Tyron Shimpson

[KR] Japanese ramen at Donijji 돈이찌 @ Lotte Department Store, Seoul

The ramen shop

Don-Ijji 돈이찌 is a Japanese ramen shop at the basement food court at Lotte Department Store in Myeong Dong 명동. It wasn’t the most crowded place, but there were constant inflow of people placing their orders here. There is no table available, only counter tops. You place the order at the counter and when the bell rings, you pick your food up.

Naver map https://naver.me/FSObguBM

A digital menu board at a ramen shop displaying various meal sets and specials, with a staff member preparing food in the background.
Menu display featuring beef short ribs and Tonkotsu ramen set options at Don-Ijji
Interior view of Don-Ijji ramen shop, showing counter seating, kitchen area, and customers dining.
Interior view of the Don-Ijji, showcasing the counter seating and busy kitchen staff.

The ramen

I ordered the most basic ramen set – Tonkotsu ramen set menu. You get your Tonkotsu ramen, rice and a can of Coca-Cola. For those who are not familiar with Japanese ramen, Tonkotsu ramen is…

  • Tonkotsu is a Japanese dish, specifically a type of ramen, featuring a rich and cloudy broth made from pork bones, which is what the name translates to. To make the broth, pork bones are boiled for many hours, allowing collagen, fat, and minerals to release, resulting in a milky, gelatinous texture. This broth is typically served with ramen noodles and various toppings.

The soup was indeed deep and had very little pork smell (almost unnoticeable). I think they were using fresh meat and lots of garlic in the making. I got couple of slices of pork an egg sliced into two, fish cake slice, and small slices of veggies. Rice was also decent in size, but never got to finish the whole thing. Noodles could have been a bit more firmer.

A bowl of Tonkotsu ramen with slices of pork, soft-boiled eggs, fish cake, and green onions, served with a bowl of rice and a can of Coca-Cola on a tray.
A delicious Tonkotsu ramen set meal featuring rich broth, egg, pork slices, and a side of rice, served with a can of Coca-Cola.
A bowl of Tonkotsu ramen featuring thick broth, slices of pork, soft boiled eggs, fish cake, and vegetables, served alongside a bowl of rice, pickled kimchi, and a can of Coca-Cola, all arranged on a black tray.
A delicious serving of Tonkotsu ramen featuring soft-boiled eggs, sliced pork, and vegetables, accompanied by rice and a can of Coca-Cola.
A hand holding chopsticks with a slice of pork and noodles above a bowl of Tonkotsu ramen, accompanied by a side of rice and garnishes.
A delicious serving of Tonkotsu ramen with pork, egg, and noodles, ready to be enjoyed.
A bowl of Tonkotsu ramen with a slice of egg and broth, partially eaten, alongside a small bowl of rice and a side dish of kimchi.
A nearly finished bowl of Tonkotsu ramen, featuring a rich broth, sliced pork, and a half egg, accompanied by rice and pickled vegetables.

The conclusion

The place is inside a food court. This is a shop where you go eat yourself or doggy bag to the office. I can’t imagine myself going back to Don-Ijji, however, when Japanese ramen is something that I crave, I might think about it. Order the…

  • Tonkotsu ramen set

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