I’d said I’d probably have a review today of one of our fine dining meals in Seoul. Yet again, I have lied to you. I have instead for you a review of a meal at almost the opposite end of the price spectrum, featuring ramyun (the Korean incarnation of ramen). This meal was eaten at the Anguk branch of Teumsae Ramyun, a chain which has been around several decades now. It is one of many similar restaurants all over the city (and the country) which serve cheap meals of packet ramyun that are further customized by the kitchen. Teumsae Ramyun has their own brand of ramyun which is used in their restaurants. They are known for their spicy ramen, which comes in three settings from low to high. They have a few versions of ramyun on the menu, along with a few options for gimbap, rice bowls and mandu/dumplings and that’s it. These are not restaurants to linger in. On weeknights they’re mostly filled with solo diners or pairs eating a quick, cheap meal on their way home from work. Well, we weren’t on our way home from work but we did also stop by on a weeknight. Here’s a quick report on how it went.

This branch is small but bright, with a few tables, pretty close to each other, and more counter seating along the back wall. There’s a small kitchen in one corner where the hot food is made; everything else is self-service. If you want pickled daikon or a cold drink or a glass of water, you go get it yourself from the dispensers. Oh, and the pickled daikon is pretty much the extent of the banchan—I’m told that’s the norm at places like this.

What did we order? A bowl of ramyun each, an order of tuna gimbap and a few cold drinks. The missus got their standard Bbal Gae Dduk or spicy ramyun with sliced rice cake. She got it at the medium setting. The younger boy got the Bbal Bu Dae or spicy ramyun with ham, sausage and sliced rice cake. He got his at the low setting and added on a slice of cheese. The older boy and I both got the Bbal Hae Dduk or spicy ramyun with seafood and sliced rice cake. He got his at the low setting and I got mine at medium.

How was it all? The ramyun itself was unremarkable but decent enough—which is really all anyone eating at a place like this is looking for. The gimbap, on the other hand, was pretty good. How about the heat levels on the ramyun? I can tell you that the low is hot by Minnesota standards and that the medium was approaching the upper end of my tolerance. I wouldn’t want to try the hot. Though I suppose if you added on a slice of cheese and an egg you could get it down somewhere between the plain medium and hot settings.

For a look at the restaurant, the menu and what we ate, launch the very restrained slideshow below. Scroll down for price and to see what’s coming next.

Price? Not high. My credit card statement tells me all of the above came to a grand total of less than $24, or $6/head.

Okay, what’s next from Seoul? I do hope to get one of those fine dining reports out soon and also one more market report. If the movie selections on our flights from Delhi to London and London to Minneapolis aren’t enticing I might be moved to resize some large stacks of pics. If that happens I might have a report on Thursday after all. But at the very least I’ll have a report from Seoul and a report from Delhi over the weekend. And two more whisky reviews to close out the month.