Kiosk-order weekday lunch at a City Hall ramen restaurant: Mentsuru

Looking for an office-worker favorite near City Hall Station, I ended up at Mentsuru City Hall Branch (멘츠루 시청점). This time I ordered horumon-don and mazesoba — let me walk you through the atmosphere and the taste of both dishes with photos.

Horumon-don and mazesoba for lunch at Mentsuru City Hall Branch

This Japanese ramen and donburi specialist sits near Exit 10 of City Hall Station. Instead of soup ramen, I picked a rice bowl and a mixed noodle dish this time. It seems like a great spot to choose based on your mood — horumon-don on a day you crave rice, mazesoba on a day you're craving noodles.

How kiosk ordering and waiting outside work at Mentsuru

Here's the exterior of Mentsuru City Hall Branch! The clean wooden facade with a Japanese 'ramen (ラーメン)' noren curtain gives it a real Japan-local feel. The banners near the entrance show photos of signature menu items like spicy ramen, mazesoba, and horumon-don, making my mouth water before I even walked in.

Here's the entrance! A neat sign on the wall reads, 'Please order at the kiosk and wait outside — we'll seat you in order.' A cozy orange paper lantern greeted me, and I walked in feeling good.

Counter seat setup and the kimchi served at every table

Here's the basic setup at the counter bar seat (dachi seat) I was guided to! In front of a hexagonal-tile wall, paper cups, stainless chopsticks and spoons, napkins, a kimchi container, a pepper can, and a cute bread-cat figurine were all neatly arranged. There was also a thoughtful notice asking guests to move to a café for long conversations after eating during the lunch peak (until 1pm), out of consideration for waiting customers.

A close-up of the 'GABAN black pepper' can placed on the table! This black pepper, commonly used at Japanese specialty restaurants, was right there on the shelf, ready to boost the flavor of your ramen or rice bowl to taste.

The table also had kimchi as a basic side dish. Its sweet-spicy seasoning went well with the rice bowl, and it was great for refreshing my palate between bites. When eating something as rich as beef intestine, having a side like this helps you enjoy the whole bowl right to the end.

First look at the horumon-don and mazesoba

Finally, the full shot of the main dish I ordered — horumon-don (grilled beef intestine rice bowl)! Smoky grilled beef intestine and meat, a yellow egg yolk, scallions, onion, chili, wasabi, and a red garnish were neatly arranged — it looked delicious at first glance.

Here's the popular mazesoba I ordered alongside it! In a traditional dragon-patterned ramen bowl, seasoned minced meat, egg yolk, chopped chives, scallions, seaweed flakes, minced garlic, and fish powder were piled generously, giving off a savory, sharp aroma right away.

Bar seats facing the open kitchen at Mentsuru City Hall Branch

Here's the view of the open kitchen from the counter bar table. You could see into the kitchen from the seat, so it was fun watching the cooking happen. While waiting for the food, I looked around the table area. Sitting at the counter made the whole space — kitchen and seating flowing together — feel close and lively.

Here's the full interior view of Mentsuru! With its cozy, modern wooden interior and full table seating, it felt like a great spot for a solo meal near City Hall Station, or for coming with coworkers or a partner.

How the horumon-don tastes once the egg yolk is mixed in

A close top-down shot of the horumon-don! The glossy seasoned beef intestine, nicely grilled meat, and plump egg yolk together look really delicious, don't they?

I lifted up a savory piece of beef intestine with my chopsticks! The outside was golden and crisp, the inside chewy, and the sweet-savory special sauce had soaked in well — it made me sigh with satisfaction.

Here I am popping the egg yolk and mixing it into the rice, meat, and wasabi! The richness of the yolk and the sharp kick of the wasabi blended with the flavor of the beef intestine, and I finished the whole bowl in no time.

Power outlets and other conveniences at the counter

I noticed an outlet on the wall by the seat. It was a small convenience I spotted while looking around the dining space. If you need to charge your phone, it's worth checking with the staff whether that seat is available for use.

If you're craving a hearty meal near City Hall Station, stop by Mentsuru City Hall Branch. It was a comfortable place for both solo dining and a lunch with coworkers.