Gwangjin ramen restaurant, bowl reboiled for latecomers: Mentsuru

Mentsuru, a Gwangjin ramen restaurant: an 8pm weekend visit

Looking for something simple to eat with my boyfriend on a weekend evening, we ended up at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch (멘츠루 어린이대공원점), right in front of Children's Grand Park Station!

My boyfriend really loves tori paitan (chicken paitan ramen), and it happened to be right there on the menu haha. We visited on a same-day reservation around 8pm. The place was relatively calm, maybe because it was a bit past peak time, and it was a nice spot for a low-key dinner date.

• Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch
• 📍 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1st floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 🚇 About 1 minute on foot from Exit 4, Children's Grand Park Station, Line 7
• ⏰ Daily 11:00–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• 🚘 No dedicated parking lot; use nearby public parking (Gwangjin Square public parking / ₩250 per 5 minutes)

Where Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is, and where to park

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is close to Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station, so it's easy to reach by public transit. We drove, so my boyfriend went to park at a nearby public lot while I headed into the restaurant first. That said, parking space nearby isn't exactly generous, so finding a spot on weekends can take a while. Taking the subway is probably more convenient if you can haha.

The restaurant has bar seats that are comfortable for solo dining, plus table seats for groups. While my boyfriend was parking, I went ahead and ordered shoyu ramen, tori paitan, and gyoza (Japanese pan-fried dumplings).

The owner boiled a fresh bowl so the noodles wouldn't go soggy

The ramen came out faster than expected, but the problem was that finding a parking spot took a bit of time ㅠㅠ. My boyfriend still hadn't arrived, and I started worrying the noodles would go soggy.

The owner spoke up first, saying that ramen changes flavor even with a little sogginess, and offered to make it fresh again. Even though I said it was fine, he took it back, saying we should eat it at its best.

It went beyond simple kindness — I could really feel his standard for serving a bowl of ramen and his conviction about the food, and I was grateful for it. Thanks to that, once my boyfriend arrived, we got to eat the freshly remade, warm ramen together haha.

How was the shoyu ramen at Mentsuru?

I ordered the shoyu ramen. With a soy sauce-based broth, it wasn't heavy or sharp but went down clean and comfortably. The broth had plenty of savory depth while feeling lighter the more you ate, so it would suit anyone looking for something mild rather than a rich, heavy ramen.

Tori paitan: rich chicken broth

My boyfriend ordered the tori paitan he'd been looking forward to. The chicken-based broth had a rich, heavy character that gave it a clearly different appeal from the shoyu ramen. The broth was deep and thick but felt smooth rather than cloying. My boyfriend, who eats tori paitan often, said it was one of the most memorable he's had recently, and he ate it with real satisfaction haha. If you enjoy the deep, rich flavor of chicken broth, Mentsuru's tori paitan is worth trying.

Gyoza on the side

The gyoza we ordered as a side exceeded expectations too. The outside was crisped up with real texture, and biting in released juicy, savory filling. It paired well with the clean shoyu broth and also worked nicely alongside the rich tori paitan, making it a great order to share if you're visiting as a pair.

Who Mentsuru's ramen near Children's Grand Park Station suits

We went in for a simple dinner and left having eaten great ramen and felt the owner's thoughtful care — that was Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch. If you want a clean broth, go for the shoyu ramen; if you want the rich depth of chicken broth, the tori paitan was easy to recommend depending on your taste.

Hope this helps anyone looking for restaurants near Children's Grand Park Station, ramen shops near Konkuk University, or a spot for solo dining or a casual date :)