Weekday evening solo ramen and self-order kiosk: Oreno Ramen Gangnam

A 3-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11

It was a weekday evening after work with no plans. While looking for a good spot for solo dining near Gangnam Station, I ended up here — Oreno Ramen Gangnam. It's about a 3-minute walk from Exit 11 of Gangnam Station, behind the CGV.

I visited on a weekday evening and the place was packed and buzzing. I guess that means plenty of people come here for a solo meal near Gangnam Station without hesitation.

The vibe and the open bar seating

🏠 A space with exposed pipe ceilings and a wooden bar counter

The interior has quite high ceilings and felt a bit like a rest-stop diner.

There's also an open bar seating area where you can see straight into the kitchen — a lot of solo diners sit here. I enjoyed my solo meal at this counter too.

Hair ties are provided too, so even with long hair you can eat comfortably without worrying about broth splashing.

Ordering through the self-service kiosk

📋 Self-ordering with the menu board and an unmanned ticket machine

To order, you pay directly at the self-order kiosk by the entrance. Once the receipt prints, you hand it to a staff member.

There was a sign saying you'd get a can of cola if you wrote a Naver receipt review. Scan the QR code, write the review, and show it to staff.

There are only two menu options — mild or spicy, haha. I ordered the spicy kara paitan (₩13,000), plus assorted tsukune (₩5,000) and a zero-sugar cola (₩2,000).

The food came out really fast after ordering!

So what does kara paitan taste like?

🍜 Kara paitan ramen, notable for its rich broth

Kara paitan is a spicy version of tori paitan ramen — apparently a chicken broth base with a touch of tonkotsu broth added. Toppings include wood ear mushroom, chopped scallions, a soft-boiled egg, sous-vide chicken, and fried onions. One sip of the broth and you immediately get that rich, savory chicken-broth flavor.

Rather than being aggressively spicy, it felt like heat layered on top of deep umami.

Chicken chashu

I assumed chashu meant pork, as usual, but it turned out to be chashu made from sous-vide chicken. It's thinly sliced, with the grain still visible, so it pulls apart easily and softly with chopsticks. It wasn't dry at all — cooked moist and tender.

Ramen wouldn't be complete without a soft-boiled egg, right?

The yolk was cooked just enough to ooze out softly.

Noodles (half or full), broth, rice, and kimchi are all free refills, according to the signage — so if you want more, just ask the staff.

The side dish: assorted tsukune

🍡 Assorted tsukune in two flavors — mentaiko mayo and cheese powder

For a side, I added the assorted tsukune (chicken meatball skewers). It's chicken shaped into meatballs and grilled, and one plate comes with two versions. One is a plain version topped with cheese powder and pepper, the other has mentaiko mayo and scallions on top. The chicken meatballs themselves were moist, not dry at all.

Side dishes: kimchi, pickled ginger, watermelon

🥬 Kimchi, pickled ginger, and watermelon served as banchan

The side dishes were napa cabbage kimchi, pickled ginger, and watermelon. The tangy pickled ginger cut through the richness nicely, making it good to alternate with the broth.

Michelin Bib Gourmand, 8 years running

🏅 Named to the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list for 8 consecutive years

In one corner of the restaurant, several copies of the Michelin Guide Seoul were laid out, open to the page featuring Oreno Ramen. It was reportedly the first ramen restaurant selected for the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand category back in 2018, and has kept its spot for 8 consecutive years through 2025.

The flagship location is in Hapjeong, with other branches in Insa, Songpa, Eunpyeong, and Jamsil Lotte World Mall.

Visitor info for Oreno Ramen Gangnam

• 📍Location: 28-9 Teheran-ro 1-gil, 2F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🚇Transit: About 264m from Gangnam Station Exit 11
• 🕐Hours: 11:00–20:30 (last order 20:00, may vary by day)
• 📅Reservations: Not required
• 🅿Parking: No dedicated parking; nearby Yeoksam Culture Park No. 1 public lot recommended

Who I'd recommend this to

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a satisfying solo meal near Gangnam Station, anyone who wants a rich broth without an overwhelming punch of spice, and anyone who wants to enjoy spicy ramen alongside good sides.