Noryangjin Japanese restaurant: mazemen and salmon futomaki at Chome

While looking for somewhere to eat on a date in Noryangjin, we visited Chome (초메). Noryangjin has lots of places that are good for solo meals and plenty of budget-friendly restaurants popular with students, but choosing a menu gets surprisingly tricky when there are two of you. This time, rather than each having just one dish, we wanted to order several things and share them. So we tried mazemen, ramen, and the salmon futomaki (thick sushi roll) that I had been curious about. I thought pairing a noodle dish with futomaki would be filling while letting us try a range of flavors. In the end, the combination was better than I expected. If you are looking for a Noryangjin date restaurant and want somewhere you can comfortably eat and chat rather than somewhere that is only all about the atmosphere, a place like this could be a good pick.

What is the atmosphere at Chome Noryangjin like?

Overall, it had a relaxed atmosphere that was good for a comfortable meal. It suited Noryangjin's lively neighborhood feel, and I saw everyone from solo diners to groups of friends and couples. A date does not always have to mean finding a café with an amazing atmosphere, right? If the point is to have something delicious and talk comfortably, a restaurant like this feels less daunting. We also decided right away, while choosing the menu, to try a bit of everything. I already tend to like mazemen, and we chose ramen because it seemed nice to have one dish with broth. Then we added the salmon futomaki, which made the table look much more plentiful than I expected.

How was the mazemen?

The mazemen was naturally the first thing I reached for. Its signature rich seasoning coated the noodles evenly, so even the look of it suggested a nutty, deeply flavored dish. Once I mixed it well and tried it, the noodles still had a nice springy bite, and the seasoning had soaked in enough that every mouthful tasted bold. It was especially thick and nutty, so I kept reaching for it with my chopsticks. With mazemen, the flavor seems to become more familiar the more you eat, as the seasoning and noodles blend together. Maybe because I already love noodles, I am quite fond of this style of richly seasoned noodle, and it was better than I expected that day. Still, the seasoning is fairly strong, so people who prefer lighter food might find it a little intense.

Why we ordered ramen too

If we had ordered only mazemen, the rich flavor would have continued throughout the meal, so it was nice to have ramen alongside it for sips of broth in between. Even though both are noodle dishes, mazemen and ramen feel quite different, which made alternating between them fun. After the thick, nutty mazemen, a sip of ramen broth made my mouth feel a little lighter. This is a good combination if two people visit and share dishes. One person could order mazemen and the other ramen, then serve each other a little. If, like us, both of you want to try different things, I think it would be more satisfying than ordering only one dish.

How filling is the salmon futomaki?

And the salmon futomaki was something we could not leave out of this meal. I already like futomaki because it is usually packed with fillings, and I was even more curious because this one included salmon. When it arrived, each piece was large, so it looked like more food than I had expected. With several fillings inside, every bite had varied textures, while the salmon's soft, moist quality came together with the rice. The nutty flavor of the seaweed added another layer, making it a completely different kind of dish from the mazemen. Each piece of futomaki was particularly substantial, so it was nice to eat one here and there while having the noodles. The salmon gave it an overall soft feel, and alongside a strongly seasoned dish like mazemen, the flavors did not overlap.

Why the three-dish combination worked

We ordered three things—mazemen, ramen, and salmon futomaki—and sharing them between two made for a really fun lineup. The mazemen was nutty and rich, the ramen brought warm broth and noodles, and the salmon futomaki combined soft salmon with various fillings. Each had its own character, so it never felt like we were eating the same kind of dish over and over. Especially on a date in Noryangjin, sometimes one person wants noodles while the other wants something rice-based. In that case, it was convenient not to have to settle on just one type of menu. This is quietly an important point when looking for a Noryangjin date restaurant too.

A note when ordering several dishes

Noryangjin has so many good-value restaurants that you naturally pay attention to portion sizes and menu combinations for the price. Chome Noryangjin worked well when we visited with the plan of sharing several dishes. Rather than each eating one separate dish, ordering three and sharing small portions gave us the satisfaction of trying a variety of foods. Of course, ordering more naturally raises the bill, so rather than assuming it will be cheap no matter what, I think it is best to choose dishes according to the number of people. We ordered three because we wanted to try this and that, and we ended up quite full. For anyone looking for good value in Noryangjin and wanting a proper meal, this combination could work well.

Is it good for lunch in Noryangjin too?

The dishes did not feel burdensome for lunch, so this could also be useful for anyone looking for a good Noryangjin lunch spot. People studying in Noryangjin or working nearby often have short lunch breaks, so they tend to avoid restaurants with long waits or an overly formal atmosphere. Chome Noryangjin had a comfortable setting for a meal and seemed like a fine place for a lunch appointment. There are filling one-meal options such as mazemen and ramen, and if there are two or more people, you can order salmon futomaki to share as well. If you are alone, one noodle dish should make a meal; if there are two of you, you can add a side. Next time, I think I would have mazemen with just one other dish and take my time a little more.

One small downside

Because we wanted to try several dishes, we ordered three, and it turned out to be more food than expected for two people. At first, I thought we could finish it all, but each piece of salmon futomaki was quite filling, so we got fuller as the meal went on. It was not excessively large to the point that we had to leave food, though, and for us, since we wanted to try different things, it was actually fine. If I visit again, I would adjust the order a little more to suit the number of people. The futomaki in particular was more filling than expected, so it is worth keeping that in mind if you are having it with noodles.

My thoughts after eating at Chome Noryangjin

I visited because I was curious about the mazemen, but afterward I was glad we had ordered the salmon futomaki too. The mazemen's rich, thick flavor, the ramen's warm broth, and the salmon futomaki's moist, soft texture were all different, making them great to share between two. If you are looking for a Noryangjin date restaurant, it could be nice not to overthink it and choose a place where you can eat comfortably and talk. If you are looking for good value in Noryangjin, try adjusting your order to the number of people. As a Noryangjin lunch spot, it also suits a midday meal, with filling dishes such as mazemen and ramen. Personally, I would want to have the mazemen again next time. Sharing little portions of several dishes was fun this time too, so I think I would be curious about other menu items next time. If you are looking for somewhere to go on a date or have lunch in Noryangjin, take this menu combination into account at Chome Noryangjin. Which would you want to try first: mazemen, ramen, or salmon futomaki?