# Solo dining at counter seats near Taereung, Seoul: Torikokoro tsukemen

- By Jina W. (https://superchart.com/en/@seongsu-powder-stool/)
- Written Sep 8, 2026
- Updated Sep 14, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Nowon, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary meal in exchange for a store visit review.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seongsu-powder-stool/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/
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## In short

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store is a tsukemen restaurant in a basement space between Gongneung Station and Taereung Ipgu Station in Nowon, Seoul. Visiting on a weekend morning with her mom, the writer ordered tsukemen with added chicken thigh chashu alongside a niboshi shoyu ramen, and found the all-counter, 12-seat layout comfortable for both solo diners and families. With instructions on how to eat tsukemen printed right there, it's an easy first visit.

## Good to know

- **Address**: 10 Gongneung-ro 35-gil, basement floor, Nowon-gu, Seoul
- **Location**: 778m from Gongneung Station Exit 2, halfway between Gongneung Station and Taereung Ipgu Station
- **Hours**: 11:00 - 21:30
- **Break time**: 15:15 - 17:00
- **Last order**: 14:45 / 21:00
- **Menu**: 4 items: tsukemen, karai miso tsukemen, mazesoba, shoyu ramen
- **Seating**: All counter seats, about 12 seats
- **Ordering**: Pay first at kiosk, then staff seats you
- **Rice**: Not on the menu, but available on request

*as written by the visitor on Sep 8, 2026*

## Location and hours of Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store

- 10 Gongneung-ro 35-gil, basement floor, Nowon-gu, Seoul
- 778m from Gongneung Station Exit 2
- 11:00 - 21:30
- Break time 15:15 - 17:00
- Last order 14:45 / 21:00

Right between Gongneung Station and Taereung Ipgu Station, I went for an early weekend lunch with my mom.

![Photo from the visit to Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-01-afhrj-1200.webp)

This time I visited Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store in Gongneung-dong, Nowon-gu. It's known for tsukemen, and since every seat is counter-style, it felt pretty comfortable even eating alone. If you're looking for a good spot near Taereung Ipgu Station or somewhere to eat solo, this might be worth keeping in mind :)

![Exterior of Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store in a Gongneung-dong alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-02-1rxeu-900.webp)

Walk a little way down the alley and the shop comes right into view.

![Stairs leading down to the basement shop entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-03-cby9v-900.webp)

![Entrance signage for Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-04-1ary2-900.webp)

## Four menu items, pay first at the kiosk

The menu is simpler than I expected. Just four options — tsukemen, karai miso tsukemen, mazesoba, and shoyu ramen — so there's no long deliberation over the menu board. It's a basement shop, so you have to go down stairs; if you're carrying a lot, be a little careful on the way down!

![Menu board listing tsukemen, mazesoba, and shoyu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-05-t2i6b-900.webp)

There was a CatchTable waiting machine set up at the entrance. Every time I see one of these, doesn't it make the place feel extra legit?

![CatchTable waiting machine at the entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-06-1n1fb-900.webp)

And here, you don't just sit down when you walk in — you order and pay at the kiosk first, and then staff show you to a seat!

This is what I ordered haha

![Order details from the kiosk](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-07-yrysx-781.webp)

![Payment screen and interior of the restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-08-1j01m-900.webp)

## 12 counter seats, great for solo dining

The whole place is counter seating, seating around 12 people. Right after we sat down, a waiting line started forming. Good thing we timed it for opening haha. Still, turnover seemed fast, so even if there's a wait, it probably won't be long.

![The 12-seat counter seating](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-09-4f7gt-900.webp)

There were coat hooks and aprons set up in the back too~~

![Coat hooks and aprons behind the seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-10-1bi7c-900.webp)

![Instructions on how to eat tsukemen](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-11-xkxrh-900.webp)

### How to eat tsukemen, explained

While waiting for the food, I checked out the review event and also read the instructions on how to eat tsukemen. Apparently tsukemen is a Japanese noodle dish where you taste one noodle first, then dip the rest into the soup! I don't eat tsukemen often, so having the eating method written out was really helpful :)

![Review event notice and table setting](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-12-w0j8b-900.webp)

On the table, water cups, kelp vinegar, and whole black peppercorns were all neatly arranged

![Water cup, kelp vinegar, and whole peppercorns on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-13-256vk-900.webp)

There was also a water dispenser right in front of the table, so I didn't have to get up and walk back and forth for water — convenient

![Water dispenser right in front of the counter seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-14-1ovwe-900.webp)

Overall, both the tables and the kitchen looked pretty clean!

![Clean open kitchen visible from the counter seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-15-5zdun-900.webp)

While I was checking out the kitchen, some fresh chicken thighs waved hello at me (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) don't worry, I'll be eating you soon

And the chicken that goes on the order gets seared once with a torch — watching it get grilled right in front of you somehow makes it look even more delicious and builds up the anticipation, you know?

![Chicken being seared with a torch](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-16-1ansm-900.webp)

## How was the niboshi shoyu ramen broth?

My mom's niboshi shoyu ramen came out first. The broth is based on niboshi (dried anchovies), and the first sip had a slightly salty edge. But as I kept eating, the umami really built up toward the end. It wasn't a heavy, greasy broth either, so my spoon kept going back for more without feeling weighed down. I don't usually drink ramen broth much, but I ended up finishing every last drop of this one.

The noodles were also more generous than I expected, with a nice springy texture. And rice isn't listed on the menu, but apparently they'll give it to you if you ask. Good to know if you like mixing rice into the broth!

![A bowl of niboshi shoyu ramen with anchovy-based broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-17-tc9db-900.webp)

## Tsukemen: try the salt dip first

And then the tsukemen I'd been waiting for arrived. Doesn't it look amazing just from the visuals? With the noodles and sauce served separately, it feels different from a regular ramen haha

![Tsukemen served with noodles and sauce separate](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-18-yauzm-507.webp)

I first dipped the noodles lightly into this salt, and personally, this was genuinely delicious — even just dipping in salt, I could really taste the noodles themselves

![Dipping tsukemen noodles into salt](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-19-1yx9x-900.webp)

Next, you dip the noodles into the sauce, and personally I found dipping about 2/3 of the noodle length in the sauce was just right. Dip too deep and the seasoning can feel too strong — at this level, the noodles and sauce flavors balanced out nicely

![Noodles dipped two-thirds of the way into the tsukemen sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-20-on5mm-900.webp)

### Adding chicken thigh chashu is a must

The chicken on top was also really tender. Especially the chicken thigh chashu I added — if you like chicken thigh, you have to add it!

In the end I finished it all... For some strange reason, wherever I go I always end up leaving just one strand of noodle, one last bite behind — is it just me? A small twinge of conscience, I guess... but my mom told me to stop doing pointless stuff, so I just ate it all in the end.

![An emptied bowl of tsukemen](https://img.superchart.com/images/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats/torikokoro-gongneung-tsukemen-counter-seats-21-gj2fh-900.webp)

## To sum up

It's located between Gongneung Station and Taereung Ipgu Station, so you'll have to walk a bit no matter which station you get off at, but having gone in person, it's a tsukemen place worth the trip. Since all the seats are counter-style, it's comfortable for a quiet solo meal, and it also worked fine for a family visit like ours. Both the tsukemen and the niboshi shoyu ramen were great, so if you're looking for ramen in Gongneung-dong, it's worth stopping by :) Next time I want to try the karai miso tsukemen or the mazesoba too! Muhaha

## Where it is

- Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store (토리코코로 공릉직영점)
- 10 Gongneung-ro 35-gil, basement floor, Nowon-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 노원구 공릉로35길 10 지층 토리코코로 공릉직영점
- 37.6228995, 127.0787329
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%86%A0%EB%A6%AC%EC%BD%94%EC%BD%94%EB%A1%9C%20%EA%B3%B5%EB%A6%89%EC%A7%81%EC%98%81%EC%A0%90/@37.6228995,127.0787329,17z

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