Songpa-dong chicken noodle shop: thick-noodle ramen, Cocker Noodle Two

Cocker Noodle Two feels less like a fully Japanese-style ramen shop and more like a ramen shop with a bit of Korean flavor mixed in.

Cocker Noodle Two serves ramen and various dishes centered on chicken. Rather than straight-up Japanese ramen, it feels like it's somewhere between that and Korean noodle soup (guksu).

What kind of place is Cocker Noodle Two?

Cocker Noodle Two is a chicken noodle restaurant tucked in a Songpa-dong alley, where broth simmered from Korean beef bones and chicken bones together is finished with a special tare sauce, and you can choose your noodle thickness. The menu also includes bibim (mixed) dishes, not just ramen.

Walking in, the clean yet cute interior catches your eye first. It doesn't feel like a typical Japanese restaurant — more kitschy — and it's not too heavy or dated, so it was comfortable to eat in.

It's a good option after a walk around Seokchon Lake near Songridan-gil, or when looking for a solo dining spot around Bangi-dong or Jamsil. For the chicken steak ramen especially, I'd recommend building up the flavor in stages — broth alone first, then the soy base, then the chili paste — rather than adding the chili paste right away.

Why check the menu on the in-store kiosk

The kiosk in the store has far more menu items than what's listed on Naver. It's probably better to check in person and decide what to order there.

We ordered Kirin beer, chicken steak ramen, dak-jeon (chicken and chive pancake), and karaage.

The side dishes were simple: diced radish kimchi and seasoned garlic scapes.

Kirin Ichiban with the meal

Kirin Ichiban — Kirin needs no introduction. Its signature bitterness and beer aroma spread out well, with a good level of carbonation. Cocker Noodle Two gives you a cute little glass to pour it into, and small touches like this matched the restaurant's vibe well.

Karaage at Cocker Noodle Two

The karaage isn't the super-crispy fried style. The outside is cooked just enough while the inside stays tender, and it seems to have been marinated in soy sauce beforehand, giving the chicken itself a subtle seasoning. The accompanying sauce is similar to sriracha mayo, with a slight kick — it went well dipped into the mild chicken.

Dak-jeon (chicken pancake)

Dak-jeon is a pan-fried batter mixed with finely chopped chicken and chives. The edges are crispy while the center stays soft. Dipped in the soy sauce it comes with, the seasoning is just right, but personally I preferred dipping it in the sriracha mayo that came with the karaage — surprisingly, it's a great match.

Chicken steak ramen with thick noodles

The main dish — chicken steak ramen. This time I ordered it with thick noodles. When it arrives, a big chunk of chicken steak sits on top, along with a generous amount of vegetables like wood ear mushroom, bok choy, scallion, and bean sprouts. Two quail eggs top it off.

First, I tried the broth alone without mixing in the soy base at the bottom. It felt like a rich Korean chicken soup. Because it's broth from Korean beef bones and chicken bones simmered together, the soup itself is quite deep, with a heaviness like a bone broth. It's less like ramen broth and closer to Korean chicken soup, if I had to describe it — though at the same time there was also a slight refreshing note, like it might come from radish.

The chicken steak appears to be thigh meat, seemingly grilled separately before being placed on top. It's tender with just the right amount of juiciness left in. Scissors are provided to cut the chicken, and there's something fun about cutting up a big piece of chicken like this yourself.

I chose the thick noodles, and they do have a nice chew. Since the broth is so rich, thick noodles actually seem to suit it better than thin ones.

What stood out most was that the ramen includes bean sprouts, wood ear mushroom, bok choy, and scallion, giving it more varied texture than just noodles and meat. I liked that it's built around chicken while still including plenty of vegetables.

Stir in rice and it tastes like dak-gomtang

The rice is worth trying too. It comes in a silver bowl, and rather than being fluffy, it's closer to gently steamed rice. That said, it pairs surprisingly well with the rich chicken broth. Mixing rice into the ramen broth felt like eating Korean chicken soup, making it a nice way to finish off the ramen.

What the soy base and chili paste change

Mixing in the soy base at the bottom of the bowl changes the flavor dramatically. The umami rises and the broth's character comes together. About halfway through, I added the red chili paste too. A slight spicy kick comes through, adding another layer of umami. Since I generally like spicy food, the version with the chili paste added was closest to my taste.

Overall, Cocker Noodle Two felt less like a straight import of Japanese ramen and more like chicken noodle soup reinterpreted around chicken broth for easy eating in Korea. In fact, the restaurant combines broth simmered from Korean beef bones and chicken bones together with chicken chashu and grilled chicken thigh steak, giving it a pretty clear identity of its own.