Family ramen lunch in Michuhol, Incheon: Menya Seoul

We went to Lotte Department Store Incheon with our child over the weekend, and as lunchtime slowly approached, I found myself wondering, what should we eat today...? While walking around B1, we came across Menya Seoul (멘야서울), Lotte Department Store Incheon Branch.

They had not only ramen but also mazesoba (mixed noodles) and rice bowls, so it looked like a good place to choose something to eat with a child. We decided this would be lunch that day and went in.

Menya Seoul Lotte Department Store Incheon Branch: Basics

• Location: B1, Lotte Department Store Incheon Branch, 35 Yeonnam-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon
• In-store location: Across from Outback Steakhouse on B1
• Hours: 10:30–20:00

We went early to avoid the crowds, even if only a little.

A cleaner first impression than expected at Menya Seoul

Once we stepped inside, it felt a little different from the typical ramen shop atmosphere I had imagined.

Rather than feeling like a dark, narrow ramen shop you might find down a Japanese alleyway, it was bright and clean—just the kind of place where you can comfortably have a meal in a department store.

Personally, when I go out to eat with my child, places that are too dark or have chaotic spacing between tables can tire me out before we have even started eating. This place made a nice, clean first impression. The relatively open kitchen also made the whole restaurant feel brighter!

It did not feel awkward to come alone and quickly finish a bowl of ramen, and it was not at all burdensome for a family lunch with a child like ours either.

Choosing Dongpo pork chashu ramen from the entrance display

Near the entrance, the dishes were displayed to look like the real thing. There were jambon chashu ramen, spicy Dongpo pork chashu ramen, and Dongpo pork chashu ramen.

Seeing them lined up like this was much more intuitive than choosing from menu text alone. Especially the Dongpo pork... with that thick piece of meat sitting right on top, I thought, I have to try that, don't I?

Dongpo pork made with 100 g of five-layer pork, broth flavored with 25 ingredients, and an ajitama soft-boiled egg aged for 48 hours in a special sauce!

After reading that description, I became curious about a combination that seemed a little different from ordinary ramen. In the end, we chose one mild Dongpo pork chashu ramen.

Mazesoba and rice bowls, not just ramen

At first, because of the name, I naturally assumed Menya Seoul Lotte Department Store Incheon Branch would focus on ramen. But when I looked, there were ramen, mazesoba, and rice bowls, so there were more choices than expected.

Their summer new dishes were also posted separately: king prawn cold ramen for ₩12,900 and whole pork belly mazesoba for ₩11,900.

When you go with a child like we did, rather than having each person settle on exactly one dish, it works nicely to order one ramen, one mazesoba, and one rice bowl to share.

Mild ramen topped with a huge piece of Dongpo pork

The first thing we ordered was the mild Dongpo pork chashu ramen.

Even looking back at the photo, that meat presence is something else lol.

It had a large piece of Dongpo pork on top, along with chashu, a soft-boiled egg, bean sprouts, seaweed, and scallions, so the bowl itself looked quite substantial.

Instead of hitting you with an intensely bold flavor, it was easy to eat without feeling overwhelming, haha.

Sweet soy sauce chicken rice bowl for a meal with a child

Personally, the sweet soy sauce chicken rice bowl was something I thought would be worth noticing if you visit with a child.

You can tell from the photo alone that there was a generous amount of chicken.

There was seaweed over the rice, and soy sauce-seasoned chicken topped generously with katsuobushi (bonito flakes). A rice bowl is easy to portion out and cool down, and you can feed rice and chicken together, so it was definitely convenient for eating with a child.

Whole pork belly mazesoba mixed with egg yolk

In a large bowl, there was minced meat, egg yolk, garlic chives, shredded seaweed, and katsuobushi, with a large piece of whole pork belly set alongside it, just as the name promised.

First, I popped the egg yolk and mixed it thoroughly with the noodles and sauce underneath.

With mazesoba, you really have to mix it properly from the start for the best flavor, haha.

If you prefer noodles that are mixed rather than served in broth, this may suit your taste better. The whole pork belly also made it fun to have bites of meat along the way.

Lemon kelp vinegar and rayu chili oil were available on the table too. The guide said to add a spoonful of lemon kelp vinegar to mazesoba or cold ramen when you want more umami and tang, and rayu to mazesoba or spicy ramen when you want it a bit hotter.

A weekend lunch in Guwol-dong with our child

For us, while looking for ramen in Guwol-dong and wondering whether there would be something our child could eat too, the mild ramen and sweet soy sauce chicken rice bowl combination worked well.

I was glad I could try the whole pork belly mazesoba too, and we were even more satisfied because our child ate really well. When you eat out with your kid and the parents enjoy their food while the child gets full too, that lunch is a success, right? Lol. If you are planning a weekend department-store outing with your child and looking for ramen in Guwol-dong like I was, it might be worth checking out the menu.