the system works

One more thing I loved about Oreno Ramen — you can get free refills of noodles, rice, and broth. When you're eating good ramen, sometimes you want a bit more broth or feel like the noodles weren't quite enough, so being able to add more is such a great system. It's a real treat for anyone who hates leaving good broth behind haha. We wanted to try it too, but the portion was already so big we couldn't manage it 😭 I saw guys refilling though, and I think it'd be amazing for them!

Why is the kimchi at a ramen restaurant this good?

And here's something that impressed me even more than I expected — the kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) haha. Seriously, is it even allowed for a ramen place's kimchi to be this good…? A bite of kimchi between bites of ramen totally cleaned my palate, so I kept reaching for it… The pickled radish was amazing too!!!! If you love kimchi, you'll love this combo!

What does the kara paitan taste like, and how spicy is it?

Finally, the kara paitan arrived 🍜 The look alone — rich, thick broth — made me want to dig in right away. This place only has two options: the mild tori paitan and the kara paitan.

I took a sip of the broth first and — wow… it was genuinely so good 😭!!!!! It wasn't just spicy — the rich, savory chicken broth combined with the heat to create a deep, layered flavor. I personally prefer a slightly spicy, rich broth over a plain one, so kara paitan was completely my type. It's not too spicy either, so it's a heat level anyone could enjoy!

Noodles, wood ear mushrooms, soft-boiled egg and chicken

The wood ear mushrooms, noodle thickness, and soft-boiled egg were all top-tier… taking a bite of noodles soaked in that rich broth… the noodle-and-broth combo was so good, and the more I ate the more I wanted. Once I tasted it, I understood why this is such a famous Gangnam ramen spot and Michelin restaurant.

And the chicken on top was seriously so tender! It wasn't dry at all — moist and soft — and it went so well with the ramen broth!!

Visiting tips and final verdict on Oreno Ramen Gangnam

In the end, I cleaned the bowl completely haha. The broth was so good I couldn't stop until the very last drop 🥹 There was about a 20-minute wait even on a weekday, but Oreno Ramen was worth it! Living up to its reputation as a famous Michelin restaurant, the ramen itself was excellent, and personally I really loved the combo of rich broth, spicy flavor, and tender chicken. On top of that, the kimchi was delicious and the free noodle/broth refills made the whole experience even more satisfying!

If you're craving a rich, spicy ramen in Gangnam, I recommend Oreno Ramen Gangnam 🍜🤍 There can be a wait even on weekdays, so I'd suggest arriving a bit earlier than mealtime if you plan to visit. Total strong recommend for ramen lovers!!