Gangnam ramen restaurant, second visit without the rice finish: Oreno

Hey everyone, it's Khaki! I paid a second visit to Oreno Ramen Gangnam, the Gangnam Station favorite I introduced before. It's been on the Michelin Guide ramen list for six years running now. Ever since my first visit, the flavor kept popping into my head, so off I went again. Let me tell you about it~

Where is Oreno Ramen Gangnam, and what are the hours?

• Address: 2F, 28-9 Teheran-ro 1-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Daily 11:00–20:30, open as usual during Chuseok holiday
• Last order: 20:00

Oreno Ramen Gangnam sits behind the CGV near Gangnam Station Exit 11. It's on the 2nd floor of the Seongeun Building at Teheran-ro 1-gil 28-9, so it's not hard to find. There's no dedicated parking lot, so keep that in mind~

Oreno Ramen Gangnam, famous around Gangnam Station, made the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand list back in 2018 — the first ramen shop ever selected — and has kept its spot for six years straight now. Pretty impressive, right? It was also named Mango Plate's most-loved restaurant of the year, picked for the Foing Awards' Japanese food category, and featured on the show Delicious Guys. So naturally there's usually a wait. If you're waiting, line up quietly in a single file~

Inside Oreno Ramen Gangnam just after the dinner rush

Even though I arrived a bit after the usual dinner rush, the place was already full of people eating. I only snapped the minimum number of photos so as not to bother anyone. There are bar seats for solo diners and plenty of 4-person tables, so it works well for groups or family meals too.

Only two bowls on the menu, and what comes free with refills

Ordering through the kiosk at the entrance is super simple. The staff are always kind and helpful, so ordering is easy and stress-free. There are only two menu items, tori paitan and kara paitan, which is nice because there's nothing to agonize over~ This Gangnam Station favorite bets everything on just two bowls of ramen.

On top of that, noodles, soup, and rice are all refillable, so if you want more, just call a staff member over — how great is that? Depending on your taste, you can add more noodles or mix rice into the rich broth. Can't get better than that, right?

There are basic side dish containers set on the table: pretty red pickled radish and kimchi. Neither is too salty — clean and light in flavor. They pair surprisingly well with the ramen~ There are also hair ties provided for women. That kind of small thoughtful touch is really nice.

Tori paitan: chicken broth as rich as samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup)

Here comes the tori paitan~ One of the biggest strengths of Oreno Ramen Gangnam is how fast the food comes out. I really love that airtight kind of system~

There's a reason familiar flavors are dangerous — the moment the ramen showed up, I felt healed. The milky broth is so rich and savory.

The chicken breast is soft and light, not dry at all. The thin noodles soak up the broth nicely, making it easy to eat. Add a piece of kimchi and it's fantastic.

The texture combo of chicken breast and seaweed garnish is so fun. It moved me last time, and it's moving me again this time. So delicious~ The broth isn't watered down at all — it's genuinely rich, almost like eating a whole bowl of samgyetang.

Kara paitan: the spicy version, and how hot it really is

The spicy version of tori paitan, kara paitan, has arrived too~ The look of it alone gets your appetite going.

I'd really been craving that just-right spicy kara paitan.

The deep umami paired with the heat is fantastic to my taste. People's preferences for mild vs. spicy will differ, so ordering one of each and alternating between them works great~

The just-right soft-boiled egg is delicious too. Whatever they've done to this chicken breast, it's so soft and tasty.

Is Oreno Ramen Gangnam worth a second visit?

On my first visit, I dutifully mixed rice into the broth, but today I'm skipping the rice — I'm on a diet~ If you're around Gangnam Station, definitely stop by Oreno Ramen Gangnam and try that rich broth. If you love ramen, you won't be disappointed.