Ramen for two in Seongsu with chicken karaage: Menya Pomo

🍜 Anyone in Seongsu craving something a little different from your average bowl of ramen? Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch, which I visited recently, specializes in tomato-based ramen.

It's a clear departure from familiar styles like tonkotsu or shoyu, which felt refreshing, and what really stood out was being able to add rice to the leftover broth and finish it off like a risotto. We agonized over the menu and landed on the tantan tomato ramen and the tom yum tomato ramen — both had really distinct personalities, so if you're going with someone, I'd recommend ordering two different flavors to compare.

Where Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch is, and what it's like inside

Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch is an easy walk from Seongsu Station. It's tucked in the alley across from Heartz Bakery, near the I'm Donut corner.

It's right in the main commercial stretch of Yeonmujang-gil, so it's an easy stop if you're already out on a Seongsu date. The interior was clean and casual overall.

Ordering was handled via tablet right at the table, which was convenient. Looking at the menu, there was quite a range — from the basic tomato ramen to chicken, Korean beef cutlet, and real tomato versions.

The tomato ramen in particular comes in several styles you can choose based on your taste — original, bone broth, tom yum, Indian, and tantan — so picking your menu on a first visit is half the fun.

Tantan vs tom yum tomato ramen: which should you order?

Our first pick at Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch was the tantan tomato ramen. We ordered it at spice level 3 with added chicken breast.

The savory, rich character of tantan layered onto the tomato base worked together better than I expected.

I ordered mine at spice level 3, and since I generally like spicy food, it didn't feel particularly hot to me. If you love spice, you could probably go up a level or two. 🌶️ It also came loaded with toppings — minced meat, egg, onion — which were great mixed in with the noodles.

Then there was the tom yum tomato ramen we ordered alongside it, with added Korean beef cutlet and the cheese rice option.

The distinctive tangy, exotic aroma of tom yum combined with the tomato's acidity made this a completely different style from the tantan. Even though both share a tomato base, the flavor directions were quite different, which made it fun to order one each and share.

Unlimited rice refills: turning leftover broth into tomato risotto

What was unusual about Menya Pomo was what happens after you finish your ramen. There's rice set up at the self bar in the store, so rice refills are unlimited.

If you save a little of the ramen broth and add rice to it, you can finish it off like a tomato risotto.

Between the bowl of ramen and the rice on top, it's a pretty filling meal. Personally, since the base is tomato, the rice didn't feel out of place at all and paired well — I'd recommend adding at least a little rice rather than stopping at just the noodles.

Best side dish at Menya Pomo: the chicken karaage

The chicken karaage we ordered as a side at Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch was also delicious.

The outside was crispy, but the chicken inside was way juicier than I expected. I cut it in half to take a photo, and you could see how moist it was from the cross-section alone.

If ramen alone feels like it's not quite enough, this is the side I'd recommend adding. It paired really well with the tomato ramen too — I was glad we ordered it together.

Want something fresh on the side? The tomato salad

I also think adding the tomato salad is a good call.

Thick-cut tomato slices come with a generous amount of sauce on top and shredded cabbage underneath — good to snack on in between bites of ramen or fried chicken.

It's an especially good combination if you order something richer and savory like the tantan.

Is Menya Pomo good for solo diners or for two?

Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch is clean overall and you can order right at the table, so it seems like a comfortable spot for solo diners looking for a Seongsu restaurant.

Since you can top it off with rice too, it's pretty filling for a lunch on your own. On the other hand, the menu itself is different enough from a typical ramen shop that it also works well as a Seongsu date-course spot.

If you're going with two people, I especially recommend ordering different tomato ramens like we did, so you can compare!

Craving a different kind of ramen in Seongsu?

I honestly couldn't quite picture what "tomato ramen" would taste like going in, but once I actually tried it, the pairing of ramen and tomato felt more natural than expected at Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch. It was great being able to pick between completely different styles like tantan and tom yum, and the way it flows from ramen into a rice-risotto finish was a fun touch.

Personally, the chicken karaage was better than expected, so I'd recommend it as a side. It's a place worth trying once when you want something different from your usual Seongsu order. Next time, I'm curious about the bone broth or Indian tomato ramen and want to try a different flavor.