Eungam-dong ramen after the menu renewal: coriander tori paitan, Oreno

📍 Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong (오레노라멘 은평점) — 366 Bulgwangcheon-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Open daily 11:00–20:30.

Where is Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong?

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong is a chicken-broth ramen shop on Bulgwangcheon-gil, 5 minutes from Exit 1 of Saejeol Station. I drop by whenever I crave a creamy white chicken broth ramen, and it has always satisfied me, a real Eunpyeong ramen favorite. It had been a while, so I stopped in alone after work, and true to its place as the top ramen shop in my neighborhood, it served the same rich, clean chicken broth ramen as ever.

Since it's a Bulgwangcheon spot at Saejeol Station, I walked home afterward to help digest, and the weather was cool and lovely. Bulgwangcheon really is Eunpyeong's highlight, haha.

This summer was unusually hot, but autumn has arrived as if nothing happened. The days are shorter, and in the dim evening the red neon sign on the outside of Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong stood out. The exterior looks different after sunset. I went right in, haha.

Is Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong good for eating alone?

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong has dark wood bar tables that suit solo diners, plus a fair number of 4-person tables. The place was bigger than I expected and kept clean. Since I was alone I sat at the bar, which is very close to the open kitchen, so you can watch the staff working hard up close, haha.

Oreno Ramen's menu during the renewal, and how to order

You order at a kiosk and pay in advance. Because the menu is being renewed, the pork belly chashu isn't served, and there are just two dishes: tori paitan and karai paitan (spicy). I ordered at the kiosk and sat down.

The new tsukune (grilled chicken meatball) assortment I saw on Naver doesn't seem to have launched yet 😢 I was hungry, so I placed my order quickly. And I plan to load it up with coriander!!

Even though I was alone, I ordered like a pro~~ tori paitan ramen with an extra egg, plus coriander and a beer.

How does the tori paitan broth taste?

Oreno's tori paitan has a white broth that isn't greasy, just pure mellow flavor. It comes with seaweed, scallions, chicken breast and a soft-boiled egg.

Does coriander go well with tori paitan?

Whenever I come to Oreno, I always add coriander to the tori paitan. My beloved coriander, haha. Oddly, even though it isn't Southeast Asian food, coriander goes really well. It cuts the slightly heavy feel of the chicken broth and makes it tastier. If you like coriander, definitely add it!!

Radish pickles and kimchi

What I kept reaching for at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong was the radish pickles. Kimchi is also served if you ask, but I didn't request it. I think I refilled the radish pickles about three times~

Is chicken breast alone enough without the pork chashu?

The chicken breast in the tori paitan was tender and juicy. I used to add pork belly chashu every time, and I started to wonder whether removing it was meant to preserve the bowl's true flavor~ The basic version is plenty delicious, haha.

Why the broth wasn't salty even right before closing

Another reason Oreno is so good is that the broth isn't simply salty; the saltiness is well balanced. I visited almost at closing time, yet the broth wasn't salty and was just right. I was impressed that they keep the broth's salinity steady until the very end.

The soft-boiled egg I added was moist. Eaten with the broth, the richness of the yolk blends in and brings out the flavor.

The noodles were chewy. The creamy white chicken broth, the noodles and the tender chicken make a perfect trio.

Tori paitan and a beer after work

This time I had Oreno's tori paitan with a beer~ With a cold beer, it felt like all of today's fatigue vanished. I was so full that I couldn't bring myself to refill the noodles or rice.

Is Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong worth recommending?

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, a top Eunpyeong ramen spot, is great for eating alone and the shop is clean, which I liked. With the weather turning chilly, I recommend it as a Bulgwangcheon spot for rich chicken broth ramen.