New Popular Korean Restaurant Hits LA

① Han River Ramen Appears in LA’s Koreatown

The popularity of Korean food in the U.S. is growing rapidly.
Americans are getting great interest in new Korean dishes, not just the ones that were already famous.
In particular, a variety of Korean foods were loved in the U.S. last year.
The authentic Korean-style food allowed us to see the love of Americans for Korean cuisine.

Recently, a place that has garnered much attention has emerged in Koreatown, LA.
‘Slurp & Sip’ is a ramen shop located near Wilshire Boulevard and Normandie Avenue.
What sets this place apart from others is the installation of a self-serve ramen machine.
It became a hot topic on social media as it introduced a ramen machine famous for Han River ramen.

At Slurp & Sip, you can choose the ramen and toppings you want and cook using the ramen machine.
The types of ramen available include Shin Ramen, Yeol Ramen, Neoguri, Ansungtangmyun, Jin Ramen, etc. You can even taste Buldak Bokkeum Myun and Jjajang Ramen.

The store is filled with a variety of Korean ramen, and there’s fun in choosing what to eat.
After choosing the ramen you want to eat, there’s the pleasure of cooking it yourself using the machine.

Slurp & Sip stated, “The self-serve ramen machine guarantees the perfect taste of ramen by maintaining the optimal amount and temperature of water for boiling ramen. Through visiting the store, it will be an experience that reminds you of various memories such as the childhood when you cooked ramen after school, the tough college years, and the early years of society when you bought ramen to save lunch costs.”

② Getting More Popularity Thanks to K-Content

Currently, Slurp & Sip is popular among the younger generation in the U.S.
They often post videos on Instagram and TikTok showing them cooking ramen using the ramen machine.
With the popularity of K-content, it has established itself as a place for Americans to taste ‘Han River Ramen’.

One LA resident said, “I heard the news that this place opened on Instagram and TikTok. It’s great to be able to experience instant ramen, which I could only see in Korean dramas, in LA.”
Another customer said, “I’m even more excited because it’s my first time to try to taste Korean ramen.”

The current price of instant ramen on sale is between $5.99 and $6.99. Thanks to the relatively affordable price, it’s highly competitive.
It’s basic to spend about $20 to $30 for a meal in LA.
The price of instant ramen is very cheap and delicious, which is drawing a positive response.

You can also add toppings like egg, cheese, rice cake, and ham to the ramen.
Free toppings include onions, garlic, and jalapenos.
Americans found the instant ramen machine easy to use.
They also found it fun to use the ramen machine, which often appears in Korean dramas and movies.

American visitors to Slurp & Sip left reviews such as, “We really needed a place like this. It’s perfect for a cheap and quick meal,” “It’s a really cool place in the middle of Koreatown. It reminds me of my trip to Seoul,” “You must visit here. It’s a really amazing place,” “It feels like being in a K-drama,” “I’ve never had such delicious ramen. It’s really the best.”

Most visitors left positive reviews and were satisfied.
There were many who left reviews saying that it felt like being in Korea.

③ Special Korean Ramen Craze in the U.S.

The popularity of Korean ramen is also increasing in the U.S.
Last year, the U.S. was the place where the popularity of Korean ramen increased the fastest.
Nongshim’s operating profit in the first half of the year, which accounted for 28% of the total, was 337 billion won ($283 million) from the U.S. subsidiary.
The U.S. subsidiary reported first-half sales up 25.2% from a year earlier at 316.2 billion won ($265 million).

The New York Times also selected Shin Ramen Black as the world’s best ramen.
The New York Times introduced Shin Ramen Black as the ‘premium version of Korea’s No. 1 Shin Ramen’.
They highly rated the rich beef broth with seolleongtang soup seasoning, sliced garlic, mushrooms, and the excellent texture provided by the chewy noodles.

Ramen is no longer seen as a cheap meal, but as a ‘delicious and excellent meal’.
Nongshim is increasing its supply by completing its second factory in Corona, following its first factory in Rancho Cucamonga, near LA.
Some analysts say that the interest in ramen is increasing as scenes of eating Korean ramen are exposed through K-content.