Mild vs spicy dongpo pork ramen broths at Menya Seoul, Incheon

I went down to the basement 1 food court at Lotte Department Store Incheon and stood there for a while trying to decide what to eat. Department store food courts have so many options, which is great, but honestly that just made it harder to choose.

Then Menya Seoul caught my eye.

The ramen photo had a chunky slab of dongpo pork char siu sitting on top, and that visual was hard to just walk past.

We ordered two bowls of dongpo pork char siu ramen, one with mild broth and one with spicy broth, and made one of them a set.

Ordering it as a set gets you double the meat.

The dongpo pork char siu has real presence

The first thing you notice as soon as the ramen arrives is the dongpo pork char siu. This isn't the thin slice of char siu you usually get on ramen — it's a thick, hefty piece of meat, and the first impression was pretty strong.

One bite in, it clearly was well braised — soft, not greasy at all, and seasoned just right. The savory flavor also went really well with the broth.

Ramen alone can feel a bit plain, but with the dongpo pork in there it was definitely filling. It gave that satisfying feeling of "I had a bowl of ramen and got a proper serving of meat too."

The mild broth is smooth and easy

True to its name, the mild broth wasn't sharp or intense — it leaned soft. It was rich but not heavy in a way that felt like a lot, so it was easy to eat comfortably.

With egg, scallion, bean sprouts, and char siu all mixed in, every spoonful had something going on and never felt boring. I think the mild broth would especially suit people who find spicy food a bit much, or families eating with kids.

But the spicy broth was the one I kept going back to

Eating both broths side by side, I found myself reaching for the spicy one more. The spicy broth is clearly different right from the color. It looks hot, but when you actually taste it, it's less of an intensely aggressive heat and more of a spiciness that just works well with ramen. The menu even notes it's about as spicy as Shin Ramyun.

Since the dongpo pork itself was braised cleanly without being greasy, eating it with the spicy broth meant the heat and the meaty flavor kept alternating, and I just kept spooning it up.

The mild broth was soft and good too, but the one I kept going back to until the last drop was the spicy one. If you like spicy ramen, I'd recommend the spicy broth with dongpo pork combo.

The set side dish is chicken karaage

We ordered the mild broth ramen as a set, and picked chicken karaage as the side. This karaage turned out to be really good too — crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, so paired with the soft mild ramen it gave a nice contrast in texture.

A meal in the middle of shopping shouldn't be too heavy or too light, right? Ramen with karaage on the side hit exactly that middle ground, which was satisfying.

The bar seating was comfortable, and the atmosphere felt easy enough for solo dining too.

At a glance

• Name: Menya Seoul Lotte Department Store Incheon Branch
• Location: B1, 35 Yeonnam-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, South Korea (about 8 min walk from Incheon Terminal Station Exit 2)
• Hours: Daily 10:30–20:00
• Dishes eaten: Dongpo pork char siu ramen (mild and spicy), set side of chicken karaage
• What was good: well-braised dongpo pork char siu, crispy karaage, comfortable seating for solo dining
• Recommended by taste: mild broth for soft flavors, spicy broth for heat

Final thoughts

Menya Seoul was a solid, easy ramen restaurant to stop into when looking for a good place to eat at Lotte Department Store Incheon. The dongpo pork char siu was thick and braised well without being greasy, so it delivered both on looks and on flavor.

The mild broth was smooth and comfortable to eat, and if you like spicy food like I do, I'd recommend the spicy broth with dongpo pork combo.

If you're looking for an Incheon Terminal restaurant, a Guwol-dong ramen spot, or just want a warm bowl of ramen in the middle of shopping at the department store, Menya Seoul's dongpo pork char siu ramen might be worth checking out. What about you — team mild broth or team spicy broth? Let me know in the comments.