Bucheon ramen with thick futomen noodles and oolong tea: Gyeoretsu

Gyeoretsu Ramen Bucheon University Branch is known as a favorite among Bucheon University students. It's close to both the university and Bucheon Station, making it convenient for solo dining. A friend who works nearby told me to try the tonkotsu ramen, so I went in planning to order that.

Gyeoretsu Ramen Bucheon University Branch: hours and parking

• 💛 Hours: 11:30-21:00 (break time 15:00-17:00)
• 💛 Parking: Not available

Weekend late-lunch wait and seating

I visited during a late weekend lunch, and customers kept coming in for late meals just like me — a lot of them seemed to be solo diners or on dates. Since I came late for lunchtime there was no wait, but a friend who works nearby said there can be a line on weekdays. Standing up, you get glimpses of the kitchen, and it looked well kept.

This is the table I sat at — looked like it seated 6 to 8. This particular table had a cozy, almost café-like feel haha. There's a restroom inside too.

There are waiting chairs indoors too, so if there's a line, you seem to wait inside.

Kiosk ordering, karai iekei ramen instead of tonkotsu

You order at the kiosk right by the entrance as soon as you walk in. The ajitama egg isn't a default topping on every menu item, so you add it based on the dish or your preference. I meant to order tonkotsu, but spotted iekei ramen next to it and got curious, so I switched to karai iekei ramen and added the ajitama egg too. Curious about the oolong tea, I added that as well.

They give you a bottle of water, and the oolong tea (Sangaria brand) I ordered came out with it. There's kelp vinegar, red pepper flakes and pepper on the table, so you can adjust the flavor to taste as you eat.

Self-serve bar side dishes and free rice

The basic side dishes are at the self-serve bar too: chopped mustard greens, pickled radish, pickled ginger, minced garlic. Rice is provided free as well (just don't leave any — take only what you'll eat!). There are aprons available too, so if you're wearing something light-colored, definitely grab one~

Karai iekei ramen for ₩10,500: ajitama egg and chashu

Karai iekei ramen, ₩10,500. Iekei ramen is known for toppings of nori seaweed, cooked spinach and thick-cut chashu — this is what came with mine (plus my added ajitama egg).

The egg was cooked just right — perfect for adding on top and eating.

The chashu was also thin and tender, so soaking it in the broth let the flavor really seep in. I ordered it at the default saltiness, and while the bold, punchy flavor is part of the appeal, next time I think I'll dial the saltiness down to mild.

How the futomen noodle texture was

The cooked spinach was a distinctive touch, and the noodles clearly looked different from tonkotsu ramen noodles, so I looked it up — turns out they're called futomen, a thick style of noodle. Thick and slightly curly, they had an appealing chewiness. I didn't add wood ear mushroom and felt a little bit of regret about that at first, but after eating I realized the chewy noodles were satisfying enough without it.

Pairing oolong tea with ramen

This was my first time trying oolong tea with ramen, and it had this palate-cleansing effect that I really liked — I think I'll be ordering oolong tea with ramen a lot from now on.

Finishing the whole bowl left me plenty full, so I was glad I didn't add a side dish! I heard the gyoza is also good, so next time with a friend, ordering gyoza to share sounds like a good idea.

Wrap-up: solo dining to evening ramen and beer

Gyeoretsu Ramen is close to both Bucheon Station and Bucheon University, and solo dining is easy there, so it made for a comfortable meal. They also sell draft beer, so an evening visit for ramen and beer (ramaek) is an option too! You can have as much rice as you'll finish without waste, so you can eat until you're full. I noticed a lot of people ordering mazesoba too, which makes me curious to try it next time at this Bucheon Station ramen spot, Gyeoretsu Ramen Bucheon University Branch.