Saturday lunch ramen restaurant in Ilsan: rich motsu bowl at Gyedan

Where is Gyedan Ramen Ilsan Main Branch, and when is the best time to go?

Gyedan Ramen Ilsan Main Branch is a tonkotsu ramen restaurant on the 1st floor of 10 Yulcheon-ro 7beon-gil, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, right on Bamlidan-gil. It's open daily from 11:00 to 21:00, has separate men's and women's restrooms, and offers delivery, takeout, group seating, and parking.

On a weekend, I had a hospital appointment in Ilsan and was trying to figure out lunch in the gap between things, so I stopped by Gyedan Ramen Ilsan Main Branch, which is famous on Bamlidan-gil! If you like ramen in Ilsan, you've probably heard of it — so many reviews out there. What especially caught my eye was the motsu ramen with makchang (grilled beef intestine) on top, unlike a regular tonkotsu ramen, haha.

There was a parking spot right in front of the restaurant, so I parked there. Love the red chairs and the red ribbon as accents!

If it's full, you can reserve through CatchTable! We went on a weekend for lunch and there were seats — yay! It was nice being able to browse the menu while waiting too, haha.

Saturday lunchtime is busy, but there were more seats than expected, so we sat down right away!

A long-standing ramen spot on Bamlidan-gil in Ilsan

Gyedan Ramen simmers pork bones and chicken for over 14 hours for its tonkotsu ramen, and rather than replicating the strong, salty flavor of authentic Japanese ramen, it goes for a somewhat milder style.

So it seemed like a good fit even for people who love a rich tonkotsu broth but find overly salty or intense ramen a bit much! The two of us ordered motsu ramen (jinhage/rich), Gyedan Ramen, and tamago-bap. Water bottle, cups, napkins, and utensils were all already on the table.

Kimchi, danmuji (pickled radish), and seasoning sauce were pre-portioned on the table — ready to eat!

After ordering, I looked around the interior and noticed they also sell highballs and milk tea! Sounds amazing to finish off ramen with a milk tea chaser. The cute little ramen illustration posters were charming too, haha.

What does the motsu ramen taste like ordered "jinhage" (rich)?

Gyedan Ramen's motsu ramen is the basic Gyedan Ramen with makchang added, and you can choose the broth strength as 'jinhage' (rich). I was most excited for this one — the first sip of broth hit with that signature savory, deep tonkotsu flavor. I worried ordering it rich would be too heavy, but the aftertaste was cleaner than expected.

You really get the full richness of the broth, but it's not so heavy that you can't keep going back for more spoonfuls, haha. And the highlight of motsu ramen is definitely the makchang! I found the whole idea of makchang in ramen a bit odd, but it worked surprisingly well. Best of all, it wasn't chewy.

The outside had a slight sear that gave it a nice savory note, and biting in, it was chewy yet tender. None of the usual gaminess of makchang came through, and the savory flavor paired with the rich tonkotsu broth made for a distinct, appealing dish. If you're after something a bit different from regular ramen, this is a good pick to start with among Ilsan's ramen spots, haha.

Is the standard Gyedan Ramen good too?

The basic Gyedan Ramen we also ordered comes topped with chashu, wood ear mushroom, and a soft-boiled egg. Compared to the motsu ramen, it felt more about savoring the broth itself in a lighter way. The toppings paired well with the noodles, making it fun to eat alongside them.

The noodles blended nicely with the broth, and the springy texture of the wood ear mushroom kept things interesting bite after bite — I enjoyed it all the way through. If it's your first time at Gyedan Ramen, I'd start with the basic, and go for the motsu ramen if you want something more savory and special.

How to use the table's spicy secret sauce halfway through

There's a spicy secret sauce on the table at Gyedan Ramen, so it was fun getting multiple flavors out of one bowl. I ate it as-is at first, then added a bit of the spicy sauce partway through. It completely changed the vibe, adding a kick of heat to the rich, savory tonkotsu broth.

I'd recommend adding it little by little rather than a lot at once, to find your own taste, haha. The slightly spicy broth with the soft-boiled egg was so good.

Tamago-bap (egg rice): the side to share with your ramen

We also ordered tamago-bap (rice with soft egg) as a side. Rice topped with soft egg was great to eat between bites of the rich ramen. It also went well mixed with the ramen broth, and one order was just right to share between two people. If you feel like ramen alone isn't quite enough, this side is worth adding.

The staff were also very friendly throughout the meal. The way to enjoy it is simple, and since you can choose the broth strength to your taste, even people who aren't familiar with ramen could visit comfortably. Overall the broth was deep, savory, and clean, and the makchang in the motsu ramen especially stuck with me for being tender, not chewy. Finished it all in the end — clean plates, haha.

It's different enough from a typical tonkotsu ramen that I'd love to order the motsu ramen again, haha. If you're looking for a good spot on Bamlidan-gil, craving a rich tonkotsu ramen, or want a hearty meal in Ilsan with a friend, I recommend Gyedan Ramen Ilsan Main Branch. Next time, I want to try the motsu ramen jinhage with a generous amount of the spicy sauce mixed in properly :)