Sokcho ramen restaurant with a second bowl of butadon: Ichiba Ramen

The Sokcho ramen restaurant my teenager asks for first

Whenever someone shouts "Let's go to Sokcho!" in our house, my teenager's first response is always the same: "Let's eat ramen and hoe (raw fish) in Sokcho!"

Normally too busy with school, club activities, and games to want to go anywhere, my teen actually gets excited about one place — Ichiba Ramen, a ramen restaurant in Sokcho.

Last weekend, both my first and second kids happened to have no training, so we packed up in a hurry on Saturday morning and headed straight to Sokcho before the chance slipped away.

Ichiba Ramen hours and parking in Sokcho

Ichiba Ramen

It's open daily from 09:00 to 21:00, with last order at 20:30. The address is 348 Jungang-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do.

You can park on the road in front of the restaurant or along the side of the building. If those spots are full, there are back-alley streets in the nearby residential area or a parking lot by the beach.

An early dinner after Deungdae Beach

After we arrived at Deungdae Beach in Sokcho and let the sea breeze and play work up an appetite, we got hungry fast.

Since we planned to enjoy Sokcho's signature raw fish and various snacks as our second round that evening, we headed to Ichiba Ramen, a ramen restaurant in Sokcho, for an early dinner. Honestly, that was the whole point of coming here!

The trickiest thing when traveling is always break time, but Ichiba Ramen has none — no break time, no closed days — which is a huge plus, letting you drop by whenever without worry. It doesn't restrict your travel route or schedule at all, which makes it perfect.

Inside the relocated Ichiba Ramen: baby chairs and bar seats

Walking into Ichiba Ramen, greeted by its yellow sign and clean wooden exterior, you find a warm, pleasant interior waiting inside.

Having recently relocated from near the Sokcho market area, the whole place feels bright and spotless. The tables are spaced generously apart, making it really comfortable for family meals. There are also plenty of baby chairs, so it's perfect for eating with kids :D

On one side there are bar seats facing the kitchen for solo diners, and being able to glimpse the cooking process was reassuring from a hygiene standpoint too. Warm sunlight filled the whole space, keeping the atmosphere cozy and pleasant throughout our meal.

What we ordered at Ichiba Ramen and what it cost

A place our family always stops by whenever we go to Sokcho. Here's what we ordered at Ichiba Ramen:

• Tonkotsu ramen — ₩9,000
• Karai ramen — ₩9,500
• Butadon (pork rice bowl) — ₩4,500

We ordered tonkotsu ramen, karai ramen, and butadon. Served generously in big, striking Japanese-style bowls, the visuals alone were enough to get the mouth watering.

You grab your own utensils and return your tray yourself. Cutting labor costs to offer quality food at a low price meant this small effort was nothing at all.

Tonkotsu ramen: deep, rich pork broth

Ichiba Ramen's tonkotsu ramen is ₩9,000. Made the authentic Japanese way, the broth that determines the ramen's flavor is simmered for a full 30 hours, apparently.

The savory, deeply reduced pork bone broth is outstanding on its own. Mixing in the minced garlic cut the richness completely and sent the umami through the roof. The tender char siu, chewy mushrooms, and soft-boiled egg came together perfectly.

Karai ramen: spicy broth with a hearty kick

If you're craving a hot, spicy broth, karai ramen (₩9,500) is the answer, no question. On top of the rich, savory tonkotsu base, a red, tingling spiciness is added, hitting the exact hot-and-savory flavor Korean palates love. It's the dish I always order whenever I come to Ichiba Ramen — one sip of the broth and I feel completely revived, and it's addictive enough that I keep spooning it up.

Butadon, the kids' number one pick

Today's real star was this butadon (₩4,500). It was my first time trying butadon at Ichiba Ramen, and I can't believe I only just found out about it! Sweet-savory stir-fried minced pork piled generously over rice, topped with a savory fried egg, scallions, and sesame seeds — the flavor is no joke.

The kids took one bite and kept exclaiming that it was amazing. We ended up ordering a second bowl because it was that good. The fun of mixing it all together and its sweet-salty umami completely won over not just my teenagers' taste buds but my youngest's too. They ate so well that next time I think we'll need to order one ramen and one butadon per person.

Was Ichiba Ramen a good first meal in Sokcho?

It was a spontaneous trip to Sokcho, but I was genuinely happy we could start it off with such a satisfying meal. A place where, without worrying about break time, you can drop by any time and still get a carefully made bowl every time.

Kids and adults alike were fully satisfied with no complaints at Ichiba Ramen, a ramen restaurant in Sokcho — if you get hungry while traveling in Sokcho, definitely stop by!