Bib Gourmand ramen restaurant in Gangnam: paitan and tsukune, Oreno

A Gangnam Station favorite: Oreno Ramen Gangnam

Among Gangnam Station restaurants, I was craving something with warm broth that day, so I went looking for a ramen place. When you're deciding what to eat for lunch and broth comes to mind, ramen is honestly perfect. I didn't want anything too heavy that day, but I also didn't want to just settle for something mediocre — and then I heard there was a Michelin-listed ramen restaurant near Gangnam Station, so I headed to Oreno Ramen Gangnam 〰️

Where is Oreno Ramen Gangnam, and when is it open?

Oreno Ramen started in 2017 out of a small shop in Hapjeong, and in 2019 it was named a Michelin Guide Seoul Bib Gourmand pick — a genuine Michelin-listed ramen restaurant.

Oreno Ramen Gangnam is a 5-minute walk from Gangnam Station Exit 11, tucked behind CGV. If you walk up the Ttamttam pho alley, it's on the 2nd floor of the building with Tteokdorotang on the 1st floor — the big Oreno Ramen sign at the entrance made it easy to find even on my first visit. If you're driving, note that there's no parking at the store itself, so you'll need to use a nearby paid parking lot.

• Location: 28-9 Teheran-ro 1-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 2F
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:30 / Last order 20:00
• Parking: No on-site parking; use nearby paid parking lots

Counter seats or table seats: is Oreno Ramen Gangnam good for solo dining?

At Oreno Ramen Gangnam, the counter seats facing the kitchen had quite a few solo diners, and the layout made it easy to eat quickly by yourself. So if you're looking for a solo-dining spot near Gangnam Station, this place felt easy to walk into without any hesitation haha.

The store was bigger than I expected, with tables in the back that can seat several people. There are table seats too, so it's also fine to come with a friend — and there were actually quite a few people eating there.

Oreno Ramen Gangnam menu and prices

Once you step inside, there's a kiosk right at the entrance where you order and pay directly.

Oreno Ramen doesn't have a huge menu — basically it comes down to the two signature bowls, tori paitan and kara paitan!

• Tori Paitan ₩13,000 — a rich, savory ramen made primarily with chicken
• Kara Paitan ₩13,000 — the same rich, savory ramen with added spiciness
• Mixed Tsukune ₩5,000 (side dish)

Besides the ramen, there are extra toppings and drinks to add depending on your taste, and since the menu itself isn't complicated, it was actually pretty easy to choose haha.

Tori paitan, 13,000 won and served in five minutes

The ramen came out in under 5 minutes after ordering! It's really that fast, so if you're looking for a solo lunch spot near Gangnam Station, I highly recommend this place lol.

I started with the tori paitan. Even in photos you can see how milky-white the broth is, right? Haha. Since it's a paitan broth made mainly from chicken, the savory, rich flavor really came through.

You'd usually think of chicken broth as light and clear, but here the ramen broth was pretty thick and rich instead. Taking a spoonful, the broth itself was incredibly smooth and savory, so it didn't get lost when eaten with the noodles lol. Eating it along with the chicken and wood ear mushroom toppings in between changed up the texture too, so I kept going back for more.

How spicy is the kara paitan at Oreno Ramen Gangnam?

Next up, the spicy kara paitan. Visually it's noticeably redder than the tori paitan — this bowl adds spiciness to the broth. The rich, savory chicken broth flavor of the base ramen stays the same, but with the added spice, the whole feel is quite different from the tori paitan.

I like a rich broth so the tori paitan was delicious for me, but I think anyone who likes a spicy ramen broth would enjoy the kara paitan too haha. It's not overly spicy though — just a light kick, so even those who can't handle spice much can eat it without worry 〰️

There's also a soft-boiled egg in the ramen, and the yolk was cooked super moist and silky — it was tasty even swirled a bit into the broth.

Mixed tsukune chicken meatballs, 5,000 won

The mixed tsukune I ordered as a side came out along with the ramen. Tsukune is a chicken meatball served on skewers, and it came piled with plenty of sauce and toppings on top — the chicken was super moist and tender.

Eating just the ramen could get a little plain, but ordering a side dish alongside it meant I got to enjoy different flavors along the way, which was nice haha.

Free refills of noodles, rice and broth: how they work

And here's the real tip for eating at Oreno Ramen — noodles, rice, and broth are all free to refill, so if you run short while eating, you can just ask for more!

Since the broth was so rich and tasty, I kept asking for refills lol. You can add rice into the ramen broth too, not just noodles, so it was easy to make a filling meal out of it.

Is this Michelin-listed Gangnam ramen worth it? Final verdict

I found this place while searching for Michelin-listed ramen restaurants, and after actually eating there, I could clearly tell why it's known as one of the best ramen restaurants near Gangnam Station haha. Even though it's a chicken broth, it was rich and savory enough that anyone who likes a heavy, tonkotsu-style broth would enjoy it too. With counter seating, it's comfortable to visit alone, so if you're looking for a solo lunch spot near Gangnam Station or a Japanese food option there, I'd recommend this Michelin-listed ramen restaurant, Oreno Ramen 👍