Ramen near Konkuk University: spicy shoyu with free rice, Mentsuru

Why stop at Mentsuru near Children's Grand Park Station before Konkuk?

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is a ramen shop right in front of Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station on Line 7, so it was easy to stop by on the way to run errands in Konkuk. It's open 11:00–23:00 (last order 22:30), takeout and reservations are available, and parking means using a nearby paid lot.

On the way to Konkuk for some errands, I had a bit of time to spare so I decided to eat nearby first. Since Children's Grand Park was close, I looked up good restaurants in the area and kept seeing Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch come up as a top ramen spot near the park, so I went.

There are plenty of restaurants around Konkuk too, but it's such a high-foot-traffic area that things can get a bit loud for our taste, and some places aren't kept up that well. So when we have business in Konkuk, we sometimes head over toward Children's Grand Park instead to eat.

Mentsuru is right at Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station on Line 7, so it was convenient to reach by public transit. Children's Grand Park is also within walking distance, so on a nice day it seems like a good idea to stroll or rest in the park before coming here to eat. We rode over on a motorcycle and parked nearby.

What are the seats and solo-dining atmosphere like at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch?

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch has 2-person and 4-person tables plus counter (dachi) seats, so the layout is comfortable for solo dining too. The inside felt a bit more spacious than it looked from outside.

There were solo diners when we visited, and the atmosphere didn't feel awkward for eating alone at all, so it looked like a fine place to come by yourself for ramen.

Staff who checked in at just the right moments

What stood out most that day at Mentsuru was the staff. We asked a few questions while looking at the menu, and the staff member explained everything kindly — and it wasn't just answering our questions, they also kept an eye on us during the meal to see if we needed anything.

Even with a decent number of customers in the restaurant, you could tell they were checking tables regularly and paying attention to guests. That matters a lot when you're the type to ask a bunch of questions while choosing a menu, like us. They weren't overbearing about it either — just checking in at the right moments, which made the whole meal feel easy and comfortable.

What ramen and rice bowls does Mentsuru's menu have?

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch has 4 kinds of broth ramen, a broth-free abura soba, 2 rice bowls, and side dishes. I thought it was a ramen-only place, but the lineup turned out to be pretty varied.

• Spicy shoyu ramen: ramen made with clam and chicken broth
• Shio ramen: chicken broth ramen seasoned with salt
• Tori paitan: a heavy ramen made from simmered chicken bones
• Motsu ramen: a spicy option with beef intestine and beef short rib, they said
• Abura soba: broth-free ramen flavored with 5 secret oils
• Hormone-don: a rice bowl with beef intestine and beef short rib
• Gyudon: a rice bowl with beef short rib in a special sauce
• Sides: handmade karaage (fried chicken), chicken skin gyoza, chashu yaki, takoyaki

With rice bowls and sides on the menu too, it looked like a good spot to visit with a group and share several dishes.

Can you mix rice into the ramen broth at Mentsuru?

At Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch, staff give you rice for free if you ask. We didn't know this and added extra noodles to our spicy shoyu ramen instead — so if you plan to eat ramen and then mix rice into the leftover broth, it's worth asking whether you can request rice before adding extra noodles.

That day we ordered spicy shoyu ramen and hormone-don. We added extra noodles to the spicy shoyu ramen and ordered hormone-don as-is. Each menu item had toppings you could add — the spicy shoyu ramen could take extra noodles, menma (bamboo shoots), egg, seaweed, chili, and more, while the hormone-don could take extra seaweed and egg.

We planned to finish the ramen and then mix rice into the leftover broth, but at first we thought a bowl of rice had to be ordered separately, so we added extra noodles instead. Later we found out rice is given free if you just ask staff. We only realized this partway through eating, so if you're planning to eat ramen and finish with rice in the broth, you might want to ask staff whether rice is available before adding extra noodles.

Yuzu danmuji that pairs well with the ramen

Mentsuru's side dish is danmuji (pickled radish) with yuzu mixed in. It's not the usual plain danmuji — there's a subtle yuzu aroma and a refreshing tang that went really well with the ramen.

It felt different from the danmuji you get at Chinese restaurants, and honestly I liked this version better. Eating a piece of danmuji between bites of ramen cleaned my palate, and I kept reaching for more.

How spicy is Mentsuru's spicy shoyu ramen?

Mentsuru's spicy shoyu ramen uses clam and chicken broth, so the broth was clean but still had depth, and the spiciness was less overwhelming than expected. With extra noodles added, one bowl was plenty filling on its own.

Given the name

Given the name 'spicy shoyu,' I expected it to be quite hot, but it wasn't a style where the heat overpowers everything — the broth flavor and the spiciness came through together, which I liked. With the extra noodles, the portion was generous, and eating the broth and noodles together was filling.

The broth especially was the kind you keep wanting to drink, so it felt like a waste to leave any behind after finishing the noodles. So, as planned from the start, we asked staff for rice.

Staff brought the rice right away, and we mixed it into the leftover spicy shoyu broth. Having already added extra noodles and then eating rice on top really filled us up, but finishing with rice mixed into the broth felt like a proper way to wrap up the ramen. If you're like us and enjoy mixing rice into ramen broth, definitely ask for the rice.

What does Mentsuru's hormone-don taste like?

Mentsuru's hormone-don is a rice bowl with beef intestine and beef short rib. The savory, rich flavor unique to beef intestine, combined with the short rib, went well with the rice. It's a completely different flavor direction from the ramen, so ordering it alongside the spicy shoyu ramen and alternating bites worked well.

It also seemed like a good idea for two people to order one of each and share. If you like beef intestine in particular, the hormone-don is worth trying.

How was Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch as a ramen spot near Konkuk and Children's Grand Park?

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is easy to reach from Children's Grand Park Station, and with such a variety of ramen types, there's fun in choosing what to order. This time we had the spicy shoyu ramen and hormone-don, but next time I'd like to try the motsu ramen with beef intestine and short rib, or the tori paitan made from simmered chicken bones.

More than the food itself, what stuck with me that day was how comfortable the meal felt because the staff explained the menu kindly when we asked and kept checking on us throughout the meal. They weren't overbearing about talking to us constantly — they just checked in at the moments we actually needed something, and that made a real difference.

If you're running errands in Konkuk and looking for somewhere quiet nearby to eat, or if you've been to Children's Grand Park and are craving ramen, this place is worth a stop. There are also counter seats good for solo diners, so eating alone here should feel comfortable too, and going as a pair to order one ramen and one rice bowl to share, like we did, worked out well.

It's a place I'd want to come back to whenever I'm near Children's Grand Park and craving ramen.