Noryangjin ramen restaurant lunch date: spicy ramen at Chome

Back at Chome in Noryangjin

These days, I’m completely hooked on the fun of eating ramen. It’s great for eating alone, and so many places offer unlimited refills of fresh noodles or rice, making it an easy way to have a filling meal. This time, instead of dining solo, I visited Noryangjin with Gogwi for the first time in a while. We were talking about a trip to Japan, and that led us to Chome (초메) for a Noryangjin food-date lunch. I’d visited this well-known Noryangjin ramen spot once before with a friend. I remembered how delicious it was, so I’d wanted to come back.

What is Chome’s Japanese-style atmosphere like?

Chome is on the first floor at 10 Manyang-ro 14-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, and is open daily from 11:00 to 21:00. Last orders are at 20:15.

Among Noryangjin restaurants, Chome has a distinctly Japanese feel both outside and inside.

So many people enjoy traveling to Japan these days that stepping into a restaurant with this kind of Japanese-style atmosphere makes you feel as if you’re on a trip.

The staff were also kind, so I had a good first impression right away. There are seats by the entrance for solo diners, and because I visited around lunchtime, the place was constantly busy—one person left and another came in.

I couldn’t take many photos of the restaurant because of that, but I guess that means plenty of people are already coming here, right?

Further inside, the Japanese-style mood is even stronger, so anyone who loves traveling to Japan could enjoy not only the food but the feel of the space. Personally, I thought it would make a nice Noryangjin date spot, too. A ramen shop may first bring solo dining to mind, but in an atmosphere like this, visiting together and sharing dishes is really nice.

What we ordered as sets

This time, we ordered set meals! The price varies depending on what you add to the set.

• Gogwi: karai ramen (₩10,000) + karaage + added soft-boiled egg
• Me: mazesoba (₩9,500) + karai chicken + added soft-boiled egg
• Drinks: grapefruit ade each (₩3,000)

The grapefruit ades came out first. Their refreshing fizz went perfectly with ramen.

How spicy is the karai ramen?

First up was Gogwi’s spicy karai ramen! It’s labeled spicy ramen, but it honestly isn’t very hot for Korean palates, and ever since I discovered this flavor, I always find myself ordering it. If you want more heat, you can choose a spicier level when ordering.

We added a soft-boiled egg, and it arrived perfectly soft-boiled—delicious the moment it hit my mouth. This is a Noryangjin ramen restaurant that really knows how to do a soft egg, so I definitely recommend adding one. Karai ramen had a charm that was different from ordinary ramen. The spicy broth with the noodles gave a gently fiery kick while retaining ramen’s signature savory depth.

When I initially said this was spicy ramen, Gogwi hesitated, but said it was actually the dish Gogwi enjoyed most! Gogwi loved the broth so much that, despite not usually being someone who drinks a lot of soup, Gogwi kept sipping it.

How did I eat the mazesoba?

My mazesoba also came with an added soft-boiled egg. Just looking at this mazesoba makes your mouth water.

Mazesoba tastes much better with kombu vinegar. Instead of broth, you thoroughly mix the noodles with the sauce and toppings.

After mixing it well and taking a bite, it was salty and absolutely bursting with umami! This is why I can’t quit mazesoba.

The mazesoba noodles were especially delicious, thoroughly coated in that thick sauce. Later, though, I thought the sauce mixed with rice tasted even better than mixing rice into the karai ramen broth. Be sure to try that lightly saucy, rich seasoning with rice, too.

Fried dishes alongside the ramen

The karaage that Gogwi ordered is always a popular side with hardly anyone disliking it. Karaage is Japanese-style fried chicken, crisp outside and juicy inside, so it was great with ramen.

And the karai chicken I ordered had an added spicy flavor, so it paired well with mazesoba too. It came in large pieces, so you need to cut it with scissors to eat it.

If you keep eating ramen and fried food, it can get a little rich, but the spicy flavor freshened up my palate every so often.

Why it was great for a Noryangjin lunch date

We had a delicious time in Noryangjin for the first time in a while, enjoying our lunch date while talking about Japan travel. It’s great for visiting alone for a bowl of ramen, but if you order different dishes and share them like we did, it’s also a place I’d really recommend for a Noryangjin food date. The restaurant was packed when we visited at lunch, so I’d also recommend it to anyone looking for a good Noryangjin lunch spot.

If, like me, you’ve been really into ramen lately, make sure to try Chome’s karai ramen or mazesoba at least once. Gogwi and I had such a satisfying meal here for our Noryangjin food date that I think I’ll be craving it again.