Ramen restaurant in Mokdong, Seoul for dinner with Mom: Gyedan Ramen

Where is Gyedan Ramen Mokdong Branch and how do you get there?

Gyedan Ramen Mokdong Branch (계단라멘 목동점) is at B103, in the basement food court of the SBS Mokdong Broadcasting Center, 161 Mokdongseo-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. It's about a 7–10 minute walk from Exit 2 of Omokgyo Station on Line 5, and you can use the SBS Mokdong PARK161 retail parking lot.

• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:00–21:00, Sunday 11:00–20:30
• Last order: Mon–Sat 20:30, Sunday 20:00
• Parking: ask staff after your meal for 3 hours of free parking (parking registration required)

My first time at the SBS building in Mokdong!! Honestly it was my first time at any SBS building, so it felt kind of novel, and it turned out to be a really fancy place.

The basement food court in particular is huge, with high ceilings, and it's clean all over, so it had a kind of classy vibe. Maybe because it's a broadcasting building?? Anyway, it was way more pleasant than I expected.

Is Japanese ramen a good dinner choice with Mom?

That day I'd gone to a café near Mokdong with my mom, and to keep dinner light we wandered around the SBS basement food court and ended up at Gyedan Ramen. When I asked her what she'd originally planned to have for dinner, she said she was going to go home and boil instant ramyeon, haha. I told her that if it was ramen she wanted, let's have better ramen today, haha.

To be honest, I was a little unsure about taking my mom to a ramen place. Japanese ramen broth tends to be rich and oily, and some parents dislike it because it sits heavy on the stomach. But she said she hadn't had Japanese ramen in a long time and was happy about it, which was a relief.

Kiosk ordering at Gyedan Ramen Mokdong: easy enough for parents?

You order at a kiosk at Gyedan Ramen. Kiosks are everywhere these days, but parents sometimes find them tricky, so I thought it might be a bit inconvenient if she'd come alone. The staff kindly answered questions while we ordered, though, and explained the menu well, so I think parents could order without much trouble even on their own.

As you'd expect from a ramen specialist, the menu is simple and built around signature dishes. When there are too many items it's hard to decide what to eat, so I liked not having that problem here. I asked the owner for a recommendation, and he suggested Gyedan ramen and motsu ramen (ramen with beef tripe), so we ordered both!

Regular vs rich broth: what's the difference?

We were told the regular and rich options aren't about spiciness but about the saltiness and thickness of the broth. I ordered the motsu ramen in rich, and Mom got the Gyedan ramen in regular. I also added a tamagobap (egg rice bowl), haha. Two bowls of ramen plus rice seemed like a lot for two women, but we ordered it anyway.

Is the tamagobap (egg rice) worth adding?

The tamagobap came out first, topped with a yellow egg, and it looked really appetizing from the color alone. I thought two bowls of ramen would already fill us up and wondered if I'd overdone it, but it turned out to be a great call, hahaha.

How did the rich motsu ramen and regular Gyedan ramen taste?

The motsu ramen had chewy tripe and a rich, nutty broth, while the regular Gyedan ramen was comparatively clean and mild. And then the ramen arrived!! Both the Gyedan ramen and the motsu ramen looked pretty appetizing, with that milky white broth typical of Japanese ramen and generous toppings. Just looking at them felt filling.

I love tripe and large intestine, so I was really looking forward to the motsu ramen. The tripe in it was surprisingly chewy. I prefer tripe that still has some bite over tripe cooked until it's mushy, so I was personally happy with it. The broth is rich and nutty too, so I think it's worth trying at least once if you like tripe.

Mom ordered the basic Gyedan ramen, and since she chose regular strength, the broth felt comparatively clean and mild. Comparing it with the rich one, I could definitely tell the difference in thickness. Of course, it's still Japanese ramen, so the broth had plenty of savory depth.

Honestly, I'd eaten all sorts of things at the café that day and wasn't very hungry, T_T. I wondered if I could finish the ramen, but once I started eating it was so good I kept going. But Mom really enjoyed hers. She practically inhaled it, and I was kind of shocked. I had no idea my mom could put away ramen like that.

The tripe in the motsu ramen kept a nicely chewy texture. Eaten with the rich broth, the nutty flavor was great, and the noodles went well with the broth too.

How soft was the ajitamago (marinated soft-boiled egg)?

The ajitamago (soy-marinated ramen egg) at Gyedan Ramen had a moist, soft-boiled yolk. The egg is something I quietly care a lot about at a ramen shop. A true ramen place is decided by its ajitamago.

I cut the egg in half and the yolk was beautifully soft-boiled. A perfectly moist jammy egg. Good. An egg like this just raises my satisfaction with the whole bowl.

And of course, you can't skip putting rice into the ramen broth. The rich broth went well with the rice too, and I enjoyed it to the end. I said I was full, and yet here I am eating this too.

Which broth strength to pick when dining with parents

If you're going to Gyedan Ramen with your parents, I recommend the regular Gyedan ramen. The rich one is tasty too, but regular was easier to finish without feeling weighed down, and personally I'd order regular when I come back.

I finished the noodles right to the end too, haha. Mom did so well with the regular that I'd say go for the regular Gyedan ramen if you're visiting with parents!! And she also polished off the tamagobap I'd added, hahahahahaha. She doesn't usually eat this much, so she must have really liked it. I felt weirdly proud. I was a bit sad I wasn't hungry because of all I'd eaten at the café. Next time I'll come when I'm properly hungry, haha.

When you start to get tired of the broth, stir in the sauce and it turns spicy, haha.

Is Gyedan Ramen Mokdong good for eating alone?

Besides the regular tables, Gyedan Ramen has study-room-style solo seats at the back of the shop, which makes it good for dining alone. I looked around the shop a bit more before leaving, and at first I'd thought it only had ordinary table seating.

When you come to a ramen place alone, it can feel awkward to take up a big table, so having separate solo seats seemed like a comfortable way to eat. It also seemed fine for people working in the SBS building or nearby office workers coming alone for lunch or dinner. The shop isn't noisy and has a quiet atmosphere, so it looked good for a solo meal.

Another thing I personally liked: the shop has a huge speaker, hahahahaha. You could tell at a glance it was an expensive, high-quality one. Seeing something like that just makes me like a place. I wondered if the owner loves music, and with the interior too, you could see the little details he'd clearly cared about.

Gyedan Ramen Mokdong Branch: final verdict

The food was tasty, the staff were kind, and above all Mom enjoyed it so much that it was a really satisfying meal! I think it's a good place to visit if you want a solo meal near SBS in Mokdong or a clean, tidy bowl of Japanese ramen. I especially recommend the regular Gyedan ramen. Thanks for the meal-!!