Kkachisan Station ramen restaurant, karai ramen with a baby: Hekbap

Bbangul's mom loves eating alone. But since Bbangul came along, she hadn't had the courage to solo-dine at a restaurant with the baby in tow. Now that Bbangul is a well-behaved little rice cake snack muncher who sits still with some rice crackers, today she finally worked up the nerve to try it. The place: Hekbap, known around Kkachisan Station as a ramen restaurant everyone talks about.

Hekbap Kkachisan Branch

Where is Hekbap Kkachisan Branch, and what to know before going

Hekbap Kkachisan Branch is on the 2nd floor of the building next to Lotteria, coming from Exit 3 of Kkachisan Station. You pick your menu while climbing the stairs, and there's so much that looks delicious beyond the ramen I had in mind — pure happiness.

• Address: 35 Gangseo-ro, 2nd floor, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–16:30, last order 20:30)
• Parking: Use nearby public parking lot
• Baby chair: Available

Maybe because it's directly run by headquarters, the floors are kept spotless and shiny. Walking into a bright, clean space with upbeat music playing only made my already good mood even better.

A long menu: rice bowls, soba and ramen

My heart, once set only on ramen, gets shaken by the sheer variety at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch. There are a lot of options, but true to the name Hekbap (meaning something like "proper meal"), there are so many menu items that give you a real, full meal. If you live near Kkachisan Station, this seems like a great spot to come for a quick, tasty meal alone or with company.

If you want to see the full range of menu items at once, the video is worth checking out. There's so much variety and it all looks so good that picking in person might take a while.

After carefully choosing my order, I looked out the window and could see the street view near Kkachisan Station. Beside me, Bbangul was tugging at me demanding a steady supply of rice crackers, but I still managed to soak up a moment of solo-dining calm looking outside.

Table setup and how to eat the ramen

The tables at Hekbap Kkachisan Branch come thoughtfully set with a hair tie, pepper, shichimi, and fresh wasabi. There's meat grilled at 200 degrees the moment you order, rice bowls given depth by Hekbap's own sauce, ramen where broth brewed the traditional Japanese way meets the noodles in harmony, mazesoba rich with special sauce and varied toppings, and thick, crispy katsu. Instructions for eating everything the tastiest way are printed right there, so I'd recommend following them to enjoy Hekbap's already delicious food even more.

Karai ramen, 11,000 won: thick chashu and beef bone broth

Finally, the ramen I'd been waiting and waiting for arrived. My order was karai ramen (spicy ramen) and potato croquettes, priced at 11,000 won and 3,500 won.

There's a window seat for solo diners, but since this was technically not a solo meal — Bbangul was with me — I sat at a table for four. Still, having no one sitting across from me felt oddly exciting, so I snapped a solo-dining shot anyway. The rich, spicy scent of the ramen and the savory smell of the croquettes had my mouth watering.

The chashu (braised pork belly) is as thick and tender as you'd find at any dedicated ramen restaurant. I ate one long, thick slice in a single bite and savored the other one slowly. The soft-boiled egg, marinated in a special soy-egg sauce, melts in your mouth and pairs perfectly with the spicy flavor of the karai ramen. The noodles are wonderfully chewy and slide right down. After being disappointed by ramen in Japan, this ramen at Hekbap felt like healing.

The bone broth base is truly the real deal. I'm not a fan of spicy food, but the mild flavored oil paired with the smooth bone broth works so well that I bet mixing rice into it would be delicious.

Side order: three potato croquettes for 3,500 won

A side dish I really want to recommend is the potato croquette. At 3,500 won for three, they're packed with more potato than you'd ever expect at that price. The soft mashed potato seems to have been fried just as it is. The breading is super thin yet crispy, making it feel like a fancy Japanese dish. Dipping it in the soft, fragrant sauce that comes with it brings out even more umami.

Finally, finishing off with the tteok (rice cake) that comes lightly glazed in what tastes like honey refreshes your mouth after all the spice. It works well as either an appetizer or a dessert. If I weren't full I'd want to order one more dish, but since Bbangul's rice crackers had run out, I hurried to get up.

Naver receipt review event: a free soda

At Hekbap, where every menu item is delicious at a reasonable price, there's a way to enjoy an even fuller, tastier time. If you take part in the Naver receipt review event, you get a free soda. Go ahead and join in for an even better time at this popular Kkachisan Station restaurant.