Gwangjin ramen restaurant for torch-seared motsu: Mentsuru

I’d been to Mentsuru a few times because its motsu ramen (beef offal ramen) and abura soba (soupless ramen) were so good, so the moment I found out there was one near Children's Grand Park Station too, I went straight over for motsu ramen.

Mentsuru near Children's Grand Park Station Exit 4

It’s a one-minute walk from Children's Grand Park Station Exit 4. It is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00, and parking is paid. Takeout, reservations, and group dining are also available.

Inside the restaurant, from bar seating to solo-dining seats

They cook right in front of you at the bar counter. It’s fun to watch the cooking.

There are two-person tables that are great for couples or friends, plus four-person tables for families or team dinners, and high chairs so little ones can sit with everyone too.

There are also solo-dining tables with outlets for charging. If you want ramen on your own, I totally recommend Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch!!!!

Doesn’t it feel almost like Japan,,,? It was also fun to watch them cook right in front of us and use a torch to give the beef offal that smoky char.

A menu from motsu ramen to abura soba

There are detailed descriptions for each ramen too.

Starting with its best-known beef-offal motsu ramen, there are shoyu ramen, shio ramen, toripaitan, tsukemen, abura soba, hormone-don, gyudon, chicken karaage, chicken-skin gyoza, and takoyaki. It’s just right for a Konkuk University date lunch:)

They also have watermelon soda, melon soda, peach soda, oolong tea, and ramune. Write a Naver photo review and you get a drink or fried gyoza on the house.

Our order: motsu ramen, toripaitan, and takoyaki

• Motsu ramen ₩15,000
• Toripaitan ₩12,000
• Takoyaki ₩5,000

Pickled radish and pepper are set out at every seat too.

The food is hereee. Toripaitan is at the top, takoyaki is in the middle, and motsu ramen is on the right.

Motsu ramen with Cheongyang peppers and smoky offal

Motsu ramen comes topped with Cheongyang chili peppers by default, along with countless pieces of beef offal and meat.

There are lots of Cheongyang peppers, but it wasn’t a “wow, this is way too spicy” kind of heat—just a pleasantly spicy kick that perfectly cuts through the richness of the offal. One sip of the broth brings together the rich beef-offal flavor and that spicy kick so well; it’s exactly the sort of flavor that makes you want to mix rice into it.

There is seriously so much offal that you can have one piece with every bite of noodles.

Please look at this offal,,, Every piece is seared with a torch, and that torch-charred smoky flavor is no joke.

Toripaitan with a nutty, deeply rich broth

Toripaitan is ramen with a rich broth. It has a nutty flavor, almost like a beef-bone broth?? If you love deeply rich ramen broths, I absolutely recommend the toripaitan!!! You can add Cheongyang peppers to it too, but it is delicious as it is.

It comes with a generous amount of sous-vide chashu, so again, it’s completely possible to have a piece of meat with every lift of noodles.

Takoyaki on the side with plenty of octopus

Whenever I go to Japan, I’m the kind of person who always orders takoyaki (octopus balls), so when I saw it on the menu this time, there was no way I could skip it. I ordered it as a side right away; the sauce was sooo good, and there was a really generous amount of octopus too. I recommend it if you love takoyaki like I do.

If ramen alone feels a little lacking, try ordering the takoyaki:)