Eungam Station ramen shop, weekend dinner before a checkup: Oreno

The day before my health checkup, I was craving a hot, rich bowl of ramen, so I went to Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong (오레노라멘 은평점). I enjoyed it way more than I expected, so here's my honest review right away..🩷

Oreno Ramen is already famous from the Michelin Guide. According to the writer, it has been selected as a Seoul Bib Gourmand seven years in a row, which is a seriously impressive record. Curious, right?... Here's my fresh review from a weekend evening visit😊

Where is Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, and what are the opening hours?

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong is on Bulgwangcheon-gil in Eunpyeong, between Eungam Station and Saejeol Station, so it's easy to reach by public transport : ) It's open daily 11:00-20:30, with a break from 14:30 to 17:00 and last order at 20:00.

Is there parking at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong?

There's a customer-only parking space on the street right next to the shop, with room for 1-2 cars. If it's full, you can use a nearby public car park, which was really cheap : )

Atmosphere and eating solo at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong sits on the pretty Bulgwangcheon path, and the big sign makes it easy to spot from far away 🙂 The shop is clean and neat, reminiscent of a ramen shop in Japan. The sunlight through the big windows and the green view of Bulgwangcheon made the mood so nice.

It has both bar seats and regular tables, and the interior is simple with no fuss, which felt really pleasant. The open kitchen lets you watch the cooking, which made me trust it even more, and with fast turnover it's no pressure at all to eat alone 😊 In fact, lots of people were dining solo!

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong menu and how to order at the kiosk

The main dishes are tori paitan ramen (rich, savory chicken broth ramen) and its spicy version, karai paitan ramen. You can add pork belly chashu (braised sliced pork), a soft-boiled egg, bottled beer or Coca-Cola.

You order at the kiosk by the entrance, and a staff member kindly helped with ordering too : )

Each table has hair ties, pickled radish, small dishes and cups, and the default water was cold green tea. It was a super hot day and I was exhausted, so cold green tea... 🥹🩷

What does Oreno Ramen's foamy chicken broth taste like?

Our order was tori paitan ₩13,000, karai paitan ₩13,000 and tsukune chashu ₩3,000. That's the savory original, the spicy karai paitan, and chashu too ✨ My first impression was how foamy it was, which was fascinating, and apparently the chicken-based foamy broth is Oreno Ramen's signature! The broth was so smooth with such deep flavor, wow...👍

I love cilantro, so I added some, and a staff member also brought kimchi. The colorful side dishes were so pretty!

Tori paitan: rich chicken broth and chicken breast chashu

Tori paitan, the basic bowl at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, has a deep savory richness from long-simmered chicken that hits from the very first sip. It has a clearly different charm from tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. It could easily be heavy, but what stood out was a deep, smooth flavor rather than greasiness...🩷 The foam makes you think "what is this?" at first, but it isn't stuffy and finishes clean, which I loved.

The noodles are thin and chewy, pairing so well with the rich broth, and the chicken breast chashu was cooked so moist that it wasn't dry even 1%. The best chicken breast I've had in my 30 years of life..

As a cilantro lover, I piled it on and, wow, so good. Some places charge extra for cilantro, but Oreno Ramen doesn't, so I could eat without worrying 👍

Is karai paitan very spicy?

Karai paitan adds a spicy kick to the rich chicken broth, and the heat isn't overwhelming, so even people who can't handle spice can manage it. The name is hard, but the taste is so much fun... If you like spicy, hot flavors, I totally recommend karai paitan! The sharp heat is addictive and keeps you eating.. ✨

There's a generous amount of noodles, wood ear mushrooms, green onions and more, so there's lots to enjoy 😊 When the spice gets strong, try the soft-boiled egg! I wondered how they can make a soft-boiled egg this good.. the best soft-boiled egg of my life!!! 🩷

What does tsukune chashu (chicken meatball) taste like?

The ₩3,000 tsukune chashu I added is round and so cute, right? 😊 I'd never had chashu in this shape. It's packed full, like a homemade tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty)? Or dongnaedangttaeng (Korean meat-filled pancake patty)? The texture and flavor were unusual and I liked it!

Are refills free at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong?

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong gives free refills of noodles, broth, rice and kimchi! It was so good that I asked for half a portion of noodles, broth and rice, and a very sweet staff member kindly brought them..🩷

They don't hand over refills carelessly either, but serve them neatly and cleanly, which really touched me. I was especially surprised that the noodles came with chicken too.. a free service? Unbelievable!!!!

A Bulgwangcheon stream walk after the meal

Bulgwangcheon is right in front of Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, so you can take a walk after eating, which is a great way to digest. A great ramen shop plus this view right outside.... Eunpyeong residents are so lucky

With its clean interior and high-quality ramen, Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong made it easy to see why it's a Michelin Guide-listed spot, both in taste and service🩷 If you're looking for high-level Japanese-style ramen in Eunpyeong, definitely visit once! ✨