Korean Air’s “Ramyeon Library”：When an Airline Turns Instant Noodles into a Lounge Experience
Korean Air has introduced a self-service instant noodle station, known as the “Ramyeon Library,” inside its newly reopened Prestige East (Left) Lounge at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2.
The station allows passengers to choose from several Korean ramyeon options and prepare them using an automated cooking machine. The noodles are served as-is, without chef presentation or special plating, offering a quick and familiar option inside a business-class lounge.
Not a food upgrade, but an experience decision.
While instant noodles may seem unusual in a premium setting, ramyeon is a common everyday food in Korea, often prepared using similar machines in convenience stores and public spaces. Korean Air’s approach brings that familiar experience into the lounge rather than replacing it with a more formal dining concept.
Instant noodles are treated as comfort infrastructure, not novelty.
The self-service format also gives travellers a small moment of choice and control in an otherwise structured airport environment. Selecting a flavour, starting the machine, and waiting a few minutes turns eating into a simple, self-directed ritual.
Self-service restores a small sense of control during transit.
By framing the station as a “library,” the airline emphasises browsing and personal selection rather than traditional ordering. The focus shifts away from status or presentation and toward familiarity and ease.
“Library” reframes choice, not quality.
The Ramyeon Library reflects a broader shift in lounge design, where comfort and emotional ease are increasingly valued alongside traditional luxury features. For passengers in transit, a hot bowl of something familiar can be just as appealing as a plated meal.
Comfort is doing the work that luxury used to do.
This is everyday food, confidently placed where it normally wouldn’t be — and that quiet confidence is exactly what makes the idea work.
Reference: Korean Air
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