Ramen News
Check out 37 kinds of Korean ramen at Carrollton restaurant Ramyun Library
A new restaurant in Carrollton has opened that's obsessed with ramen. Called The Ramyun Library, it's a bright and whimsical place that opened in early December, featuring what is surely the biggest selection of ramen in Dallas-Fort Worth: 37 different types plus more than 20 toppings that diners can customize themselves.
Located at 1060 W. Frankford Rd. #216, the restaurant has library-style walls with shelves filled with colorful packages of ramen, although they're there for display (and Instagram reels) only. You place your order at the counter and are given a package of ramen and a bowl, to which you add toppings, then take to a self-serve hot water dispenser to pour over your ramen yourself.
The selection features both soup and stir fry instant ramen options, with beef, chicken, seafood, and vegan options from common ramen brands such as Samyang and Nongshim. Bowls start at $6.99.
Toppings include boiled egg, green onion, mushrooms, spicy pepper, fish cakes, dumplings, sausage, and more, and are $1 to $2 each.
The menu also offers Korean side dishes such as kimchi, pickled radish, and Korean sweet pancakes.
Jihoon Lee, who founded the restaurant with business partner Solyi Lee, says the restaurant is meant to make Korean food fun and accessible for American eaters while sharing a piece of his culture.
He was also inspired by the surge in popularity of ramen on social media, where TikTokers post videos of themselves making and eating instant ramen; the hashtag #koreanramennoodles has racked up over 11 million views on the app.
A native of Korea, he moved to California to attend UC Berkeley, then worked in the restaurant industry. This is his first restaurant.
He designed the restaurant’s logo, website and menu to resemble a video game’s aesthetic, with a pixelated font and cute menu icons. The space features four long tables that seat 12 each, meant to make sharing food fun and communal.
“I wanted it to feel like a cafeteria in school,” he says.
Ramen is his comfort food, and he wants others to share in that comfort.
“Ramen is my favorite food,” he says. “I ate a lot of types of ramen growing up, and Korean ramen is the best. If more people know about it, they’ll love it.”