Ramen Ramyun, Ramyun Ramen: The Library Is Open

When we hear the word “library,” most of us imagine floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. At a curious new spot called The Ramyun Library, however, packets of instant noodles line the walls.

At 2:30 p.m. on a Saturday, we were welcomed by a bright Now Open sign, the sound of K-pop on the speakers and a friendly staff. Although there was a half-hour wait, even for the late-lunch crowd, we were up for the experience. Immediately we were directed to self-ordering kiosks, at which one can ponder more than 30 flavors of popular Korean ramyuns.

To differentiate between the words ramen and ramyun: we learned that "ramyun" refers specifically to Korean instant noodles, which the Library exclusively serves.

Among the offerings are both soup-based and non-soup-based ramyuns, as well as sides including tuna mayo kimbap, fried fish cakes and dumplings, rice, kimchi and more. Impressively, there's also a handful of vegan options. The menu uses charming pixel art depictions of wheat, nuts, shellfish, dairy and other common allergens, giving the Library the potential to become an ideal spot for those with food sensitivities. Fire symbols indicate spice levels on a scale of one to five. For drinks, there are banana, coffee or strawberry-flavored milk, sodas and a few different lemonades, including a cotton candy flavor, which we found the most fun and enticing.
Some of our favorite soup-based ramyuns on the menu include the kimchi noodle soup by Nongshim and sesame and egg ramen by Ottogi. We highly recommend the stir-fry cream carbonara by Buldak — if you’re up for a spice level of four out of five. Once orders are made, you can add toppings to your bowls like egg, shrimp, sausage, jalapeno, green onion, wood ear mushrooms and several more.

We went with Nongshim’s shin mushroom and fried tofu ramyun ($5.99) topped with green onions (an additional 99 cents) and Shin Gold chicken broth with a boiled egg and wood ear mushrooms. Before we checked out, the kiosk asked whether it could tempt us with lemonade or hodduk, a sweet, fried Korean pancake. It most certainly could. We added a cotton candy lemonade ($5.50) and cinnamon hodduk ($4.99) to our cart, checked out, and stood in line to wait for a pair of seats to open up.

Seating is in the form of communal, cafeteria-style tables, fostering a unique camaraderie among diners. Someone else who was waiting even grabbed our attention to point out a pair of seats that opened up, giving up their opportunity to sit down before us.

Despite it being so busy, even without traditional servers, there was an easy and natural flow to the experience. You walk in, are greeted by smiling faces, order from the kiosk, find a spot to sit and wait for your name to be called.

Once we found our way to our table, we waited excitedly for our cinnamon hodduk, which was truly the star of the show, and enjoyed looking at all the different flavors that lined the shelves. Two televisions stream K-pop performances for a little extra entertainment.

Once our names were called, we were walked through the way the specialty LAZO ramyun machines is used, and it was fun to be an active participant in the process. Staffed helped us with which buttons to press and swung by to stir our noodles occasionally. Although we didn’t mind, they apologized for the long wait, thanked us for our patience and went above and beyond by offering those who stuck around their choice of a free soda or ice cream.

After only five minutes or so, our meal was ready and we made our way back to our seats. The cotton candy lemonade was unique and it did taste like cotton candy in the most nostalgic, small-town-carnival kind of way. The cinnamon hodduk was incredible — perfectly flaky, a little crispy on the outside but soft on the inside with a gooey filling and a strong cinnamon flavor.

The mushroom and fried tofu ramyun were both rich and peppery, and the Shin Gold chicken broth was light, with the wood ear mushrooms adding even more umami flavor. Each came with two fire symbols and both were on the edge of our spice tolerance, which may be important to keep in mind depending on your preferred heat level.

We had such a fun time at The Ramyun Library. It could be an excellent first date or celebration spot. As our neighbors finished their meals and were preparing to head out, we heard two of them chirping away about how the experience and food were worth the wait, and we agree. Whether you are close by or Carrollton is a trek, we would highly recommend checking the place out for a fun experience.

The Ramyun Library, 1060 W. Frankford Road, No. 216, Carrollton. Wednesday – Monday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Closed Tuesday.