Saejeol Station ramen shop with a 10-minute Friday wait: Oreno Ramen

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong: a Hapjeong main-branch regular tries the Eunpyeong shop

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong is the Eunpyeong branch of Oreno Ramen in Hapjeong, a Michelin-listed ramen favorite. I love the Hapjeong shop so much that I've been there N times, so when I heard there was a branch in Eunpyeong too, I had to go.

Where is Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, and what are its hours?

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong is at 366 Bulgwangcheon-gil, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, and is open daily from 11:00 to 20:30. Break time is 14:30–17:00, and last order is at 20:00.

It's about a 7-minute walk from Exit 1 of Saejeol Station! Just cross Bulgwangcheon stream and you're practically there. It's a nice spot to stroll along the stream on the way in, or walk off your meal afterward, haha.

How long is the Friday evening wait at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong?

There was a wait on Friday evening: about 3 groups ahead of us, and we got in after roughly 10 minutes. There's no Catch Table registration or anything like that. You order, wait out front, and they call your order number~

We ordered one tori paitan, one karai paitan and a Coke Zero~ and added one egg to each, hehe. I originally wanted to try the tsukune (chicken meatball) too, but it wasn't on the menu that day, maybe sold out T_T I'll definitely try it next time!

There were about 3 groups ahead of us and we got in after maybe 10 minutes? Ramen turns over quickly and the shop is fairly big, so I don't think the wait is ever very long. I wanted a table seat and the timing worked out, yay ^_^

What is the service like at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong?

As soon as we sat down, they brought our Coke Zero with a cup of ice. Bringing it with the ice cup is such a thoughtful touch... All the staff were friendly, which left a real impression on me!!

The food came out quickly too. The smell was insane.... The bowl comes on another dish underneath, so it feels extra special, hahaha. The red pickled radish (?) and the chili pepper were tasty too, haha.

Free extra noodles, broth and kimchi

At Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong you can get refills of noodles, broth, kimchi and more, and the staff told us to ask if we wanted extra. Even the noodle refill is free?!! The portion looked big so I doubted I'd use it, but thank you anyway~~ The sign is in English too, so I guess lots of foreign visitors come.

Tori paitan vs karai paitan: how do they taste different?

The basic tori paitan (creamy chicken broth ramen) shows off a milky white broth. One sip and it was piping hot, rich and savory. I hadn't even been drinking, but it felt like a hangover cure..haha you know the feeling, right?

The karai paitan (spicy version) is properly spicy and rich, with a different charm from the basic tori paitan!! I got the feeling it would taste even better on a cold day. It's generously loaded with wood ear mushrooms, so good...

Why an extra soft-boiled egg is a must

I added an egg, so two..haha. They're soft-boiled and so delicious TT Honestly I could eat 3 easily, hahaha. The broth was so good that if I'd had a bit more room I would have added rice, but I knew I couldn't finish it all so I held back, hahaha T_T

Sous-vide chicken breast chashu

The chashu (braised sliced pork-style topping) at Oreno Ramen is sous-vide chicken breast~ Don't assume chicken breast means dry. Because it's sous-vide, it's supremely tender, just like regular chashu.

I mainly ate the tori paitan, but my partner and I kept swapping and ate both..haha. For my taste, the basic tori paitan was a little better!

Do you get extra chashu with a noodle refill at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong?

When I added half a portion of noodles at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong, they gave chashu along with it. My partner was a bit short on food, so they got a half noodle refill. I stole a little, hahaha.

You add noodles and they give you chashu too.... I was so touched. The noodles come out warm, so I recommend putting them in the broth quickly once you get them~

The bowl was loaded up again and the portion was huge, but it was so good that I cleaned it out! With the weather getting colder, if you want a steaming bowl of ramen, I recommend Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong!