Gongneung-dong tsukemen restaurant: rice in thinned sauce, Torikokoro

Where is Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store?

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store is a tsukemen restaurant in Gongneung-dong, Nowon, Seoul, between Taereung Station and Gongneung Station. From either station, figure on roughly a 10-minute walk.

It was one of those days when I thought, "I want to eat something different today!" My wife and I picked tsukemen at Torikokoro Gongneung.

How is parking at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store?

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store has no parking lot of its own. We drove that day, and if you come by car, I'd suggest using the Modu Parking (모두의주차) app to find an affordable spot. I parked for 1.5 hours and paid ₩1,800.

This is the storefront after we parked nearby. Torikokoro sits in a basement with a cute sign, and several flags reading "ramen" caught my eye right away. You shouldn't have any trouble finding it.

Waiting and ordering at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store

We went for a late lunch around 1:30 pm and there was no wait. We walked straight in, ordered and paid at the kiosk we could see, and that was it.

Seating and interior

Inside, the seating is set up as bar tables like this. The kitchen is open, which made the place feel even more trustworthy.

If you're wearing a coat, there are hangers set up separately at the back, so you can eat comfortably.

The in-house noodle-making space

What impressed me was the noodle-making space inside Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store. You can see flour and the noodle-cutting machine in a fairly large area at the back of the shop. I understand the restaurant takes real pride in its tsukemen noodles, and this space felt like proof of the effort and philosophy behind recreating the local flavor as faithfully as possible.

What you notice once you sit down

After ordering, I sat down and looked over the tableware and other little things.

Right in front of us were cups and a box of chopsticks. Hair ties are also placed here and there on the tables, a thoughtful touch especially for women with long hair.

In what order do you eat tsukemen?

The wall at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store spells out the order for enjoying tsukemen. First try the noodles on their own, then with salt, then dipped a little at a time in the sauce. It's a dish where finding your own seasoning is part of the fun.

From our seats we could see the food being prepared in the open. Each order was made carefully, one at a time, to match what we'd asked for.

Tsukemen vs. karai miso tsukemen: what's the difference?

At Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store we ordered the tsukemen and the karai miso tsukemen. Think of karai miso (spicy miso) as the regular tsukemen with a spicy kick. Personally, I liked the karai miso tsukemen with its slight heat better, and it isn't too spicy either.

Finding my own combination by dipping

I followed the suggested order, dipping one way at a time, and set out to find my own combination. Personally, I liked it best dipped in salt and dipped generously in the sauce. (You can also add a suitable amount of vinegar or pepper to the sauce to make your own blend.)

The toppings were tasty too. Especially the thick chicken thigh, which had a nice bit of char flavor.

Can you eat leftover tsukemen sauce with rice?

Near the end of the tsukemen, I poured hot broth a little at a time into the leftover sauce to dilute it, then ate it with rice. Personally, this was the finishing touch for me, and it left me feeling properly full.

It seems not many people eat it this way, but if you get the chance, ask for a small portion of rice and try it. (Note that, depending on the shop's situation, the rice may run out.)

A first-time tsukemen couple's one-line verdict

It was actually the first time either my wife or I had tried tsukemen, and Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store gave us a pretty unusual and satisfying lunch. There may be a wait at peak mealtimes, so keep that in mind when planning your tsukemen outing.