Namdong Japanese restaurant for Fukuoka-style ramen: Hongdae Gureume

Japanese-style ramen found in Incheon's Nonhyeon-dong

There are so many truly great places to eat around Nonhyeon-dong, Incheon, right? If you love Japanese food, there is an I-Flex Building restaurant in Incheon Nonhyeon that you really have to try. Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch (홍대구루메 인천논현점) serves delicious Japanese ramen along with sushi, tonkatsu (Japanese breaded pork cutlet), and rice bowls. It captures the local flavor so well that people call it a Fukuoka food spot you can walk to.

My wife and I were really craving Japanese-style ramen, so we searched for a good place and ended up here. Parking was easy in the I-Flex Building, and the restaurant was easy to find once we headed up to the second floor. Even though it is on the second floor, there was a wait. That kind of presence you only get from seriously famous restaurants!!

There were so many people eating that every table was full, so I could not take pretty photos of the tables. After the wait ended and a seat opened up, we got a table and ordered.

Parking and the restaurant atmosphere

The address is 17 Nongogae-ro 123beon-gil, Namdong-gu, Incheon, I-Flex Building, 2F, Room 202. It is close to Incheon Nonhyeon-dong, so it is convenient by subway, and the building parking lot makes parking easy too. Hours are 11:30–21:30 daily.

Once you step inside, it feels a little different from an ordinary neighborhood Japanese restaurant. It genuinely feels like you have come to Japan. There are an incredible number of regulars who have registered their stamps like this, and there were lots of Japanese-style props and food-related decorations too.

There are two- and four-person tables that are great for eating alone, and it is also a well-known Incheon Nonhyeon restaurant and date spot to visit with friends, a partner, or family. If you are looking into a date course in Incheon Nonhyeon-dong, definitely check out Hongdae Gureume.

A broad menu, from ramen to scoopable sushi

Hongdae Gureume's biggest strength is its truly wide menu selection. It is not a place that sells only ramen: there are Japanese-style ramen, Kumamoto-style ramen, Fukuoka-style ramen, and Korean-style ramen. There is also its signature scoopable sushi, regular sushi, tonkatsu, rice bowls, mobile, and a wide range of other dishes and sides.

Fukuoka-style ramen set meal and extra noodles

I ordered the Fukuoka-style ramen set meal. It was so savory and nutty that I even added an extra serving of noodles. It felt completely different from Korean instant ramyeon, more like eating an upscale dish than simply having ramen ^^

Because it was a set meal, it came with three pieces of chicken, and they were delicious. They tasted completely different from the frozen chicken I usually have. They were so good that I wanted to order at least 10 more pieces.

We ordered two ramen set meals here. Personally, I think the one menu you absolutely need to have at Hongdae Gureume is the scoopable sushi. Most people ordered it, so next time we are planning to have the scoopable sushi too!!

The Korean-style ramen I found even tastier

We ordered the Korean-style ramen as a set with sushi. It has a slightly Shin Ramyun-like feel, but it does not taste like Shin Ramyun at all; it has a refined, genuinely Japanese-style flavor. Personally, I found the Korean-style ramen much tastier than the Fukuoka-style one. This is seriously... haha, it is delicious.

Ordering one spicy-feeling ramen and one clean-tasting ramen like this meant I could not think of any other Incheon Nonhyeon restaurant. The crunch of eating the noodles with bean sprouts was so good too, and the meat was absolutely fantastic. The seasoning was perfect.

We lost track of time, alternating between the Korean-style and Fukuoka-style ramen. We had been planning a winter food tour in Fukuoka, but maybe we can travel somewhere else and enjoy the Fukuoka style at Hongdae Gureume instead~? haha

The sushi included in the set meal

We also tried the sushi that came with the set meal. The fish was very fresh and really delicious. The set came with three pieces, but I think it would also be great to order sushi separately and enjoy it properly. It had been a while since we found such a genuinely good Incheon Nonhyeon restaurant, and it was so nice to have a date with my wife.

Recommended for these diners

• Anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant near Incheon Nonhyeon Station
• Anyone looking for great ramen in Incheon Nonhyeon-dong
• Anyone who wants to try Kumamoto-style ramen
• Anyone who wants to try something different from regular sushi
• Anyone curious about scoopable sushi
• Anyone who wants tonkatsu and ramen together
• Anyone looking for a Japanese restaurant that is good for eating alone
• Anyone looking for a place to eat with family or a partner
• Anyone looking for a good Incheon Nonhyeon-dong restaurant with parking

If you want to enjoy a variety of Japanese dishes in Incheon Nonhyeon-dong, definitely visit Hongdae Gureume Incheon Nonhyeon Branch. What really stayed with me was that, beyond everyday ramen and sushi, it has dishes with Hongdae Gureume's own character, such as Kumamoto-style ramen and scoopable sushi. The ramen is Japanese-style ramen with a rich broth, while scoopable sushi offers a different kind of fun from regular sushi. It is close to Incheon Nonhyeon Station and convenient for parking too, so keep it in mind.^^