Bucheon ramen restaurant with crisp karaage: Gyeoretsu Ramen

A Bucheon ramen spot after work

The weather suddenly turned cooler lately, and I was hit with a serious craving for something warm and brothy, so after work I went with Daengi to this popular ramen spot in Bucheon. It sits between Bucheon Station and Bucheon University, so it was easy enough to find, but it was the evening peak so there were lots of customers and we had to wait. While waiting, I thought, yep, a popular restaurant really is popular—this is Gyeoretsu Ramen Bucheon University Branch (교레츠라멘 부천대점) ☺️

Gyeoretsu Ramen, a Japanese ramen specialist

Gyeoretsu Ramen is a great Bucheon ramen spot with a rich Hakata-style tonkotsu broth, so you can look forward to the truly authentic ramen flavor you would taste in Japan. I heard it has also appeared as a featured restaurant on SBS's Master of Living.

Kiosk ordering and a compact dining room

As soon as you walk in, you see the kiosk. There is also a menu guide so even guests who do not know much about ramen can choose something that suits their taste—no need to agonize over what to get 🤞

After ordering, you can take any seat you like. The neat, compact space had such a cozy feel, like stepping into a little ramen shop in Japan. There are bar-style seats in front of the kitchen too, so it seems like a good place for a solo meal.

Unlimited rice that goes perfectly with ramen

There is a self-service corner on one side of the restaurant, and the rice comes with unlimited refills...! 🫢 You know how, when you are eating ramen, you suddenly want a spoonful of rice with that rich broth? You can comfortably take as much as you want from the self-service bar, with no need to feel self-conscious! The ramen is reasonably priced too, so this Bucheon ramen spot is such good value—love it❣️

They also have furikake (Japanese rice seasoning) to sprinkle over your rice, and its nutty, salty flavor was exactly my kind of thing!

Rich tonkotsu ramen without the heaviness

After the wait, our tonkotsu ramen arrived. The milky broth was rich and nutty! Broth like this can easily become too rich and cloying as you eat, but this was not heavy at all, and the flavor was wonderfully deep. My partner said the moment they tasted it, it was exactly like the ramen they had eaten in Japan.

Iekei ramen and chicken karaage together

The Iekei ramen my partner ordered combines tonkotsu with chicken oil and a special soy sauce, giving it an even richer flavor and a different kind of appeal. Gyeoretsu Ramen makes its broth fresh every day and prepares its handmade chashu and toppings in-house, so the overall flavor and finish felt really polished. I totally agree that it is a great Bucheon ramen spot 👏👏

The chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken) we ordered as a side was beautifully golden and crisp, with a savory saltiness that makes it an essential ramen pairing. With rich-broth ramen, a side dish, and as much filling rice as you want, Gyeoretsu Ramen was great for an affordable, satisfying meal. I recommend visiting whenever you are craving Japanese ramen 👍