Yeonnam-dong ramen restaurant with free noodle refills: Shomendo

I go crazy for ramen. I like both clear broth and cloudy broth, but I think I lean a bit more toward tonkotsu. Probably because my very first ramen was at Hakata Bunko, and that left a big impression on me.

Today's spot is the Yeonnam branch of Shomendo (쇼멘도).

What kind of ramen restaurant is Shomendo?

The birthplace of ramen is said to be Hakata in Fukuoka, and Shomendo serves Hakata-style ramen.

One big strength: two free noodle refills. Honestly, an adult man eating just one bowl of ramen usually gets hungry again before the next meal. Offering free refills like this naturally boosts the return-visit rate.

Please check the business hours, and watch out for the break time.

Inside Shomendo: seating and cleanliness

Take a look at the overall feel. Being newly opened, it has no lingering smells, no grease, no dust, no unpleasant odors — genuinely clean. I also like the open kitchen; it's the kind of place where you don't have to worry about hygiene while you're paying to eat. I think cleanliness is the single biggest factor in deciding whether I'll come back.

Wood-tone white interiors are an unbeatable combination, I think. It has a Japanese feel while still being approachable.

My ramen-loving friend, who came along again today, stared intently at the mechanics of how a ramen shop runs. I joined in and did some analyzing myself.

He seemed impressed watching the kitchen stay so tidy. Good stuff.

A place this kind is rare. There are some young folks out there who seem to think being unfriendly is cool — that's really not it. Kindness might be one of the last weapons a person still has. Plenty of people don't have any weapons at all, so I hope everyone arms themselves with it.

What is on the self-serve side-dish bar?

On the tables at Shomendo you'll find sesame, pepper, and vinegar. Neat and tidy.

Takana looks like some kind of pickled mustard greens, similar to gat kimchi maybe? There's also danmuji (pickled radish), nikumiso, and minced garlic. Nikumiso is apparently a miso you spoon over rice.

How we ordered our Hakata ramen

Here's the menu! We both went with Hakata ramen — my ramen-loving friend chose regular salt with extra oil, I went salty with extra oil, and we both added an egg. Whether it's ramen or any foreign food, even if it's unfamiliar, I try to eat it as close to the local style as possible.

We asked for rice right from the start and got it set up properly. Getting your setup right at the beginning makes the whole meal more comfortable.

How does Shomendo's Hakata tonkotsu ramen taste?

The ramen arrived looking sharp and clean. The chashu was great, the half egg was great — nothing to complain about with this tonkotsu ramen. Apparently it's more precisely an iekei style.

Honestly, it holds up even against the real thing in Fukuoka. Not a hint of anything artificial-tasting — rich, thick, and deep. Totally worth the money.

The bracken fern was great too — overall, this is a well-rounded, high-completion ramen shop across the board. Nice to see an owner with real experience.

I wonder what 'Shomendo' actually means. Curious.

Rice with nikumiso and the 2 free noodle refills

I also tried scooping the nikumiso miso straight onto plain rice. Delicious — a savory paste, kind of half ssamjang, half doenjang in feel.

After scarfing that down quickly, I went for the noodle refill. Base noodles, rice, and then another noodle refill — a full-on carb bomb. I'd just barely kicked my noodle addiction, and now I'm right back to being addicted...

I mixed a bit of the broth with the spicy takana over rice and dug in properly — total rice thief of a dish.

For the second half after the noodle refill, I stirred in some minced garlic and went all in on the rich, deep broth. This one earns its place as a standout tonkotsu ramen spot. Highly recommended for anyone missing that Fukuoka Hakata-style flavor.