Seongsu ramen shop with level 4 spice and garlic custom: Menya Pomo
In short
Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch is a tomato ramen restaurant in the basement of the main strip on Yeonmujang-gil near Seongsu Station in Seongdong, Seoul. On a weekend date the writer arrived at opening and ordered the grilled vegetable tomato ramen set at spice level 2, chicken tomato ramen at level 4 with extra cheese, a pork cutlet set and a salad — level 4 was milder than expected, and stirring in minced garlic, pepper and crushed pepper halfway turned it into a completely different bowl. Menya Pomo's clean tomato broth suits anyone who tires of salty tonkotsu.
Good to know
- Location
- Unit 101, Basement Level, 37-17 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (across from Heartz Bakery, Seongsu Station)
- Hours
- Daily 11:30–20:30
- Break time
- 15:00–17:00
- Ordered
- Grilled vegetable tomato ramen set, level 2 (with karaage and cheese rice); chicken tomato ramen, level 4, extra cheese; pork cutlet set; salad
- Self-serve bar
- Rice and pickles self-serve; a bowl of rice is free, with refills
- Seating
- Mostly tables for two, plus some tables for four
- Amenities
- Restroom inside the restaurant, hair ties and wet wipes provided
as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026
On a date in Seongsu I was craving a spicy broth but wasn't in the mood to boil anything up myself hahaha. I remembered the tomato ramen place I'd been curious about for a while — Menya Pomo Seongsu — so we headed over! It was so unique and so good that I'm bringing you the full simmered-down review.
Where is Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch, and what are its hours?
- Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch
- SUN–SAT 11:30 ~ 20:30
- B.T 15:00 ~ 17:00
Menya Pomo Seongsu sits right across from Heartz Bakery near Seongsu Station, on the main street, so it was easy to find. It's well connected by subway and easy to get to, which made it convenient as a meeting spot too.
Inside Menya Pomo: atmosphere and seating
Even though the restaurant is underground, the big windows meant it never felt stuffy. If anything, the interior had that distinct Seongsu vibe.
With mostly 2-person tables, it looked like a comfortable spot for solo dining in Seongsu, and there were also 4-person tables. We went on the weekend and opened-ran, but there were still quite a few couples clearly there for a Seongsu date. As always, you've gotta move fast for the Seongsu waiting game.
At the self-serve bar there's rice and pickles you can help yourself to.
There's also a menu board out front, which made it feel like a spot you could just wander into — and honestly, everything looked so good!
They have a lot of unusual ramen options too — tantanmen, an Indian-style ramen, tom yum, and more — so I got curious about the others and I think I'll be back.
Take a look and order to your taste! I'll write out how I ate mine below.
There's a restroom inside too, and hair ties and wet wipes were on hand, which was nice.
What we ordered at Menya Pomo
- Grilled vegetable tomato ramen set, level 2 (karaage, cheese rice)
- Chicken tomato ramen, level 4, with cheese added
- Pork cutlet set
- Salad
Chicken tomato ramen at level 4 — how spicy is it really?
The chicken is sous vide chicken breast, so it felt like a genuinely healthy meal 🍅 I ordered level 4 but it was less spicy than expected, to the point I wondered if the spice level was actually applied,,,(?) They said the spice can be adjusted, so tune it to your taste! And please, please add the cheese. The portion is generous and it completely changes the flavor.
I've always liked tomato broth even in hot pot, and this tomato ramen was exactly my taste. With tonkotsu or shoyu ramen you sometimes get sick of the saltiness halfway through, but this tomato broth was so clean and savory I kept wanting more.
Grilled vegetable tomato ramen set at level 2
Dipping the mushrooms and eggplant into the broth was so good ㅜ_ㅜ
The set lets you choose between karaage or a special rice for risotto. The karaage comes in two pieces, so it's great for sharing! Dipping it in the broth was delicious too.
Pork cutlet set and salad
The pork cutlet had a faint tomato flavor even in the sauce, which paired really well with the plain rice. Great for anyone who loves eating cutlet the old-school Korean-Western way, with rice.
We also ordered the salad and wow, it was so cute, like something out of an anime hahahaha. Cute and kind of like a potato salad vibe. The flavors were varied and it was really nice.
How to eat Menya Pomo's tomato ramen: minced garlic and rice refills
For reference, try sprinkling extra pepper on the pickles!! It makes them even better,,🤎
I remembered how loading up on minced garlic at Shinshin Ramen in Fukuoka made the flavor so much richer, so partway through I added minced garlic, pepper, and crushed pepper — you really should customize it partway through. It becomes a completely different ramen,,,💗
Apparently the proper way to finish tomato ramen is to add cheese at the end and eat it like a risotto, so I gave it a try. Free rice is also provided, so after adding cheese to your ramen you could also just add a regular bowl of rice. Mixing rice into the broth made it feel like an entirely different dish from the ramen I started with. And the rice is refillable!
Is Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch worth a visit?
- For anyone looking for a Seongsu ramen spot with a spicy yet clean broth
- For anyone looking for a Seongsu date spot
- For anyone who wants to enjoy solo dining comfortably in Seongsu
- Recommended for anyone in Seongsu looking for a clean, satisfying meal
- Cheese add-on is a must for the ramen, and don't skip the minced garlic
Where it is
지하1층 101호, 37-17 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 성동구 연무장길 37-17 지층 101호
