Spicy tonkotsu ramen with Shin Ramyun-level heat at Shomendo, Hongdae

Hi everyone~ it's Chetche, the blogger who loves to eat! If you go looking for a place to eat around Hongdae or Yeonnam-dong, you won't have any trouble finding Japanese ramen shops. Among them, the one I'm introducing this time is Shomendo, tucked in an alley in Yeonnam-dong. On this visit I ordered the spicy tonkotsu ramen and the Hakata tonkotsu ramen. From what I can tell, Shomendo currently pushes Hakata tonkotsu ramen as its signature dish.

Where is Shomendo, and how long is the walk from Hongik Univ. Station?

Shomendo is located at 24-2 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's open Tue–Sun 11:30–20:30, with a break time from 15:00–17:00 and last order at 20:00.

It's about a 10-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik Univ. Station, so I think it's a good spot to grab a meal while wandering around Hongdae or on a date.

Inside Shomendo: counter seating that suits solo diners

Being a recently opened ramen shop, Shomendo's clean exterior caught my eye first.

Shomendo can be described as a Yeonnam-dong Japanese tonkotsu ramen shop whose signature dish is Hakata tonkotsu ramen. As the name suggests, the basic direction follows the tonkotsu ramen style familiar from the Hakata area of Fukuoka, Japan.

Tonkotsu ramen is known for using broth simmered from pork bones for a long time, and Hakata-style ramen tends to use relatively thin noodles — likewise, Shomendo's noodles are thin and straight.

Shomendo has bar-style seating, which makes it a comfortable structure for solo dining. Since ramen is ordered per bowl anyway, I think it's easy to pick a menu item and eat alone here.

Three steps to eating Hakata tonkotsu ramen the way Shomendo suggests

In front of each seat at Shomendo, there's a guide on how to enjoy the Hakata tonkotsu ramen.

• First, taste the rich tonkotsu broth as it is.
• In the middle, add garlic to bring the flavor up a level.
• At the end, mix the takana and rice together and drop it into the broth to finish.

On top of that, ordering the Hakata tonkotsu comes with two free noodle refills and free rice, so you can eat until you're full.

Shomendo's Hakata tonkotsu ramen and spicy tonkotsu ramen compared

For our order, we went with the Hakata tonkotsu ramen and the spicy tonkotsu ramen.

The Hakata tonkotsu ramen is Shomendo's signature dish.

I think the broth, simmered richly from pork, is what stands out for its deep flavor.

Once the garlic went in, I could feel the broth become cleaner and the depth of flavor deepen even more.

How spicy is Shomendo's spicy tonkotsu ramen?

Shomendo's spicy tonkotsu ramen adds a kick of heat to the tonkotsu broth, making it the kind of ramen Korean diners would likely enjoy.

The spice level is similar to shin ramyeon. It's nowhere near as spicy as buldak bokkeum myeon or yeolramyeon, so it was a heat level most Korean diners would find totally manageable.

Rice mixed with takana and nikumiso in the tonkotsu broth

At Shomendo, after finishing the tonkotsu ramen you can add extra noodles or rice, so I ordered an extra bowl of rice.

I mixed the rice with the takana and nikumiso that had come earlier, and it had a savory, addictive flavor.

On top of that, they even gave us candy at the end to freshen up our mouths, so I could finish the meal happily right to the last bite.

Pairing a Shomendo meal with a Yeonnam-dong walk

Since Shomendo is located in Yeonnam-dong, I think it's a good idea to pair it with a walk around nearby cafés. Yeonnam-dong has restaurants and cafés scattered throughout its alleys, so there are plenty of places to visit before or after a meal. For example, you could spend the afternoon wandering around Yeonnam-dong and then have dinner at Shomendo after the break time ends at 17:00.