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Cooler fall temperatures have arrived, and you may have had enough sandwiches for lunch. Sweater weather also means it’s time for some warm comfort food, too. If you are at Osan Air Base, head over to Ramen Gwanghoon for a piping hot bowl of noodles.
Owner Kim Gwang Hoon spent the last 12 years perfecting his recipe at other restaurants around Pyeongtaek before opening his own ramen joint. You can grab a set for a great bowl of ramen at the location inside Pyeongtaek International Market.
The restaurant itself is small and nondescript, but I wasn’t there for the décor; I was there for a great lunch! Lucky for me, that’s what Ramen Gwanghoon serves up! But before I could get my hands on a delicious bowl of ramen, I had to wait a few minutes for a seat, so plan ahead if you’re there during the lunch rush.
Once Inside, place your order at the kiosk where you can choose from the menu items, including extra toppings. Both Kim and his wife run the shop, so don’t be surprised if you’re seated or offered help with choosing your ramen by Kim’s wife. She was super friendly and is knowledgeable about the ramen, so feel free to ask questions if you’re not sure what to order.
I went for the tonkatsu pork-based broth ramen topped with thinly sliced black mushrooms, a marinated hard-boiled egg, slices of thick chashu braised pork belly and scallions. I paid extra for a whole hard-boiled egg and extra slices of chashu for a total of 10,000 won (about $8.73) for the entire meal.
A sign on the wall suggested what seasonings on the table were good to add to your bowl. I decided to give it a try and added ground garlic, some shredded ginger and black pepper to the broth. I devoured the ramen and was satisfied with my decision.
Last year, when I visited Tokyo, I enjoyed my first bowl of ramen in the famous Asakusa District. Ramen Gwanghoon’s tonkotsu ramen reminded me of this delicious culinary experience. The broth here was just as good as the one I had in Tokyo, and it was one of the reasons why I made the 30-minute journey to Gwanghoon. Unlike ramen chain restaurants you’ll find scattered around the area, this broth is not made from a powder. Kim simmers pork for three days to get the deep flavor you’ll find in Japan’s ramen shops.
If ramen sounds good for lunch, check their Instagram feed for daily updates (Kim prepares a limited amount of servings) and hours of operation. For me, it was a nice reminder of my travels to Japan and also a nice way to warm up on a cool October day. I’ll definitely be back!
Address: 2-1, Jungangsijang-ro 25beon-gil, Pyeongtaek-si, 경기 평택시 중앙시장로25번길 2-1 Parking lot: Paid parking is available at lot to the right of the ramen joint: 경기도 평택시 쇼핑로 36-14 http://naver.me/5k3bm6iz Hours: Tue to Sun 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Break Time 3 to 5 p.m., Last Order – Lunch 2:45 p.m., Dinner 8 p.m. Closed Mondays. Contact Info: 010-9975-4237, http://www.instagram.com/ramenboy84
