Ramen with a free rice bowl near City Hall, Seoul: Mentsuru abura soba
In short
Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a ramen restaurant a short walk from Exit 10 of City Hall Station in Jung-gu, Seoul. At a 2pm late lunch the writer ordered abura soba for 12,000 won, spicy shoyu ramen (the "hangover ramen") for 11,500 won and handmade gara-age for 7,000 won, then added a bowl of rice that comes free. The abura soba, with fewer toppings than mazesoba and a mixing oil as its main point, suited her taste best, and the day continued with a walk around Deoksugung Palace.
Good to know
- Spicy shoyu ramen (hangover ramen)
- 11,500 won
- Abura soba
- 12,000 won
- Handmade gara-age
- 7,000 won (5 boneless chicken pieces, chili sauce and mayonnaise)
- Rice bowl
- Free add-on
- Location
- A short walk from Exit 10 of City Hall Station, on the right
- Seating
- Counter (dachi) seats; a basement dining area is said to exist too
- Self-serve side dish
- A jar of yuzu pickled radish on every table
as written by the visitor on Sep 5, 2026
I finally figured out my ramen preference! City Hall Station's ramen spot Mentsuru City Hall Branch! Did you know mixed ramen isn't just mazesoba?!
Where is Mentsuru City Hall Branch, and how busy is it at 2pm?
Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a short walk from Exit 10 of City Hall Station, right there on the right! Met up for a late lunch timed with my friend's shift ending.
Went around 2pm, past the peak lunch rush, but there were still a lot of customers! Starving, so we ordered fast!
What we ordered at Mentsuru and what it cost
There were so many ramen types! My friend wanted something spicy, so she went spicy! I'm usually obsessed with tori paitan ramen lately, but somehow I was craving a mixed ramen instead!
- Spicy shoyu ramen (hangover ramen) ₩11,500
- Abura soba ₩12,000
- Handmade gara-age ₩7,000
The only mixed ramen I knew before was mazesoba? Abura soba looked similar so I tried it for the first time! Got greedy and added rice too (since it's free, nodded to myself) and nearly burst!
Wanted to get a nice wide shot of the interior, but more customers kept coming in behind us, so I snapped a shy little photo instead (faces blurred, obviously)
The refreshing yuzu pickled radish! Loved that every table had its own jar for self-serve. The dishes we ordered were brought out by staff.
Abura soba, spicy shoyu ramen and handmade gara-age at Mentsuru
Drumroll (aka I'm excited) — my first ever abura soba! Similar to mazesoba yet different! The key to abura soba is the oil — that's the kick!
The spicy shoyu ramen was supposed to be about Shin Ramyun level of spicy, but it felt more like Jin Ramen Spicy level! Of course, they said ramen spiciness can be customized!
The handmade gara-age came with 5 hefty boneless chicken pieces! Chili sauce and mayo for dipping were the kicker! Yum yum!
What is the difference between mazesoba and abura soba?
The reason I've always kind of loved-yet-disliked mazesoba is that it usually piles on chives, scallions and garlic — but abura soba has less flashy toppings and puts the spotlight on the mixing oil instead!
Mazesoba comes from the Japanese word 'mazeru,' meaning 'to mix.' The point is to mix noodles thoroughly with a variety of sauces and generous toppings (chives, minced meat, egg yolk, etc.), creating complex flavor through the harmony of toppings.
Abura soba includes 'abura,' meaning 'oil,' in its name, and emphasizes the noodles themselves using aromatic oil and a soy sauce base. It usually uses Tokyo-style ramen toppings in a simple form that skips the broth entirely.
It's such a common question that 'mazesoba abura soba difference' even shows up as a related search term! Naturally I looked it up too, curious myself!
We only added one gara-age as a side at this City Hall ramen spot, and yet we were both stuffed! Almost ordered a drink too but skipped it since we were headed for coffee after!
How I ate the abura soba with the free rice bowl
My mixed-ramen style is dousing it in pepper and kelp vinegar! Handed all the onions and scallions over to my friend (thanks, friend) — was I a monk in a past life?
Mazesoba is tasty too, but this first-time abura soba suited my taste way more! Kind of tastes like jjajangmyeon, kind of like cream pasta? A mysterious, addictive flavor!
Heard the rice add-on is free at Mentsuru, so I shyly asked for one! Added more pepper and mixed it all up!
Felt like I was going to burst, but leaving food behind just isn't in my dictionary! Came for a late lunch and ended up forcing myself into one meal a day! So full!
By close to 3pm the place had thinned out a bit, but the counter seats were still busy, so I snapped some shots of the other side instead! Apparently there's a basement dining area too!
Dinner at Mentsuru before Deoksugung Palace's night opening
A simple dinner before Deoksugung's night opening: Mentsuru, a City Hall ramen spot! Explore Deoksugung in daylight, then coffee at Café Darak, known for its Deoksugung view!
Took fun coffee photos with the Deoksugung view, then promptly lost my doll (sob!). Next time at Mentsuru I absolutely have to try my beloved (?) tori paitan ramen!
Full belly, great weather — a happy day all around!
Where it is
2 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, 1st floor, unit 1, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 중구 서소문로11길 2 1층 1호
