City Hall ramen restaurant for spicy gyudon: Mentsuru

A real gyudon drop 🔥

I visited Mentsuru City Hall Branch. While looking for a good place for City Hall Station office workers,

I found such a welcome spot. Mentsuru ramen had opened at City Hall Station!

I honestly thought this was amazing. It was even better because it is perfectly located for a meal after Deoksugung Palace’s night opening.

That made me even happier. I wanted a City Hall restaurant where I could eat alone even with a packed schedule, and this was exactly that kind of place 🧡

A space made for solo dining near City Hall Station

I wandered in while passing near City Hall Station, and the first impression was wonderful. The interior had the authenticity of a Japanese ramen specialist, with a modern black-and-wood color scheme. There were lots of counter seats and plenty of seats for one person, too.

I thought it was absolutely ideal for eating alone at a City Hall restaurant, haha. The atmosphere felt just like a Japanese ramen shop. I also loved that the open kitchen let me watch the ramen being made. The deep, rich aroma of broth filled the whole restaurant. It really did feel like a favorite with City Hall Station office workers.

Even during the busy lunch rush, every empty seat was filled in no time.

I ordered spicy gyudon and shio ramen

I ordered three things: one Coca-Cola,

spicy pork belly chashu gyudon, and regular pork belly chashu shio ramen. The gyudon came out first.

Gyudon with gently building heat

Oh wow, that first bite is so important, right? I ordered the gyudon (Japanese beef rice bowl) spicy, and it looked delicious, too 🔥 Tender pork belly chashu draped over rice soaked in plenty of sauce, while a thin egg omelet added a bright yellow accent. I took a spoonful and—wow, this was seriously good.

The heat suited my palate perfectly. It was not just hot; it had a deep spiciness

that gently crept up from behind. It was the kind of addictive flavor that kept me reaching for more rice. The pork belly chashu melted so softly that it hardly needed chewing. As you would expect from a ramen specialist, the care put into the chashu really showed. That nutty pork aroma bloomed right up.

It made me go, ahh 😤 This gyudon alone would be enough to make it a great spot after Deoksugung Palace’s night opening.

Clear yet rich shio ramen broth

Next came the shio ramen, and visually it was already a different kind of object. The broth was so clear and transparent, yet I could tell just by looking that it held a deep flavor. Shio ramen is known for its light, clean taste, and this one truly lived up to its name. At the first sip, wow, this broth really

brought back the feeling of something I had drunk in Japan 🧡 The salt level felt precisely calculated, while the finish was rich and lingering.

The ramen noodles had just the right springiness, and you know how noodles naturally soak up the broth with every bite? They absorbed it so well. When I put a mouthful of noodles in, the pairing with the broth felt completely perfect. It made me think, this is real ramen, haha.

The pork belly chashu on the shio ramen was, of course, soft and delicious too. Made by simmering layers of pork belly, it added more flavor to the broth. Every bite spread that savory pork-broth flavor through my whole mouth, which I loved. Looking at the menu from the perspective of City Hall Station office workers, the lunchtime prices felt very reasonable. Because it was a ramen specialist, I thought

it would automatically be expensive, but it was better value than I expected. For this flavor at this price, I thought it was the best possible solo meal at a City Hall restaurant 🎯

I finished every dish and left feeling truly happy. When I had drunk all the ramen broth, that rich flavor lingered in my mouth for a long time.

This is the feeling you get after eating truly delicious ramen, and Mentsuru City Hall Branch was exactly that kind of place. Its reputation as a favorite among City Hall Station office workers

was completely deserved. It even felt as though that deep, rich broth soothed the loneliness you can feel when dining alone.

Ramen I want again after Deoksugung Palace’s night opening

I was so happy to have found a City Hall ramen spot I could visit when I got hungry late at night after making the most of Deoksugung Palace’s night opening. I really understood ramen’s addictive pull—the hot broth makes the edges of your mouth tingle, yet you still take another spoonful, haha. I think this is the kind of restaurant I will revisit even when the seasons change. They may have cold ramen in summer, so I definitely need to come back.

A return visit is already confirmed. As a restaurant to visit after Deoksugung Palace’s night opening, I am going to

recommend it enthusiastically to my friends, too. I think it would also be an excellent choice for City Hall Station office workers. For anyone wanting to eat alone at a City Hall restaurant,

I sincerely highly recommend it 🔥