# Spicy tonkotsu ramen with Shin Ramyun-level heat at Shomendo, Hongdae - By Yuna G. (https://superchart.com/en/@incheon-meal-almanac/) - Written Sep 20, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored visit to the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@incheon-meal-almanac/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@incheon-meal-almanac/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/index.md) ## In short Shomendo is a Hakata tonkotsu ramen restaurant in a Yeonnam-dong alley near Hongdae, Seoul. The writer ordered the Hakata tonkotsu ramen and the spicy tonkotsu ramen, stirred in garlic partway through, and finished by mixing takana (pickled mustard greens) and nikumiso (meat miso) into a bowl of rice before tipping it into the broth. The spicy tonkotsu ramen lands at about the heat of Shin Ramyun, so most Korean diners will find it easy to handle. ## Good to know - **Location**: 1st floor, 24-2 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul - **Hours**: Tue–Sun 11:30–20:30 (break 15:00–17:00), last order 20:00 - **Getting there**: About a 10-minute walk from Hongik Univ. Station Exit 3 - **Ordered**: Hakata tonkotsu ramen, spicy tonkotsu ramen, extra bowl of rice - **Perks**: Two free noodle refills and free rice with a Hakata tonkotsu order - **Seating**: Bar-style counter seating *as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026* ![Hakata tonkotsu ramen at Shomendo in Yeonnam-dong, main photo](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-01-oc6xq-1200.webp) 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 ![Shomendo's clean exterior in a Yeonnam-dong alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-02-yg9y7-875.webp) Being a recently opened ramen shop, Shomendo's clean exterior caught my eye first. ![Shomendo's entrance and store signage](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-03-1w4n7-900.webp) ![Sign introducing Shomendo's Hakata tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-04-1s0o0-900.webp) 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. ![Interior of Shomendo](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-05-11b93-900.webp) ![Bar-style seating at Shomendo](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-06-jhcta-m-900.webp) 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. ![Sign explaining how to enjoy Hakata tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-07-1x3j5-m-750.webp) ### 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 ![Shomendo's ramen menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-08-1scbn-900.webp) For our order, we went with the Hakata tonkotsu ramen and the spicy tonkotsu ramen. ![A bowl of Shomendo's Hakata tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-09-s7364-900.webp) The Hakata tonkotsu ramen is Shomendo's signature dish. ![Hakata tonkotsu ramen's rich broth and thin noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-10-1vmhj-900.webp) ![Close-up of the tonkotsu ramen's chashu and toppings](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-11-1kumb-900.webp) I think the broth, simmered richly from pork, is what stands out for its deep flavor. ![Adding garlic to the tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-12-1ajuc-900.webp) ![The tonkotsu broth after garlic is added](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-13-2n1ps-900.webp) Once the garlic went in, I could feel the broth become cleaner and the depth of flavor deepen even more. ![Lifting the noodles out of the Hakata tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-14-rh5s3-900.webp) ![A bite of Shomendo's ramen noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-15-1r1be-900.webp) ### 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. ![A bowl of Shomendo's spicy tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-16-s8zj6-900.webp) ![The red broth and noodles of the spicy tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-17-1roat-900.webp) 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. ![A spoonful of the spicy tonkotsu ramen broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-18-1sx5m-900.webp) ### 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. ![The extra bowl of rice that was ordered](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-19-1wr9a-900.webp) ![Rice topped with takana and nikumiso](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-20-1kmv6-900.webp) ![Rice mixed with takana and nikumiso](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-21-10pxo-900.webp) I mixed the rice with the takana and nikumiso that had come earlier, and it had a savory, addictive flavor. ![Candy provided after the meal](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen-22-1wksl-900.webp) 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. ## Where it is - Shomendo (쇼멘도) - 24-2 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 동교로46길 24-2 1층 - 37.5621001, 126.9258624 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%87%BC%EB%A9%98%EB%8F%84/@37.5621001,126.9258624,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@incheon-meal-almanac/shomendo-spicy-tonkotsu-hongdae-ramen/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt