Cheongju ramen restaurant with bean sprouts and tonkatsu: Myeonsikdang

While looking for a good ramen spot in Cheongju, I visited Myeonsikdang (면식당) in Sachang-dong. I thought I would just have ramen, but I couldn't simply pass up the tonkatsu I had seen in photos either. In the end, I ordered ramen, tonkatsu, and mini butadon, a small pork rice bowl, and came back after properly filling the whole table 🤭 The combination of crisp-fried tonkatsu and ramen loaded with bean sprouts especially stayed with me.

Myeonsikdang's Sachang-dong exterior and relocation notice

From outside, the large white sign saying Myeonsikdang was easy to spot. It also listed tonkatsu, ramen, rice bowls, and pho beside the sign, so I could immediately tell what they served. It looked like a nice place to stop by when craving a hearty dish such as ramen or tonkatsu while searching for food in Sachang-dong, Cheongju. When I visited, there was also a banner in front announcing the relocation of the Chungbuk National University main branch. The photo says the move was planned for September 18, 2026, so I think anyone planning a visit should check the current location on Naver Place first.

The atmosphere and table ordering

Inside was a comfortable space with wood-toned tables and chairs. The spacing between tables did not look too cramped in the photos, and it seemed better suited to two or more people ordering several dishes together than dining alone. Large Myeonsikdang menu photos were hung on the wall too, and I kept looking at them while choosing what to order, haha.

Ordering was done through a device installed at the table. It was convenient because I could look through the menu slowly and order from my seat without calling over a staff member.

From ramen to tonkatsu and rice bowls

As its name suggests, Myeonsikdang has noodle dishes, but it also serves tonkatsu and rice bowls. As I could see from outside, it had a varied lineup of satisfying meal options, including ramen, tonkatsu, rice bowls, and pho. You come for ramen, then see the tonkatsu photos beside it and end up ordering that too... 😂

Large photos of what looked like their signature tonkotsu ramen and mazesoba, a mixed noodle dish, were also displayed on the wall. We wanted to try several dishes that day, so we ordered a good mix of ramen, a rice dish, and tonkatsu.

How was the ramen piled high with bean sprouts?

The ramen came in a large bowl, and the toppings were the first thing that caught my eye. It had quite a generous amount of bean sprouts, along with green onion, seaweed, egg, and meat, so even one bowl looked fairly filling. It even came with narutomaki, a fish cake with a pink spiral pattern, so the ramen looked the part too, haha.

Up close, the meat had a nicely browned surface. Adding a piece of meat and bean sprouts to the noodles gave it more texture and went together much better than eating noodles alone. I especially liked the crisp crunch the generous bean sprouts added when eaten with the noodles. If you like ramen with plenty of toppings while looking for ramen in Cheongju, the photo alone will probably be quite tempting.

A meal with mini butadon on the side

I thought ramen alone might leave me wanting a little more, so I had a rice dish too. It was topped generously with meat and green onion, making for a filling-looking bowl just at a glance. The meat was thinly sliced, so it was easy to eat spoonful by spoonful with the rice, and it was nice to alternate it with the ramen. A bite of rice after noodles completely changes the feel of the meal, right? 🤭 If ramen alone feels a little lacking, adding a mini rice bowl like this could be a good idea.

The crisp tonkatsu cross-section

And then there was the tonkatsu that I enjoyed quite a lot that day! It came on a plate with rice and cabbage, and the breading was such a lovely golden brown that my chopsticks went for it as soon as it arrived, haha. With tonkatsu, it is important that the coating is not soggy, and it looked crispy enough in the photo for the texture of the breading to show.

I picked up a piece and took a photo of the cross-section too. There was a fairly thick piece of meat inside the breading, so it did not feel like I was eating mostly fried coating. The outside was crisp, while the meat inside was not overly dry, so I kept reaching for more. I was holding it up to take photos, but I wanted to eat it so badly that I could not hold it for long, haha.

My take on eating several dishes at Myeonsikdang

Myeonsikdang was the place I found when I went looking for ramen in Sachang-dong. I liked being able to have several dishes at once, including crisp tonkatsu and a hearty mini butadon. I especially liked the tonkatsu cross-section, and the ramen was delicious when I picked up a big bite of bean sprouts with the meat, haha. Since the restaurant serves a range of dishes besides ramen, including tonkatsu, rice bowls, and pho, it also seemed like an easy place to choose when people in your group want different things. If you are looking for ramen or restaurants in Sachang-dong, Cheongju, or want a hearty meal near Chungbuk National University, Myeonsikdang might be worth keeping in mind 🍜💕

※ There was a relocation notice posted at the restaurant during my visit, so please check its current location and business information on Naver Place before visiting.