Eunpyeong ramen restaurant sharing two bowls of paitan: Oreno Ramen

When the weather starts turning cool, there's something about wanting a hot, rich broth. But not something too heavy — sometimes you want a dish you can slurp down noodles-and-all and still end up feeling satisfied, not stuffed.

This time, since it felt like a waste to pick just one flavor, I ordered both tori paitan and karai paitan at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong. Both are chicken-broth based, but eating them side by side, the appeal was clearly different. At the end I even added rice to enjoy the leftover broth properly.

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong menu, prices and how to order

I ordered one bowl each of tori paitan (₩13,000) and spicy karai paitan at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong. You order at a kiosk, and the restaurant has dachi bar seating that's good for solo diners.

Arriving at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong and looking at the menu, the signature tori paitan and the spicy karai paitan caught my eye first.

I thought about ordering just one, but curiosity about the difference won out, so I ordered a bowl of each and also picked a cola to drink alongside. Tori paitan (₩13,000) is known for its pale, rich chicken broth, while karai paitan adds spiciness to the same base broth.

Ordering through the kiosk made it easy to take my time browsing the menu and choosing. The dachi bar seats for solo diners also looked like a comfortable option for eating alone.

If you like rich chicken broth, this place is worth seeking out as a ramen spot — and the fact that it's not just one style but offers choices depending on taste was a plus. Visiting with a companion who has a different spice tolerance would work fine here.

What does the tori paitan at Oreno Ramen taste like?

Tori paitan at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong is the base menu — pale chicken broth topped with chicken, a soft-boiled egg, and scallions. It's rich but leans savory and smooth rather than greasy.

The tori paitan looked quite intense from its pale appearance alone. Chicken, soft-boiled egg, and scallions sat on top, with finely whipped foam on the surface that had my spoon reaching for the broth before the noodles.

One spoonful in, it wasn't heavy or greasy the way it looked — it leaned rich yet smooth. The savory chicken flavor lingered pleasantly in my mouth without being overwhelming, so I kept going back for more.

Loosening up the thin noodles and eating them together, the rich broth naturally clung between the strands. Rather than a thick-noodle chewiness, this was a style that balanced well when eaten together with the broth.

The chicken topping wasn't dry at all — it was moist, and with the soft-boiled egg on top the whole bowl felt substantial. If you personally prefer savory and deep flavors over sharp ones, I'd recommend this one.

Trying the basic menu made it clear why Oreno Ramen keeps coming up as a ramen spot — and it seems like the kind of thing you'd especially crave on a chilly day among Eunpyeong restaurants.

How is karai paitan different from tori paitan?

Karai paitan is the same rich chicken broth as tori paitan, but with a spicy kick added. Alternating between the two bowls, the impression was clearly different from the first bite.

After a few bites of tori paitan, I compared it right away with the karai paitan. Same family of menu, but the first bite gave a distinctly different impression.

Where the basic menu leads with savoriness and smoothness, karai paitan adds a sharp spiciness on top of that, giving it a flavor that really wakes up your appetite.

The presence of the rich chicken broth stayed intact, but with the spiciness layered in, it also felt relatively cleaner in a way.

Alternating between the two bowls made the difference even more noticeable. If you want mild and deep, go with tori paitan; if you want spicy alongside rich, karai paitan should suit your taste. In between, I sipped cold cola, which was great for cleansing the palate between rich mouthfuls.

Being able to directly compare a difference I'd never have noticed if I'd only had one was satisfying, and ordering different menus to share turned out to be a good way to enjoy a ramen spot. It's especially convenient if you're looking for an Eunpyeong restaurant to visit with someone whose spice preference differs from yours.

Is adding rice to the leftover chicken broth worth it?

At Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong you can add extra noodles or rice. Adding a bit of rice to the leftover rich chicken broth felt as filling as a chicken broth rice soup.

Even after finishing most of the noodles, it felt like a waste to just leave the rich broth behind. Since Oreno Ramen lets you add noodles or rice, we chose rice at the end. Rather than mixing in rice from the start, we enjoyed the noodles and toppings fully first, then added rice bit by bit into the leftover broth.

It was a different experience from eating the noodles — as the rich flavor soaked into the rice grains, it felt just as filling as a hearty chicken broth rice soup. Adding rice to the karai paitan in particular blended nicely with the spiciness and made a satisfying finish, while the tori paitan version came out even more savory and smooth.

Looking at the price of a single bowl, you might wonder about the portion size, but with this add-on option, even bigger eaters should be satisfied. If you find it a shame to stop at just the noodles at a ramen spot, be sure to follow up with the rice too. Between two bowls, cola, and rice at the end, we walked away properly full.

Which of the two bowls should you order?

This visit to Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, comparing tori paitan and karai paitan side by side, made the difference between the two much clearer.

Tori paitan is rich, savory, and smooth; karai paitan takes that same deep base broth and adds spiciness — so pick based on what you're craving that day. Pairing it with cola and adding rice to the leftover broth at the end made the meal far more filling than just one bowl of noodles alone.

If you love rich chicken broth and are hunting for a good ramen spot, or looking for an Eunpyeong restaurant that can satisfy different tastes at the same table, I'd recommend ordering one of each at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong and comparing them yourself.