Seongsu ramen with beef katsu and potato croquette: Menya Pomo

I've been really into Japanese ramen lately~ while I was out in Seoul I searched for Japanese ramen and found a tomato ramen place, so I went and ate there. Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch.

Where is Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch, and what are the hours?

📍 Address and location

Address: 1st floor, 14-8 Seoulsup 2-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea 🏢

Location: from Suin-Bundang Line Seoul Forest Station Exit 5 or Line 2 Ttukseom Station Exit 8, enter the Seoul Forest café street alley 🚶‍♂️

⏰ Hours

Every day: 11:30–20:30 ☀️🌙

Break time: 15:00–17:00 (last order before break time and 30 minutes before closing)

Why Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch works for eating alone in Seongsu

Even though I visited past lunch hour there were still quite a few people, so I didn't manage to get a proper photo of my seat, but the space is split half tables, half solo-dining bar, so it's really great for eating alone — I was glad I came. Highly recommend for solo dining at a Seongsu restaurant.

A Japanese ramen restaurant where you can enjoy tomato ramen in four different flavors, Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch

A unique tomato ramen specialist: the signature menu items are 'Tomato Ramen' and 'Chicken Tomato Ramen,' made with a broth based on fully ripened Italian tomatoes. 🍅🍜 The charm of finishing ramen as risotto: after finishing the noodles, adding rice and cheese to the rich leftover tomato broth to enjoy as 'risotto' is a popular set combination. 🧀🍚 Cute, sentimental interior: a warm space reminiscent of a cozy restaurant out of an anime, good for a date or solo meal in Seongsu/Seoul Forest. 🎨✨

I love tomato ramen so much that I've had it in Gangnam too, and when I heard this place also has tomato ramen, that's why I visited. By the way, 'Pomo' in Menya Pomo combines 'Menya (麺屋),' meaning ramen shop, with 'Pomo,' meaning tomato, so it means 'tomato ramen shop'! 🍅🍜

Order options: spice level, risotto rice and cilantro

You can adjust the spice level, choose risotto rice, choose cilantro, and choose your drink — I picked oolong tea, and the potato croquette looked so good I added that too.

Your oolong tea

I've been into milk tea lately, so instead of a soda I tried oolong tea.

And then the karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and tomato salad came out, followed by an extra order of karaage!

Here comes the beef katsu tomato ramen with that broth flavor~ feat. risotto rice is also available.

How was the beef katsu tomato ramen at spice level 2?

And finally the ramen I ordered arrived~ you can choose the spice level, and I went with level 2, which was just right. Next time I'll try level 3.

As befits a popular item, the beef katsu (breaded cutlet) was really delicious — the meat packed inside made me want to order more, the texture was excellent, and the meat was so juicy.

And the sous-vide chicken inside was also so tasty ㅠㅠ this place seems like it's just newly opened, and I wished a branch would open in Anyang soon too.

The tomato broth was rich and so, so delicious — truly the best.

Tomato salad, karaage or potato croquette: which side to order

The potato croquette at Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch

And the tomato salad really made me feel they use genuinely good tomatoes. The tomatoes were so delicious — since I love tomatoes, I've tried all kinds, right? You could tell instantly this was a truly delicious tomato, so on my next visit the tomato salad is a must-order. Actually, I think I need to come back out to Seoul just to order this exact same meal again.

And personally I really, really want to recommend the potato croquette~ the potato was so fluffy and delicious that I was glad I added it.

And the finishing touch of Menya Pomo, the risotto

Finishing the leftover tomato broth with cheese risotto rice

The biggest advantage of Menya Pomo is that you can turn the rice into risotto! It means you can enjoy two flavors from one menu item at the same time. From the moment the cheese first arrived the smoky char smell was already something else, and when I was partway through the ramen and poured in the rice, it was such an incredible combination. Hats off to the food-loving experts.

All of this is honestly too much food for one woman eating alone, but you still absolutely have to order the risotto rice, because that smoky cheese on top is a work of art, and once it melts into the broth it becomes cheese risotto rice that pairs so perfectly.

If you like tomato ramen, if you're looking for a place to eat alone in Seongsu, or if you're after something new and special in ramen, I really, really recommend Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch — it has a clear concept and is fun to customize. Return-visit intention: 200%.