Hanam Misa ramen restaurant with anime figures and melon soda: Menji

You know that feeling when you're out and about and just want something delicious to eat? But eating solo, something too fancy felt like a lot, so I was looking for somewhere I could eat comfortably — and I found a ramen restaurant known for its tori paitan, so I went to check it out!

Where is Menji Hanam Misa Branch, and what are its hours?

Menji Hanam Misa Branch is a Japanese ramen restaurant located at 36 Misagangbyeonbuk-ro 30beon-angil, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor. It's open Monday through Sunday from 11:00 to 20:30, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:00. It's closed on Chuseok holiday (Sept 25).

Menji Hanam Misa Branch shares an entrance with the Easy Bread bakery. There's a promotional sign out front with Menji's name on it, so it's not hard to find!

They also had various menu items and events running, which seemed fun to check out haha

From the entrance, the Japanese-style interior was already

Inside Menji: Crayon Shin-chan and Totoro figures on the shelves

The interior of Menji Hanam Misa Branch felt like a small ramen shop in Japan. Objects related to Japanese anime were decorated throughout — Crayon Shin-chan and various other anime figures, posters of One Piece and Ghibli films.

And Menji Hanam Misa Branch's interior was just as cute as the food. The décor made it feel like I'd stepped into a small ramen shop in Japan, giving off a distant, warm feeling. It was fun to look around at everything one by one, and enjoyable to check out the surroundings while waiting for the ramen haha.

The cute little props were naturally placed throughout the space, which made the cute Japanese vibe feel even stronger. The nostalgic atmosphere blended so well with the Japanese anime props that I felt like this wasn't just a place to eat and leave, but somewhere worth exploring on its own! If you love Japanese anime like me, I'm sure you'd enjoy looking at the figures and posters too. 🥰

The cute figures placed around were so lovable too. Totoro is one of the Ghibli movies I really enjoyed, and seeing the mini Totoros lined up in a row was just too adorable >< Now I get why people collect figures...!

I never knew the Attack on Titan figures could be this cute lol lol lol lol lol lol. I came here to eat, but it was a space that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Bar seats for solo diners and self-serve takanazuke pickles

At Menji Hanam Misa Branch, I sat at the bar (dachi) seats. On the shelf were containers of takanazuke, a Japanese pickled mustard leaf, along with small dishes to portion it into, spoons, and disposable wooden chopsticks.

Table seats are nice too, but I just love sitting at the bar haha. The charm of solo dining~! At the top of the small dish stack, there was a little bowl with such a thoughtful, considerate note written on it. Details like this made me feel the care they put into thinking about their guests, which made the whole space feel even warmer.

What I ordered at Menji: tori paitan, mentaiko rice combo, mini tonkatsu, melon soda

Here's the full spread I ordered hahaha. Menji Hanam Misa Branch is known for its signature tori paitan ramen, made with sous-vide chicken breast and rich chicken broth, and I was curious how it would differ from tonkotsu ramen made with pork bone broth. Tori paitan is a ramen with a broth base made by simmering chicken down thoroughly, and unlike the usual clear chicken broth, this one was quite thick and milky-looking — a visual that made it look rich just from looking at it.

And since ramen alone felt like it wasn't enough, I also ordered the ramen + mini rice combo set along with mini tonkatsu and melon soda, which pairs so well with Japanese ramen restaurants. 🍈💚 The mini rice could be upgraded from plain rice to rice with toppings — since I love mentaiko, I upgraded to mentaiko rice!

Whenever I go to a Japanese restaurant, I suddenly crave melon soda even though I don't normally drink it much haha. From the green color alone it was so cute, sweet, and refreshing — it felt like it cleaned my palate after the rich ramen, and it also just made me feel like treating myself!

The mini tonkatsu came out pretty generous too. The quality of the meat was great for the price — this place earns its stripes as a solid Japanese restaurant!

How the tori paitan tastes: sous-vide chicken breast and house-made fresh noodles

Finally, the main event — tori paitan. One of Menji's signatures is the sous-vide-cooked chicken breast that tops the ramen. Sous-vide is a method of cooking slowly at low temperature, which apparently keeps the texture moist and tender compared to regular boiled chicken breast. Maybe that's why the chicken breast on top of the ramen was cut to a size that was easy to eat with the noodles, and had a soft, delicious texture that didn't feel like the usual dry chicken breast at all.

Eating the rich chicken broth, house-made noodles, and sous-vide chicken all together made for really great flavor. It was a different feeling from ramen topped with pork char siu. There was also one big ajitamago, the seasoned soft-boiled egg that's a must in Japanese ramen — savory and delicious!

Changing the flavour with Menji's house-made rayu chili oil and pepper

On the table at Menji Hanam Misa Branch, there was house-made rayu (chili oil) and pepper. After enjoying the base flavor of the tori paitan, I drizzled on the house-made rayu and sprinkled on pepper, my favorite spice, to try out different flavors. The pepper's distinct sharp aroma and flavor made it taste somehow nuttier, while the rayu gave off a gentle spiciness — it was fun adjusting the flavor to my own taste in different ways.

Verdict: is Menji a good spot for solo ramen in Hanam Misa?

Menji Hanam Misa Branch is a great place to visit in Hanam Misa whenever you're craving Japanese ramen. Thanks to the cute little anime props, it had a warm, cozy feeling.

The tori paitan ramen, made with sous-vide chicken breast and rich chicken broth, also had a different charm from regular tonkotsu ramen. The milky, rich chicken broth, chewy house-made noodles, and tender chicken breast all went really well together. Adding house-made rayu and pepper partway through to suit my taste was also a great way to switch things up.

On top of that, adding the mentaiko rice combo, mini tonkatsu, and melon soda made it the best possible combination for a single meal. Pat on the back for myself~! If you're looking for a great ramen restaurant in Hanam Misa, or if you're nearby Hanam, I definitely recommend stopping by! ><