# Kelp vinegar abura soba at a Seoul City Hall ramen spot: Mentsuru - By Doyun (https://superchart.com/en/@gyeonggi-corner-bowl/) - Written Sep 14, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jung-gu, Seoul - Sponsored: This article was written as part of a paid store visit sponsorship. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@gyeonggi-corner-bowl/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@gyeonggi-corner-bowl/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/index.md) ## In short Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a Japanese ramen restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, a 1–2 minute walk from City Hall Station Exit 10 and 7 minutes from Deoksugung Palace. Before a Deoksugung night-opening date, the writer and her husband ordered shoyu ramen (11,000 won), abura soba (12,000 won) and handmade kara-age (7,000 won), and two or three drops of the kelp vinegar on the table turned the abura soba bright and fresh halfway through. Mentsuru made a filling, easy stop before an evening walk around the palace. ## Good to know - **Location**: 2 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 1st floor (1–2 min walk from City Hall Station Exit 10, 7 min walk to Deoksugung Palace) - **Hours**: 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00, open year-round) - **Parking**: No parking available; nearby public parking lots recommended - **Shoyu ramen**: 11,000 won - **Abura soba**: 12,000 won - **Handmade kara-age**: 7,000 won - **Ordering**: Order at the kiosk before entering; staff then show you to a table - **Seating**: Seating on the 1st and 2nd floors *as written by the visitor on Sep 14, 2026* Shoyu ramen, abura soba ![Mentsuru City Hall Branch, a Japanese ramen restaurant near City Hall Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-01-mrzfa-1200.webp) *A famous Japanese ramen spot near City Hall Station* 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? ![View of Deoksugung's stone wall path during the night opening](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-02-6tcwp-966.webp) *The beautiful Deoksugung stone wall path at night* ![Exterior of Mentsuru City Hall Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-03-13qj6-966.webp) *Mentsuru City Hall Branch* 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 ![Interior of Mentsuru with a Japanese ramen shop atmosphere](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-04-1nt6w-966.webp) *A great Japanese ramen restaurant* Walking into Mentsuru feels like stepping into a ramen shop somewhere in Japan. ![First-floor seating at Mentsuru City Hall Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-05-piuxv-966.webp) *Mentsuru 1st floor* ![Second-floor seating at Mentsuru City Hall Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-06-1uwj7-966.webp) *Mentsuru 2nd floor* 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. ![Kiosk at Mentsuru for ordering before entering](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-07-mdm4k-966.webp) *The kiosk* 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 ![Table set with Mentsuru's ramen dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-08-5jb54-966.webp) *Delicious Japanese ramen* 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 ![A bowl of Mentsuru's clear-broth shoyu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-09-199hi-966.webp) *Shoyu ramen* The shoyu ramen has a clear, unclouded broth, made cleanly from chicken and clams, with good umami depth and nothing overpowering. ![Shoyu ramen noodles lifted with chopsticks](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-10-1ot6d-966.webp) *The noodles are art* 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 piled high with toppings](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-11-t2sr5-966.webp) *Abura soba loaded with toppings* 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. ![Abura soba mixed with a broken egg yolk](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-12-z00ag-966.webp) ![Kelp vinegar set out on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-13-gzs2p-966.webp) *Kelp vinegar* 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 ![Handmade gara-age ordered as a side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-14-1bgnw-966.webp) *Crispy-outside, juicy-inside handmade gara-age* 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. ![A piece of gara-age fried from chicken thigh meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-15-stlxb-966.webp) ![Gara-age dipped in sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-16-nzwc3-966.webp) ![The two sauces served alongside the gara-age](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-17-1k1ra-966.webp) 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 ![Walking the Deoksugung stone wall path after dinner](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba-18-10vs5-966.webp) *A date along the Deoksugung stone wall path* 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. ## Where it is - Mentsuru City Hall Branch (멘츠루 시청점) - 2 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, 1st unit, South Korea - 서울특별시 중구 서소문로11길 2 1층 1호 - 37.5629944, 126.9731249 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A9%98%EC%B8%A0%EB%A3%A8%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%B2%AD%EC%A0%90/@37.5629944,126.9731249,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@gyeonggi-corner-bowl/menzuru-city-hall-shoyu-abura-soba/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt