Sokcho solo breakfast ramen with bottled cola: Ichiba Ramen

Traveling without a drink? Not for me... or is that just me? But with unfamiliar scenery and delicious food, drinks are pretty much unavoidable. And now that I'm a bit older, mornings absolutely require a hangover cure.

Even though I was young at the time, back in college I watched a classmate neglect his morning hangover recovery so badly he ended up with a hole in his stomach. Ever since then, even if I drank little, I make sure to always get proper hangover food.

Which Sokcho ramen restaurant opens at 9am? Ichiba Ramen

Ichiba Ramen is a ramen restaurant at 348 Jungang-ro, Sokcho, open from 9am, making it possible to get a proper hangover breakfast there. It used to be near Sokcho Market, but I noticed it has relocated near Yeongnangho Lake.

Sokcho is a great city to travel to. I go a few times a year, and lately I've been going almost every few months. I have good memories of eating well when it was near the market, so when the timing worked out, I went back again.

Ichiba Ramen 📍348 Jungang-ro, Sokcho, Gangwon ⏰Hours Daily 09:00–22:00

Solo-dining seats and where Ichiba Ramen is now

Ichiba Ramen's hours are pretty long, from 9am to 10pm. It's a good distance for a walk along the nearby beach, or around Yeongnangho Lake, and there are a few places to stay nearby too.

It's a good spot to come for a morning hangover cure, or for a bowl of ramen as a late-night snack followed by a beach walk. Since it relocated and expanded, the place is much bigger now, with more seats good for solo dining. It's also a distance you could casually walk from the Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal, so it should work well for solo travelers too!

There are disposable aprons and even a baby chair. Every table has water, paper cups, and chopsticks, and — nice touch — hair ties too. My hair's gotten pretty long these days, so it could've been annoying, but thanks to the owner's thoughtfulness at this Sokcho ramen spot, I could eat comfortably.

Ichiba Ramen menu and prices

Here's Ichiba Ramen's menu and pricing. You'll find ramen, sides, and add-on options.

For ramen, there's the original tonkotsu ramen at the center, along with miso ramen, cold ramen, red snow crab roe cream ramen, and my personal favorite, karai ramen (spicy ramen). If you want a heartier meal, you can add extra noodles, chashu, or egg. For sides, there's butadon (pork rice bowl), chashu-don, and gara-age.

They have draft beer and highballs, so it's good for a late-night drink or even daytime drinking. I went with the nostalgic bottled cola since I was happy to see it.

It's an open kitchen, so you can watch the ramen being made in real time — the noodles boiling, the broth bubbling away on the burner, even the owner slicing eggs with a thread. Watching the process is half the fun at this Sokcho ramen spot.

Bottled cola with a cup of ice

They gave me a cup of ice along with it, so I could enjoy the bottled cola cold even in the heat. I just loved the retro feel of it.

Karai ramen: how spicy is it?

Karai ramen is the perfect Sokcho morning hangover cure. I added 2 pieces of chashu and an egg.

Gara-age prepared and fried to order

Rather than frying up store-bought gara-age, this Sokcho ramen spot preps the meat by hand from scratch. I couldn't resist this. As soon as you order, you can hear it frying — the sound alone is already satisfying.

The taste needs no explanation. I almost ordered a draft beer that early in the morning. This has to be eaten right when it comes out fresh from the fryer. Blow on it a little and it's warm and crispy, pure deliciousness. It comes with a mustard sauce, but honestly it was delicious even without dipping.

The 30-hour broth, extra chashu and egg

Of course, the ramen itself is the star. There's a reason I call this a Sokcho ramen spot worth recommending. It's not one of those places using store-bought or frozen broth you sometimes see. They say they simmer fresh domestic pork bones for over 30 hours to make the broth, following authentic Japanese methods.

The owner apparently flew to Japan with a one-way ticket and trained under 5 ramen masters to learn the craft — and the prices are still reasonable, which makes it impossible not to go.

Maybe that's why the egg is so moist and well-seasoned throughout. I feel like I could eat an egg like this every morning.

The chashu, which looks like it would fall apart at the poke of a chopstick, is incredibly tender with absolutely no gamey smell. No wonder I couldn't resist adding extra chashu.

Please, please drink the broth. How did they get this flavor without it being too intense or salty? It's spicy and tangy, but not mindlessly hot — just the right kind of spicy-refreshing. The noodles are super soft too. And overall, the portions are generous and the servings are big.

Looking at these photos makes me want to eat it again. Next time I have a reason to go to Sokcho, I'll definitely stop by once more. From what I understand, the owner first opened a ramen shop in Busan before coming to Sokcho. Please expand and open a branch in my neighborhood too — Seoul would work just fine..!

Looking for a place to cure a hangover in the morning in Sokcho, or want a proper, filling bowl of ramen? Need a good spot for solo dining? I recommend Ichiba Ramen!