Ilgongyug

If you're a long time reader of this blog, or really anything involving Japan, you'll notice that the name of this shop - which I still don't know how to pronounce - does not seem very Japanese. That's because it's not. A three day weekend means a four night trip, and in this case those four nights were spent in Seoul.

Is it crazy to escape the country for just a few days and still manage to eat a bowl of ramen? If it counts, what they serve at Ilgongyung, which Google translate and the kanji on the store tell me is Korean for "106" is ramyun, a Korean ramen-like dish. I don't know a whole lot about ramyun, so I'll briefly sum up what I've heard about it from my friends, and hope maybe a Korean reading this can comment with more details.

Ramyun is a ramen-like Korean dish in that it's soup-and-noodles, but the way it's presented is different. As opposed to ramen in Japan, which you get at one of many ramen shops, ramyun is a spicy broth you create at home, with store-bought noodles. I've been told it's more similar to instant ramen than shop-ramen.

Information
일공육 천안점
18-15 Changcheon-dong (4 Yonsei-ro 4-gil)

A series of descriptions all in Korean left me and my non-Hangeul-reading brain at a loss. The girl at the counter knew just enough English to help me out, and the decision was made when she asked if I liked spicy food.

For some reason, I received a complementary side of sashimi, bean sprouts, and you can take as much bread, eggs, or peanut butter as you like. Hey, it's Korea, I don't make the rules here.

The Bowl
I've had ramyun made by Korean friends before, so I had an idea what it should taste like. The broth was spicy like tteokbokki I've had at Korean restaurants, and it did remind me of the ramyun I had eaten before. The noodles, too, were the instant-style curly, cheap kind. There were a ton of veggies in there; the amount of onions reminded me of tantanmen. Overall it wasn't overwhelming but I'm glad I gave it a try, and am curious about the non-spicy versions.

Would I Go Again?
It's all the way in Korea...so no.

Should You Go?
It's not amazing but it is interesting. Check it out if you're in Seoul for a while.