# Hongdae ramen restaurant: tonkotsu with garlic and rice at Shomendo - By Yeomun (https://superchart.com/en/@side-dish-plates/) - Written Sep 15, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after a sponsored visit to the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@side-dish-plates/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@side-dish-plates/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/index.md) ## In short Shomendo is a tonkotsu ramen specialist in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, about a 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station, and it serves only two dishes: Hakata tonkotsu ramen and shrimp tonkotsu ramen. A couple visited Shomendo an hour before closing, added one ajitama (soft-boiled egg) to each Hakata tonkotsu ramen, and ate through it step by step with garlic and a bowl of rice. Even for ramen regulars, the depth of the broth at Shomendo ranked among the best they had tried. ## Good to know - **Menu**: 2 dishes: Hakata tonkotsu ramen, shrimp tonkotsu ramen - **Toppings and sides**: Ajitama (soft-boiled egg), seaweed, extra rice / gyoza on the side - **Extra noodles**: Up to 2 free noodle refills with the Hakata tonkotsu ramen, per the shop's notice - **Saltiness**: Adjustable (ordered "normal" on this visit) - **Ordering**: Kiosk inside the shop - **Seating**: About 15 counter seats wrapped around an open kitchen - **Location**: About a 7-minute walk from Exit 3, Hongik Univ. Station, Yeonnam-dong *as written by the visitor on Sep 15, 2026* ![Shomendo, a ramen restaurant in Yeonnam-dong near Hongdae](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-01-lyc4h-1200.webp) Hi, it's Oh Yes 🍩🍩🍩! Today I'm introducing a place that's become my all-time favorite ramen in Hongdae. The menu here has literally only two items. Focusing on just tonkotsu ramen and shrimp ramen really shows how serious they are about ramen! My partner and I love ramen so much that we're always hunting down ramen spots to try, and after eating here, this place kept popping into my head. If I go back to Hongdae, this is somewhere I'd definitely want to visit again — that's how satisfying it was. ## Where is Shomendo, and how far is it from Hongik University Station? ![Shomendo's location, a 7-minute walk from Hongik University Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-02-12qla-900.webp) Shomendo is located in Yeonnam-dong, near Hongdae. It's about a 7-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik University Station! ## How to order at Shomendo: only tonkotsu ramen and shrimp ramen ![Shomendo's entrance and ordering area](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-03-5r5de-900.webp) You order right at the kiosk as soon as you walk in! ![Shomendo's kiosk ordering screen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-04-1ifak-900.webp) ![Menu screen showing Hakata tonkotsu ramen and shrimp tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-05-1jwsh-900.webp) There are exactly two menu items: Hakata tonkotsu ramen and shrimp tonkotsu ramen. ![Sign showing ajitama, seaweed, and rice add-on options](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-06-3cgje-m-868.webp) You can add ajitama (soft-boiled seasoned egg), seaweed, and a bowl of rice, and gyoza is available as a side. You can also choose the salt level of the broth — we went with the basic 'normal' option! ![Sign for salt level selection and noodle refill option](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-07-1lcq3-900.webp) And apparently the Hakata tonkotsu ramen comes with up to two free noodle refills! ## Inside Shomendo: 15 counter seats and an open kitchen ![Interior of Shomendo with counter seating and open kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-08-1lhee-900.webp) ![Open kitchen where the ramen is made](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-09-z6yvu-900.webp) The whole restaurant is set up as counter seating with an open kitchen, so you can watch the ramen being made right in front of you. Three owners were running the place together, and all three looked completely focused on their ramen — you could tell they were serious about it! ![Tray with pickled radish, nakumiso, garlic, and spicy takana](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-10-1kgra-900.webp) Once you sit down, a tray comes out with pickled radish, nakumiso, garlic, and spicy takana (mustard greens). I'd never seen nakumiso or spicy takana at a ramen shop before, so that was a fun surprise. ![Small plate and various seasonings set at each seat](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-11-hw99i-900.webp) There was also a small plate and various seasonings set up in front of each seat. ![Sign explaining how to best enjoy Hakata ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-12-wwk1y-m-900.webp) There was even a note on how to enjoy Hakata ramen the best way. - ① First, try the ramen plain - ② Add garlic - ③ Eat spicy takana together with rice That's the step-by-step way to eat it, apparently! ![Counter seating arranged in a circle](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-13-1se1u-900.webp) ![Overview of Shomendo's roughly 15-seat dining area](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-14-ud9nq-900.webp) The seating was all counter-style, arranged in a circle, with room for about 15 people. Even though we visited an hour before closing, plenty of people kept coming in for ramen. ## Hakata tonkotsu ramen at Shomendo: how did it taste? ![Ramen served up on a shelf](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-15-1quvo-900.webp) The ramen gets placed up on a shelf for you, and once you're done eating, you put the bowl back up on the same shelf. ![Extra ajitama served separately on a small plate](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-16-2an9c-m-900.webp) We each added an ajitama. It doesn't come mixed into the ramen — they serve it separately on a small plate. ![Hakata tonkotsu ramen topped with chashu, seaweed, and kikurage](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-17-1cxul-900.webp) The basic Hakata tonkotsu ramen came with chashu (braised pork), half an ajitama, seaweed, and kikurage (wood ear mushroom). ![Close-up of the tender chashu](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-18-ool37-900.webp) The chashu was cooked so tender that the texture went really well with the noodles, and the ajitama was soft-boiled with a moist, silky yolk that I loved. ![Cross-section of a soft-boiled ajitama yolk](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-19-1tkfp-900.webp) The broth had that rich, savory tonkotsu flavor done properly, but it wasn't so heavy or greasy that it wore you down — it was the kind of taste that kept pulling you back in the more you ate. ![Hakata ramen noodles coated in tonkotsu broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-20-ijanr-900.webp) ![Noodles lifted up from the tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-21-1ij2l-900.webp) The broth really clung to the noodles, so eating a bite of noodles followed by a spoonful of broth was just so good! ![Tonkotsu ramen with garlic added to the broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-22-1yks7-900.webp) At first I ate it without adding anything, then partway through I tried adding garlic — the garlic aroma gave the broth a whole different character, and it was delicious. ![Rice mixed into the remaining tonkotsu broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-23-1jofo-900.webp) At the end, we mixed the leftover tonkotsu broth with a bowl of rice and scraped up every last bit. Mixing in the rice made the richness of the broth come through even more. ![Emptied bowl of Shomendo's tonkotsu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen-24-89lzo-900.webp) ## What makes Shomendo's tonkotsu broth different from other ramen shops? Shomendo's tonkotsu broth was a bit different from the tonkotsu ramen I usually eat — rich and savory, but with a real, noticeable depth to the broth itself. We love ramen and have eaten our way through quite a lot of shops, and with Shomendo I definitely felt like 'this place has its own tonkotsu flavor.' Even after getting home, I kept thinking, 'ah, that Shomendo ramen was really good.' Personally, out of all the tonkotsu ramen I've had, this is one I'd rank among the best. ## Where it is - Shomendo (쇼멘도) - 24-2 Donggyo-ro 46-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 동교로46길 24-2 1층 - 37.5621001, 126.9258624 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%87%BC%EB%A9%98%EB%8F%84/@37.5621001,126.9258624,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@side-dish-plates/shomendo-hongdae-hakata-tonkotsu-ramen/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt