Hongdae ramen restaurant with all bar seats: Shomendo shrimp tonkotsu

I was looking for a good solo-dining spot in Yeonnam-dong when I came across Shomendo. I already love tonkotsu ramen, and when I saw they had a shrimp version on the menu, I went straight there — go go! The vibe was clean and the food was great, making it a perfect solo-dining spot in Yeonnam-dong.

Where is Shomendo and what are the opening hours?

Shomendo is located at 24-2 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, in a Yeonnam-dong alley near Exit 3 of Hongik University Station. Hours are Tuesday–Sunday 11:30–20:30, with a break time from 15:00–17:00 and last order at 20:00.

Shomendo is well located for anyone strolling around Yeonnam-dong on a date. It's tucked in an alley, but the sign is big and the bright interior makes it easy to spot. It's close to Hongik University Station Exit 3, haha. For parking, you can use the nearby public parking lots.

I visited on a weekday evening. During this Chuseok holiday, they were open every day except Chuseok itself, haha.

It's a good atmosphere for solo dining, so apparently there's often a wait at lunchtime. I visited during that in-between weekday evening slot and luckily got a seat.

All bar seats at Shomendo, and just two ramen on the menu

Inside, every seat at Shomendo is a bar table, which makes it easy to dine alone, and the menu has only two options: Hakata tonkotsu ramen for ₩11,000 and shrimp tonkotsu ramen for ₩12,000. You choose your seat on the kiosk first, then order.

Every seat being a bar table made the interior great for either solo dining or a date, haha. The mix of white and natural wood gave it a clean, calm vibe.

You order at the kiosk after choosing your seat. There are only two menu items: Hakata and shrimp tonkotsu ramen. You can feel the confidence of a good restaurant in such a short menu, right? And at ₩11,000 and ₩12,000, the prices are totally reasonable for solo dining.

As a side, they have handmade gyoza (dumplings), and you can add a seasoned egg or seaweed too, haha. With not too many choices, it was actually easier to decide.

I grabbed a seat and finished ordering! There's a guide at the table on how to enjoy the ramen best. For the Hakata option, you can add noodles twice when ordering, so it's great for anyone with a big appetite. When adding noodles, you can even choose the doneness!

Water, pickled radish, gat kimchi, doenjang, and garlic are all self-serve. When dining alone it can feel awkward to ask for extra things, so the self-serve setup made things much more comfortable.

How does the shrimp tonkotsu ramen taste? The rich broth is the draw

Shomendo's shrimp tonkotsu ramen centers on a broth that combines rich meat stock with shrimp umami. It's topped with pork shoulder chashu, a seasoned egg, and something like fried shrimp.

The ramen finally arrived! Rich broth topped with pork shoulder chashu, a seasoned egg, and what looked like fried shrimp. Doesn't it look delicious?

The soy-sauce-based shoyu ramen is also good, but today I was craving that rich bone-broth flavor, so I went with Shomendo. Tasting the broth first, the combination of rich meat stock and shrimp umami felt familiar yet distinct.

The noodles had a firm, chewy texture, which suits my taste since I like noodles with some bite. The portion was quite generous, so I was completely full after finishing the bowl.

Wrapping the noodles in the chashu made for a chewy, satisfying bite. The meaty flavor came through strongly, and even though the slices looked thin, they were big enough to fill your mouth in one bite. I wished I could've ordered extra, but there was no add-on option, which was a bit disappointing.

And the slightly crispy texture of this fried topping paired really well with the noodles and broth. It had a bit of a crumbled, grilled-salmon-like feel too. The shrimp umami came through stronger than I expected, so it might be a love-it-or-hate-it thing, but it worked for me!

The salty seasoned egg was good too. If you love a rich broth, this is a flavor you might find yourself craving again.

Partway through the bowl, I followed the table's tasting guide and stirred in some garlic.

The sharp bite of the garlic added a whole new dimension of flavor. Since it's ramen, it was a little salty, which made me crave rice too, but I was too full to order it, sadly.

Is Shomendo worth it for solo dining in Yeonnam-dong?

Yeonnam-dong has so many date-friendly spots that some places aren't the easiest for solo diners, but Shomendo was friendly and clean, which I really appreciated. It's a place worth visiting whenever you're craving rich tonkotsu ramen! If you're looking for a solo-dining spot in Yeonnam-dong, give it a try.

Address: 24-2 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea