Rich tori paitan for a husband's cold recovery: Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong

This year my husband tried tori paitan, a chicken-broth white ramen, at Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong for the first time. It's been his favorite ramen ever since, and he's a certified ramen enthusiast.

He says he thinks of Oreno Ramen on rainy days or whenever he's low on energy — for me it's Korean buffets, but for him this ramen seems to do the job.

We've had it at the Hapjeong flagship too, but he says the Eunpyeong branch's soup tastes much richer to him. He'd just gotten over a bad cold for the first time in years, and this was the meal he chose to recover.

Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong hours and location

Business info for this ramen favorite: open Mon–Sun 11 AM to 8:30 PM, no closed days. Break time is 2:30–5 PM. Last order is 8 PM.

There's parking in front for one or two cars, so an early opening run doesn't come with parking stress. It's very close to Saejeol Station, and right beside Bulgwangcheon stream, making it a great spot to eat ramen and then walk along the water.

As soon as you walk in, you order first at the kiosk by the entrance. Both card and cash work.

The menu: tori paitan vs. kara paitan, and how the tsukune differs from the flagship

This ramen favorite keeps its menu simple: tori paitan, the chicken-broth white ramen, and kara paitan, its spicy version. I usually get kara paitan, but today I wanted the white soup, so we both ordered tori paitan.

There are also tsukune chashu and soft-boiled egg add-ons. You can order tsukune chashu as a side at the Hapjeong flagship too, but the Eunpyeong branch's tsukune isn't drizzled with sauce on top, so it tastes cleaner. Both my husband and I prefer Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong's version.

20 minutes after opening on a weekend morning — how long is the wait?

On a weekend morning, about 20 minutes after opening, the place was nearly full. Since the menu is compact and everyone eats with real focus, tables turn over fast, so even if you wait, it won't be long.

They also have aprons and hair ties ready for anyone with long hair.

Noodles, broth, rice, and kimchi all come with free refills.

The basic pickles: radish and chili.

Cool green tea, lightly brewed — one full glass and my stomach felt ready to take on the ramen.

Tori paitan, a bowl of rich chicken broth

Ta-da! The ramen arrived — served really fast. Since cilantro is free to add, I asked for that too, and ordered kimchi on the side. As a Korean-food person, I love a ramen place that gives you kimchi.

The tori paitan at this ramen favorite, famous for its rich chicken broth. People say there's no such thing as someone who tries it just once.

Kelp, green onion, soft-boiled egg, tender chicken.

The cilantro was in great shape too.

The kimchi has that cool, crisp Seoul-style kimchi flavor.

The chicken is incredibly tender. Even though it's ramen, Oreno Ramen still gives you a solid protein boost.

The soft-boiled egg — I try not to be greedy and skip adding one, but I always end up ordering an extra later anyway. It's not too sweet, which suits me. And it's nice that you can add the egg later too.

Always add the tsukune chashu

Tsukune chashu: minced chicken formed into a meatball shape and steamed. Savory with just the right seasoning — the kids ate it right up.

The tsukune chashu at this ramen favorite pulls apart easily with chopsticks. Definitely add it.

My favorite part, the springy kelp. Slurped down together with the noodles, its crunch doubles the savory flavor.

The noodle portion is generous enough that you don't even need to add extra.

With the kids, and when to add the cilantro

When the kids eat well, it's so much easier for mom and dad to eat too. Being the weekend, there were a lot of tables with kids.

Before I knew it, I'd already drunk this much of the broth. Time to add the cilantro.

Eating it with cilantro and noodles is a whole different feel. To fully enjoy Oreno Ramen the proper way, though, it's better without the cilantro.

"Mom, more please." My favorite thing to hear, haha.

I asked for rice, and the broth was so good I had no choice but to mix it in.

Mixing in the rice makes it so much more filling too. My husband and I split a bowl and a half between us, done in no time! Proper recovery meal, right?

A walk along Bulgwangcheon after the meal

Right across from Oreno Ramen Eunpyeong is the Bulgwangcheon walking path. A satisfying full stomach and a walk soaking up the sun.

The ducks and a crane came out to catch some sun too. My husband, who had a rough few days — you had your recovery meal today, so please don't get sick again. Let's talk again whenever you're feeling low. We'll eat the ramen you love, and go soak up some sun :)