Mangpo Station noodle shop dinner with demi hire katsu: Myeonsikdang

I went for dinner to Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station. As the name suggests, this is a place where you can enjoy all kinds of noodle dishes — and this time, I actually had a hard time picking what to order.

I wanted ramen, but I was also craving a rice dish, and a clean-broth rice noodle soup too. So this time I picked menu items that each had a different appeal. Bottom line: since I could enjoy both noodle dishes and rice dishes together, it was a pretty satisfying dinner.

What's the atmosphere like at Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station?

The interior of Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station had a warm, comfortable feel centered around wood tones. The wooden tables and chairs came together for an overall clean yet cozy vibe, and the soft lighting made it a nice spot for dinner.

There are seats set up for solo dining as well as table seating, so it doesn't feel awkward whether you're visiting alone or eating with one other person.

The whole process, from ordering to eating, felt fairly relaxed, so it seemed like a good spot even when you just want a casual meal.

How does the tonkotsu ramen + fire-flavor mini buta-don (12,900 won) taste?

The first thing I ordered was the tonkotsu ramen + fire-flavor mini buta-don for 12,900 won.

This combo really lived up to its name — a match made in heaven. The tonkotsu ramen came piled high with bean sprouts, scallions, a soft-boiled egg, chashu, and seaweed.

Eating the noodles with the milky, smooth tonkotsu broth gave a savory, rich flavor, and the generous amount of bean sprouts added a crisp texture too.

The chashu in particular was cooked soft and went well with the ramen, and adding the soft-boiled egg made the mild, savory flavor even richer.

And here's the great thing about this menu — ramen alone can feel a bit lacking, but it comes paired with the fire-flavor mini buta-don! The buta-don, finely diced pork with a smoky char, let me enjoy a completely different flavor from the ramen.

Alternating bites between the ramen's smooth, rich broth and the smoky buta-don, I kept reaching for more without ever getting tired of it. It's a really great combo for a day when you want both noodles and rice.

A mini buta-don packed with smoky flavor

The fire-flavor mini buta-don at Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station comes in a mini portion that's not too much, so it paired nicely with the ramen.

The subtle smoky char on the pork really perked up the appetite, and eating it with rice brought out a salty, savory umami flavor.

A spoonful of ramen broth, then a bite of buta-don, then a bite of ramen noodles, then buta-don again — eating this way, I felt like the two dishes filled in each other's gaps.

What's in the shabu rice noodles + demi hire katsu?

The second thing I ordered was the shabu rice noodles + demi hire katsu. When you think of Myeonsikdang, rice noodles are naturally the dish that comes to mind.

The shabu rice noodles feature a clean broth with chewy noodles and tender meat, giving off a completely different vibe from the tonkotsu ramen.

There's a generous amount of bean sprouts, chives, and onion, along with plenty of thinly sliced meat on top. Tasting the broth first, it was clean and mild rather than heavy or intense, making it easy to eat without any burden.

The bean sprouts kept a crisp texture even in the broth, and the rice noodles blended well with the soup, making them easy to slurp up. The meat was also tender, matching well with the noodles' texture.

Demi hire katsu made with domestic pork tenderloin

The demi hire katsu that came with the shabu rice noodles also caught my eye. Made with domestic pork tenderloin, the hire katsu had thick yet tender meat, with a crispy batter topped generously with creamy demi sauce.

The sauce coated the katsu moistly, so with each bite you could feel both the crispy batter and the tender tenderloin at the same time. In particular, the thick layer of demi sauce gave it a different appeal than plain hire katsu on its own.

Alternating between the rice noodles' clean broth and the katsu's savory, rich flavor, this combination worked well too.

Overall thoughts on dinner at Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station

This dinner visit to Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station was appealing because it lets you enjoy such a wide range of menu items — from ramen to rice noodles, katsu, and rice bowls — all in one place.

In particular, the tonkotsu ramen + fire-flavor mini buta-don at 12,900 won that I had that day was a really great combo. Between the rich, savory tonkotsu ramen paired with crisp bean sprouts and tender chashu, and the smoky buta-don in between, it was a filling and fun meal.

On the other hand, the shabu rice noodles + demi hire katsu let me enjoy clean broth, chewy rice noodles, tender meat, and crispy hire katsu all together — a combination that works well when you want to taste different dishes at once.

Above all, I liked being able to combine noodles, rice, and meat dishes together rather than just eating one menu item.

It's a good spot whether you want a hearty dinner, or you're visiting with friends so everyone can order something different and share. If you're looking to enjoy a variety of noodle dishes in a warm, comfortable atmosphere, Myeonsikdang Mangpo Station is worth a visit.