Sokcho ramen restaurant with cold crab ramen: Ichiba Ramen

After eating sashimi and fried food in Sokcho, I was craving a warm bowl of ramen, so we went to Ichiba Ramen (이찌바라멘) in Yeongnang-dong. The two of us ordered hiyashi chuka (Japanese-style cold ramen), karai ramen (spicy ramen), and chashu-don (braised pork rice bowl); what I liked most was the thin noodles with their slightly firm bite.

Where is Ichiba Ramen, and is parking available?

Ichiba Ramen is at 348 Jungang-ro in Yeongnang-dong, Sokcho. It is along the roadside, and its Japanese ramen-shop feel makes it fairly easy to spot. It is about a 10-minute drive from Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, so it was a reasonable stop after looking around the market.

Parking is available along the side of the restaurant building. The hours listed in the original post are 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily, with last orders at 8:30 PM.

There is a Tableing waitlist registration point at the entrance. We visited a little after lunch and were able to go in without waiting.

Are there seats suitable for solo diners?

Once inside, the space felt larger than it looked from outside. There were tables for two and four, as well as counter seats, so I thought it would feel comfortable enough to come alone for ramen.

What is on the menu, and how do you order?

There were several kinds of ramen, rice bowls to have alongside them, and karaage. Hiyashi chuka, a Japanese-style Chinese cold noodle dish, especially caught my eye.

We ordered from the kiosk toward the back of the restaurant. We chose spicy karai ramen, cold hiyashi chuka, and chashu-don.

The table was set with wooden chopsticks, paper cups, danmuji (pickled yellow radish), shichimi, and pepper. There was information about a review event, and hair ties were available on one side.

Before long, all three dishes arrived. With two bowls of ramen and the chashu-don together, it looked generous for two people.

What does the red snow crab hiyashi chuka taste like?

Hiyashi chuka is cold ramen topped with tomatoes, cucumber, egg, and other ingredients over shoyu tare. Here, it is described as a Sokcho signature dish with red snow crab meat added.

The egg was soft-cooked, with a moist yolk.

The noodles were thin but not overcooked, with a slightly firm bite. The texture reminded me of ramen I had eaten in Japan, and it was my favorite part of this meal.

I ate the noodles, moistened with sauce, with tomato on top. The red snow crab meat added flavor, and the dish was refreshing and light overall, making it a clean lunch option.

How spicy is the karai ramen?

Karai ramen is tonkotsu-based ramen with added spice. The red broth was rich and warming.

The karai ramen also had a good noodle texture. Although the rich broth coated the noodles, they did not go soft and remained springy.

It was a little different from the kind of warming Korean-style spice I usually think of. It was not overly intense, with a clean heat. If you want it hotter, you can add the shichimi on the table.

What were the price and portion like for the chashu-don?

We also ordered chashu-don because ramen alone felt a little incomplete. It was ₩5,500 at the time of our visit. I expected a small bowl, but the portion was larger than I expected.

It had plenty of large pieces of chashu, along with pickled ginger, scallions, and onion.

The chashu was savory and salty, which went well with the rice. Alternating between the ramen and chashu-don made for a filling meal.

The hiyashi chuka was refreshing and light, while the karai ramen had a rich, warming broth, so each had a different appeal. What stayed with me most was the thin, slightly firm noodle texture I found in both dishes.