Gongneung tsukemen shop: torch-seared chicken thigh chashu, Torikokoro

Torikokoro, a Gongneung tsukemen favorite where I could really taste the chewy house-made noodles and rich broth 🍜

Today I wanted something different from the Korean food I usually eat, so I searched for ramen shops in Gongneung and ended up at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store (토리코코로 공릉직영점). I like Japanese ramen in general, but tsukemen was a first for me, so my expectations were huge! If you want something special in Gongneung, I think this place, already well known by word of mouth as a ramen spot near Gongneung Station, is just right. The atmosphere is easy for solo diners too, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a solo meal spot near Taereung Station.

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store: location, hours, parking

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store is a tsukemen specialist with house-made noodles, tucked in an alley at 338-21 Gongneung-dong, Nowon, Seoul. It is open 11:00–21:30 every day, with a break from 15:15 to 17:00 on weekends.

Because it sits in an alley, there is no parking lot of its own. Just use a nearby public parking lot!

What kind of place is Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store?

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store is the directly run branch of a Japanese ramen shop that started in Byeollae, Namyangju, in 2019. Unlike the Byeollae main shop, the Gongneung branch specializes in tsukemen, and its biggest selling point is 100% house-made noodles and house-simmered broth. There are plenty of ramen shops around Gongneung these days, but ones that make both noodles and broth themselves aren't common, so I was even more excited.

What is tsukemen?

Tsukemen is a Japanese ramen where the noodles aren't served sitting in the soup. The boiled noodles and the broth come separately, and you dip the noodles in the broth as you eat, which is where the name, "dipping noodles," comes from. Even first-timers can enjoy it easily, so I thought it would be a fresh experience for anyone looking for ramen near Gongneung Station.

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store menu and how to order

The menu was simpler than I expected. Tsukemen comes in two sizes: M (150g) and L (200g)!

• Tsukemen
• Spicy miso tsukemen
• Mazesoba (brothless mixed noodles)
• Niboshi shoyu ramen (dried-sardine soy ramen)

You order and prepay at the kiosk by the entrance, which was convenient, and it felt perfectly fine to come alone, so it suits a solo meal near Taereung Station really well. Here's what we ordered!

• Tsukemen M + extra ajitamago (seasoned soft-boiled egg)
• Spicy miso tsukemen M + extra chicken thigh chashu and seaweed

Do they make the noodles and broth themselves?

There's a separate noodle-making room on one side of the shop. They pull the noodles that suit ramen best right there, and the broth isn't a liquid concentrate diluted with water but is simmered in-house from domestic chicken! I could see why so many people seek this place out as a Gongneung ramen shop. It felt like a spot where you can really taste what authentic Japanese ramen is about.

Bar seats that are great for dining solo

All the seats are bar seats, with room for about 12 people. Turnover was fast too, so the wait wasn't long.

Aprons are self-service, and you can hang your coat or bag on the hangers at the back, which was handy. Thanks to this layout, it's an easy, comfortable place to visit alone, great for anyone hunting for a solo spot near Taereung Station.

A water purifier at every table and a clean open kitchen

Every table at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store had chopsticks, napkins, pepper and vinegar, and best of all, a water purifier at each table, so nobody shares a water pitcher. That felt really hygienic.

It's an open kitchen, so you can watch the cooking, and the kitchen was kept very clean, which gave me confidence. If hygiene matters to you when choosing a ramen shop near Gongneung Station, I think you'll be happy here.

How to enjoy tsukemen

Tsukemen at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store takes about 10 minutes after you order. The house-made noodles are thick and need a bit of boiling time, so while you wait, read the how-to-eat guide written on the table. First taste the noodles on their own, then dip only about a third of them in the broth, and dip deeper as you like. That's said to be the tastiest way. Adding vinegar and pepper gives you yet another flavor!

Chicken thigh chashu torched in the open kitchen

After boiling the noodles, the staff neatly top them with chicken thigh chashu (braised sliced meat), chicken breast, ajitamago, seaweed and more, and the chicken thigh chashu gets torched once more to give it a smoky, flame-grilled aroma.

I even got to watch them ladle in the house-made broth to finish, so the wait wasn't boring at all. That's Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store for you!

How do tsukemen and spicy miso tsukemen taste different?

Our tsukemen finally arrived! Tsukemen is ramen where you dip noodles into the broth, and the spicy miso tsukemen is the version where you dip them into a spicy miso broth.

The regular tsukemen had a broth with deep savory umami, while the spicy miso tsukemen was built on a spicy fermented soybean paste, so even the broth's color had a redder tint!

I tried the noodles on their own first, and maybe because they're house-made, they were wonderfully springy and chewy. The texture is totally different from udon, and I kept wanting more. I immediately understood why Torikokoro is called a top Gongneung ramen spot.

Worried the broth is salty? Ask for less salt

The tsukemen broth at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store is on the seasoned side, so I recommend dipping just a little at a time! If saltiness worries you, the staff said you can tell them when ordering and they can adjust the saltiness.

Noodles dipped in the broth were great with the seaweed too, and adding the chicken thigh chashu brought out even more flavor. The chicken breast was moist rather than dry, and the ajitamago I added was soft-boiled, so a light dip in the broth made it really good. The regular tsukemen and the spicy miso tsukemen each have their own charm, so I never got tired even switching between them. If you're looking for ramen near Gongneung Station, I'd recommend both.

My first tsukemen: would I go back?

I finished the whole bowl happily! The noodles themselves were so good that I enjoyed it to the very end, and next time I'd like to try the L size. The atmosphere is comfortable even alone, so I really recommend it for anyone looking for a solo meal spot near Taereung Station.

Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store 👍🏻 is where I truly felt the difference that house-made noodles and house-simmered broth make. If you're craving a different kind of Japanese ramen, I'd recommend it as a Gongneung ramen shop, and I think people looking for proper ramen near Gongneung Station will be very satisfied. The layout makes eating alone easy, so it was a comfortable place to drop in! On a day you want something special in Gongneung, definitely try the tsukemen at Torikokoro Gongneung Direct Store 🤍