Kelp vinegar abura soba at a Seoul City Hall ramen spot: Mentsuru

Shoyu ramen, abura soba

Once the darkness starts to fall, the stone wall path around Deoksugung feels completely different from daytime. Soft lighting hits the palace roof tiles and there's a bit of coolness in the wind — it's especially good walking weather these days. So before a night-opening date with my husband at Deoksugung, we went to Mentsuru, a Japanese ramen restaurant, for a hearty dinner first.

Where is Mentsuru City Hall Branch, and what are its hours and parking?

Not far from Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung, Mentsuru is very well located along the route to the night opening. It's only about 1–2 minutes on foot from City Hall Station Exit 10, and just 7 minutes' walk to Deoksugung.

• 📍 Location: 2 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 1st floor
• ⏰ Hours: 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00 / open daily)
• 🚗 Parking: nearby public parking lots recommended (no parking support)

Inside Mentsuru: a little-Japan interior with 1st and 2nd floor seats

Walking into Mentsuru feels like stepping into a ramen shop somewhere in Japan.

The City Hall area usually has both office workers and tourists, so during peak lunch and dinner hours it's often hard to avoid a wait or find a place to eat. But Mentsuru's seating is split across two floors, so even with a wait, it looked like you could sit down for a meal fairly quickly.

Luckily we were able to eat right away. The system is: you order at the kiosk before entering, and staff then guide you to your seat.

What two people ordered at Mentsuru and what it cost

My husband and I ordered Mentsuru's signature and most basic dish, shoyu ramen, along with abura soba, which I personally love, and handmade gara-age (Japanese fried chicken).

• Shoyu ramen - ₩11,000
• Abura soba - ₩12,000
• Handmade gara-age - ₩7,000

Shoyu ramen: a clear broth of chicken and clams

The shoyu ramen has a clear, unclouded broth, made cleanly from chicken and clams, with good umami depth and nothing overpowering.

The reason I keep thinking about Mentsuru's ramen is, honestly, the broth is great, but it's the noodles I really keep coming back for. The noodles had just the right texture and were well soaked in the broth — so good.

Abura soba with two or three drops of kelp vinegar

Abura soba (oil-based noodles tossed without broth) is a specialty made with Mentsuru's own five-ingredient secret oil and a generous pile of toppings, all mixed with the noodles. Breaking the yolk and mixing it in gives chewy noodles with a savory, salty flavor you can't stop eating.

About halfway through, adding two or three drops of the kelp vinegar set out on the table turned the flavor refreshingly bright — personally, I think it tasted even better with the vinegar added. The portion was large enough that we didn't add extra rice, but you can ask for rice to mix in if you want.

Handmade kara-age: worth ordering even when you're full

We also ordered the handmade gara-age as a side. You need to eat this even if you're already full. Mentsuru explains it as Japanese fried chicken made to order from fresh chicken thigh meat, battered and fried on the spot — and eating it, it really was juicy through and through.

The pieces were also quite large, so I thought it was great value. Dipped in the two accompanying sauces, it stayed delicious all the way to the end.

Why Mentsuru is a good dinner before a Deoksugung night walk

We ate our fill of the warm shoyu ramen broth, the varied abura soba, and the crispy handmade gara-age, and headed off full and satisfied to see Deoksugung's night opening. Mentsuru is a great place to eat before a dinner or evening date near City Hall Station — I'd recommend it as part of the plan.