Ramen restaurant by Lake Yeongnang in Sokcho: hiyashi chuka, Ichiba

I stopped by Sokcho last Sunday morning and stumbled onto a genuinely incredible ramen restaurant, so I wanted to share it. This place carries the proud title of "ramen from a Korean chef recognized by a Japanese ramen master" — Ichiba Ramen, a well-known ramen restaurant in Sokcho.

Where is Ichiba Ramen? Right beside Lake Yeongnang in Sokcho

Ichiba Ramen sits at 348 Jungang-ro in Sokcho, with Lake Yeongnang right beside it.

Since Lake Yeongnang is right next door, it seems like a great spot to visit by bike, too.

Outside Ichiba Ramen: a white single-story building

As you can see in the photos above, the exterior is a clean, pretty white-toned single-story building.

These exterior shots were actually taken by my husband the next dawn, while biking past — he thought it looked too pretty not to photograph, haha.

Inside Ichiba Ramen: roomy tables and a high chair for kids

Looking at the interior photos, there are quite a lot of seats, spaced out generously, which made it really comfortable for us to visit as a family. There's also a kids' chair tucked into one corner. Even though we arrived early on a Sunday morning, the place was already packed — clearly a real local favorite.

Ichiba Ramen menu and kiosk ordering, including hiyashi chuka cold ramen

At Ichiba Ramen, you order comfortably at the kiosk near the entrance, browsing menu photos — easy even on a first visit. They even have hiyashi chuka, cold ramen.

It's a one-person operation, run solely by the owner, yet the place is remarkably clean and tidy. There's a cute little interior touch on the wall that looks like a miniature fairy door, and each table has its own neatly arranged set of condiments like togarashi pepper and shichimi.

They're also running an event where leaving a Naver or Google review gets you a free seasoned egg, chashu, or a bowl of rice, and you can comfortably order through the entrance kiosk while browsing menu photos.

Four bowls for a family of four at Ichiba Ramen

True to its reputation as a top Sokcho ramen restaurant, the menu has a huge variety. Here's what our family ordered, each picking according to our own taste!

• Tonkotsu ramen
• Miso ramen
• Hiyashi chuka (cold ramen, Sokcho signature)
• Karai ramen (spicy)

Karai ramen: how spicy is it?

The karai ramen comes loaded with scallions and minced garlic, giving it a spicy, punchy broth that hits the spot for Korean palates — perfect as a hangover cure. Highly recommended for anyone who loves heat.

Tonkotsu ramen at Ichiba Ramen

The tonkotsu has that rich, deep broth that makes you go "now that's the real thing" — topped generously with tender, hefty slices of chashu and wood ear mushroom with a nice crunch. No gamey smell at all, just savory goodness that anyone, young or old, would love.

Hiyashi chuka, the Sokcho-signature cold ramen

Hiyashi chuka is a dish most ramen restaurants don't really serve, so it feels like Ichiba Ramen's own signature specialty. It's piled high with carefully shredded crab meat, crisp julienned cucumber, and cherry tomatoes, all colorful, with shaved ice floating on top — refreshing just to look at. The cool, tangy-sweet umami flavor brought my appetite right back after it had wandered off. You could really see the owner's care in studying Sokcho's local character to create this.

Miso ramen at Ichiba Ramen

The miso ramen has a rich soybean-paste-based broth that's deeply savory and full of umami — the kind of flavor that keeps your spoon coming back for more.

Finishing the broth with a bowl of rice

At Ichiba Ramen, once you've finished all the noodles, try tipping a bit of rice into the pale, rich broth. The broth itself is so deep and well-extracted that you can't help but add rice — finishing every drop is a must.

If a ramen restaurant this clean and this carefully made were near Sinchon or Hongdae in Seoul, I think I'd probably be visiting every week like it was some kind of quest. We ended up enjoying far better ramen than we expected during our Sokcho trip, and the whole family finished the meal in a great mood.

If you're ever in Sokcho, enjoy a walk or a ride along the Lake Yeongnang trail, and definitely try what might become your favorite ramen ever!