Sokcho ramen restaurant, weekday lunch with kids and karaage: Ichiba

Ichiba Ramen in Sokcho: a 5-minute walk from Deungdae Beach

Ichiba Ramen in Sokcho is a Japanese ramen restaurant at 348 Jungang-ro, open from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Trying to figure out what to eat for lunch, I ended up having a really good bowl of ramen there with the kids.

Being just a 5-minute walk from Deungdae Beach, I thought it'd be great to eat here and then go swimming.

Inside Ichiba Ramen: atmosphere and what makes it easy with kids

Stepping inside Ichiba Ramen, I could feel that unmistakable Japanese ramen shop atmosphere — and since I was really craving a comforting bowl of warm ramen that day, I was excited from the moment I started looking at the menu.

It has an open kitchen, but it was very clean, and I liked that aprons and a baby chair were available.

What we ordered at Ichiba Ramen: tonkotsu ramen, miso ramen, karaage

I ordered the tonkotsu ramen, the kids had miso ramen, and we added gara-age (Japanese-style fried chicken) as a side to share~

Is the karaage worth ordering as a side?

Ramen alone felt like it might not be quite enough, so we ordered gara-age as a side. The crispy fried chicken paired really well with the ramen. Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside, alternating bites of chicken and ramen made the meal even more filling.

Especially when eating out with kids, instead of just one main dish each, adding a side to share makes things easier — I was glad we got the gara-age. Between the ramen and the gara-age, we had a solid, satisfying meal with the kids.

Tonkotsu ramen: broth simmered for 30 hours

I didn't hesitate — I went straight for Ichiba Ramen's tonkotsu ramen, their signature dish. Apparently the owner learned the technique directly in Japan and uses domestic pork bones simmered for over 30 hours to make a rich, deep broth.

Tonkotsu ramen always brings to mind that thick, deep broth from long-simmered pork bones, and I think the broth really is one of the most important parts of any ramen. When it arrived, the rich broth, noodles, egg, and chashu (braised pork) toppings all looked so appetizing together.

I tasted the broth first — deep and rich. If you're someone who loves that distinctive tonkotsu richness, this will satisfy you. Eating the warm broth together with the noodles made me feel full down to my core. The broth clung well to the noodles, and with every bite the savory, deep flavor came through more.

Miso ramen: the bowl the kids chose

Unlike me, the kids chose Ichiba Ramen's miso ramen. Apparently the vegetables and Japanese miso paste are stir-fried together first to bring out that distinct miso flavor. It has a completely different charm from the tonkotsu, and the kids enjoyed it a lot.

Being miso-based, it had that savory, umami-rich flavor, and since the vegetables were stir-fried, there was a subtle roasted aroma alongside the miso flavor. Watching the kids eat it, I thought ramen really is fun because you can pick according to your own taste.

One of the kids happily finished the miso ramen, and I tried a bit of their broth too — definitely different from the tonkotsu. I thought it would be great to order both and compare next time.

Tonkotsu or miso: which bowl won?

Personally, I lean toward ramen with a rich, deep broth, so the tonkotsu ramen was my favorite this time. That broth, simmered carefully for a long time, had a depth I really liked. The kids, on the other hand, went for the miso ramen — the savory miso flavor combined with the stir-fried vegetables went down well with the teens.

Waiting times and tips for visiting Ichiba Ramen

We went on a weekday at lunchtime with the kids, but apparently on weekends and holidays it gets busy enough that they use a table-ing (waitlist app) system. They've thoughtfully set up chairs for waiting guests, which seems nice if you have to sit and wait a while.

Final verdict on Ichiba Ramen for a ramen day in Sokcho

If you're in Sokcho craving Japanese-style ramen — whether you love a rich, deep tonkotsu broth or a savory miso ramen — Ichiba Ramen has options to fit your taste. Since Deungdae Beach is so close, I'd also recommend a walk along the beach afterward to help digest.