Konkuk Univ. ramen shop: thin noodles and hangover ramen, Sonoki Ramen

From discounts to freebies! Sonoki Ramen is a great find near Konkuk Univ. Station

Where is Sonoki Ramen Konkuk Univ. main branch, and when is it open?

Sonoki Ramen Konkuk Univ. main branch is a 5-minute walk from Konkuk Univ. Station, at 2F, 88 Dongil-ro 20-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Jayang-dong). It's open Mon–Thu 11:00–22:00 and Fri–Sun 11:00–01:00. It's right by the university, so lots of people eat solo here, and the discount events and freebies are so good that I'm happily recommending it~

• Address: 2F, 88 Dongil-ro 20-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (Jayang-dong)
• Hours: Mon–Thu 11:00–22:00 / Fri–Sun 11:00–01:00
• Facilities: separate men's/women's restrooms, takeout, Wi-Fi, delivery, mobile payment

Is Sonoki Ramen near Konkuk Univ. Station good for eating alone?

The seating is tables for two, so it's totally fine to come alone. It was perfect when I just wanted a quick bowl of hot ramen, haha

They also run Instagram and blog events, so it'd be great to join in! At the table there were hair ties, pepper and small plates ready for us~

What's on the Sonoki Ramen menu, and how much does it cost?

The main dish is the basic Sonoki Ramen, with plenty of other options like miso ramen, mazesoba (brothless mixed noodles), hangover ramen and rice bowls, plus good-value set menus, haha. This kind of place suits a university neighborhood so well. Here's what we ordered that day.

• Sonoki Ramen ₩11,800
• Hangover ramen ₩11,000
• Yakigyoza (pan-fried dumplings) ₩4,500
• Soy sauce egg rice ₩3,800

Ending the day with a bowl of rich-broth ramen

What surprised me first when the food arrived was how generous the portions were. The side dishes were nice to share too~

How do the tonkotsu Sonoki Ramen and soy sauce egg rice taste?

I ordered the Sonoki Ramen and the soy sauce egg rice, and eating them together left me so full and satisfied, haha

Tonkotsu broth and adjustable spice level

Sonoki Ramen is built on a tonkotsu (pork bone) broth with a deep, rich pork flavor, and you can adjust the spice. Ask for slightly spicy and it cuts the richness, giving you a refreshing but still full-bodied broth, haha

The oil floating in the middle adds a little heat, but it's not very spicy, so pick whatever suits your taste. The aroma of the scallions you bite into is nice too, and the broth was clean with no porky smell, so I really enjoyed it, haha

Menma, smoky chashu and egg toppings

The menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) were cooked quite soft, so instead of a crunchy bite they almost melted in the mouth, which wasn't bad at all~

The chashu (braised pork slices) is seared over a flame for a smoky aroma that adds to the broth, and it melted softly in my mouth, really delicious,

and the egg was moist and went so well with the broth, haha

Soft, thin ramen noodles

Sonoki Ramen uses thin noodles, cooked soft and tender, which suited me perfectly. The rich tonkotsu broth clings to the thin noodles as you lift them, and the umami is so good, haha

Eating ramen has made me realize I like this kind of thin noodle cooked soft and tender~

Wrapping the noodles in seaweed adds the seaweed's flavor and tastes great too, haha

Soy sauce egg rice loaded with toppings

The soy sauce egg rice also comes with generous toppings, and when you break the yolk and mix it all together,

the umami of the rice is really good, haha Soy sauce egg rice is common, but I think the charm is that it tastes a little different depending on the toppings added~

How spicy is the hangover ramen at Sonoki Ramen?

The hangover ramen and yakigyoza were ordered by Kkumi, who loves spicy broth. The hangover ramen, loaded with bean sprouts and scallions, felt like Korean ramyeon (instant-style noodles).

It was set up like the Sonoki Ramen, minus the menma and one slice of chashu, haha But with so many sprouts and scallions, it still looked really generous.

Look at this rich broth! Doesn't it look spicy at a glance~ True to the name, it was a savory, spicy broth that really soothes your stomach.

The nutty fat of the chashu went with the spicy broth, and that was really delicious too, haha

There's extra seasoning on top as well, and if you stir it in well, the spicy broth gets even better, haha If I hadn't been full...! I wanted to toss rice into that broth.

Dunk the bean sprouts and scallions in the hot broth and let them cook just a little! The noodles are the same thin ones, and noodles that come up soaked in such a strongly savory broth are just so good, T_T

Eating them with the sprouts and scallions gave a refreshing taste that made me feel hungover-cured even though I hadn't had a drop of alcohol.

Crispy yakigyoza (pan-fried dumplings)

The yakigyoza came out nicely crispy, and the inside was moist with seriously juicy filling~

What are Sonoki Ramen's lunch perk and student discount?

If you visit before 12:00 for lunch, they give you an egg and chashu as a freebie..! That's almost ₩4,000 worth, isn't that great?! Come early and fill up on a bowl of ramen for lunch~

Honest review and plans to return

At Sonoki Ramen Konkuk Univ. main branch, the staff were so friendly, and the good-value ramen and side dishes were so delicious, haha It's near the university, so there's a Konkuk Univ. student discount, and before 12:00 at lunch they give a free egg and chashu, which is super generous..! I left very satisfied and recommend it as a ramen shop for eating alone near Konkuk Univ. Station.