Incheon Nonhyeon late-night Japanese dinner before last order: Hongdae

After work, my boyfriend and I were trying to figure out what to have for dinner, and I suddenly remembered the scooped sushi I'd had before, so we went to Hongdae Gureume. This is my second visit, and once again I ate well — here's my review of this Incheon Nonhyeon-dong spot!

Where is Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon, and its hours and parking

Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch is at 632-2 Nonhyeon-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, on the 2nd floor of the iFlex Building. It's open daily 11:30–21:30, with last order 30 minutes before closing, and parking is supported for 2 hours in the iFlex Building's underground lot.

What the restaurant looks like inside and out

It was already dark out, so I snapped a photo of the sign for Hongdae Gureume on the 2nd floor. You can park in the building's basement, but we just parked on the street haha.

We arrived around 8:40pm on a weekday, and there was no one there, so I thought they'd already closed. Turns out we could still order, phew (last order is at 9pm).

Inside Hongdae Gureume there are about 15 four-person seats, all partitioned off for a fairly private dining feel. There are also bar-style seats, so solo diners can eat comfortably too.

Since this place is known as a Nonhyeon-dong favorite in Incheon, there was a sign near the entrance about waiting, presumably for when lunch or dinner rushes hit all at once.

Hongdae Gureume menu and prices

You order at Hongdae Gureume via kiosk, but there's also a paper menu, so I took photos of it.

<Signature menu>

• Gureume ramen ₩9,900
• Ramen set (tonkotsu broth, Fukuoka style) ₩14,900
• Sake-don (set) ₩16,000
• Snow double cheese katsu (set) ₩13,900
• Mountain-high Fukuoka tower tempura ₩16,900

<Set menu>

• Solo set: choice of 1 of 3 ramens + onigiri ₩14,900
• Solo set: choice of 1 of 3 ramens + 3pcs salmon sushi ₩16,900
• Couple (2-person) set: ramen set + assorted sushi set ₩39,900
• Couple (2-person) set: ramen set + scooped sushi set ₩44,900

There was also a recharge benefit (10–15%) that's only available for purchase in the first week of each month, with a generous 1-year validity period.

Scooped sushi salmon and tuna set, plus spicy egg ramen

This time we ordered the scooped sushi salmon+tuna set for ₩19,900 and the spicy egg ramen (Fukuoka style) for ₩11,500. Even though it was right before last order, the ingredients came out fresh with no sense of running short.

We sat at the same seat, number 2, that we sat at last time haha. While waiting for the food, I noticed a sign about the head chef's career on display. Total 25 years of experience — whoa. Graduated from a Japanese university, majored in Japanese cuisine, and even appeared on all three major broadcast networks — this Incheon Nonhyeon favorite! There's clearly a reason it's so good.

What we ordered — Scooped sushi salmon+tuna set ₩19,900 / Spicy egg ramen (Fukuoka style) ₩11,500

I started with a spoonful of the scooped sushi, and it was just as I remembered. Sushi you eat with a spoon was a bit unusual at first, but with thick slices of salmon and tuna piled on top of the rice, it felt pretty filling bite after bite.

The salmon had good texture while still being soft, and the tuna had just the right amount of fat, so it wasn't greasy and went down clean. I'd worried the ingredients might be running low right before closing, but there was no sign of that at all — everything was fresh.

On top of that, the set came with a nicely balanced variety of side dishes — fried shrimp, sweet pumpkin salad, candied sweet potato, and vegetable salad.

The spicy egg ramen had a tonkotsu broth base, so the soup was savory and rich yet spicy. On top of the noodles were bean sprouts, chashu, and two egg halves. But honestly, that egg was so good — seasoned like a braised egg but soft-boiled in style, it was delicious on its own even without dipping it in the broth. I'd worried about the spice level, but it wasn't harsh at all, just the right amount for me.

My boyfriend, though, was sweating and saying it was spicy... but he still inhaled it like a storm because it was so good haha.

The chashu was cooked tender, and with the added protein, it really felt like a filling, satisfying bowl of ramen for a full meal.

As we were finishing up, I pulled out one of the lucky fortune slips from the jar haha.

You, like a summer night's shower... blessed be, haha.

I read that line and wrapped up the meal on a nice note.

Is it worth going 20 minutes before last order?

Even though we rushed in at a late hour, there was no sense of being hurried — we ate comfortably and left. Among the Nonhyeon-dong restaurants in Incheon, Hongdae Gureume is the place I keep coming back to whenever I think of that scooped sushi. If you're looking for a Nonhyeon-dong spot in Incheon, just make sure to check the visit time and go with some buffer!