Pre-concert lunch with parents: Mentsuru, Gwangjin ramen restaurant

I found this ramen spot near Seoul Children's Grand Park — Mentsuru! It's right in front of Children's Grand Park Station so it's super accessible, and it's also a great lunch spot for a Konkuk University date. From ramen to rice bowls, you can eat really well here, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for good food around Konkuk.

Where is Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch, and what are the hours?

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is less than a minute's walk from Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station on Line 7! Seriously, as soon as you come out of the station and turn right, it's right there, so it was super easy to find🙌

It's also close to Seoul Children's Grand Park, so it looked great for a lunch stop after a weekend outing there, or as a spot to swing by if you have plans around Konkuk!

• Daily 11:00–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• Open every day, no break time

We went up to Seoul with my parents that day to see a 10cm concert and stopped by — being right in front of Children's Grand Park Station made it so easy to find!

Inside Mentsuru: atmosphere and seating

The Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch space itself is on the cozier side, but they've laid it out efficiently so more people can sit than you'd expect! It's made up of 2-person and 4-person tables plus a bar table, and the kitchen is open so you can watch the food being made right there! Being an open kitchen made me feel more confident in the place, personally🙌

There's bar seating that's great for eating alone, all the way up to tables good for friends or family, so it seemed like a place that could work for all kinds of visits👍

Mentsuru menu, plus spice and saltiness adjustments

The menu is made up of ramen, rice bowls, sides and alcohol! There were a lot of ramen types so it was fun to choose — signature menu items include shoyu ramen, tori paitan ramen and motsu ramen, and the rice bowl menu had hormone-don and gyudon (beef rice bowl), among others!

They said the default spice level is about as mild as Shin Ramyun, and both saltiness and spice can be adjusted! Free rice is also available, so if you need it, just tell the staff after ordering🤗 Great news for anyone who likes mixing rice into their ramen broth, right?!👍

What we ordered with my parents: shoyu ramen, tori paitan ramen and gyudon

What we ordered was shoyu ramen, tori paitan ramen and gyudon!

There was also yuzu danmuji (pickled yellow radish) and pepper prepared on the table! This chewy yuzu danmuji was surprisingly delicious, so it was great to pick at a piece here and there while eating the ramen👍

Gyudon: a beef rice bowl loaded with thin-sliced beef belly

First up, my dad's dish, gyudon! Just looking at it, the beef belly was piled on generously — passes the portion test?! With a yolk plopped right on top too, so it looked really appetizing!

They said it's a beef belly rice bowl made with Mentsuru's special sauce, and at first it tasted a little salty! But eating it together with the rice, the seasoning was just right! The beef belly was also nice and tender, and the amount of meat was really generous! Sometimes with rice bowls you end up with just rice left, but here there was still meat left till the end, so you could eat meat and rice together the whole way through👏👏👏 My dad was satisfied and cleaned his bowl‼️

Shoyu ramen: my mom's pick, since she can't eat spicy food

My mom's pick was shoyu ramen! She's not great with spicy food, so she went with the basic shoyu ramen! It's a soy-sauce-based ramen made with shellfish and chicken broth, so the soup had a clean, light feel! The noodle portion was also bigger than expected, so it was pretty filling!

The noodles were chewy and the chashu (braised pork) was tender too, so eating the noodles, meat and green onion together in one bite was really delicious👍 The broth was a bit on the salty side, but if you think of it as ramen-typical seasoning it was fine, and the more I ate the more I actually got used to it and enjoyed it! My mom also ate it happily, saying it was delicious🩷

Tori paitan ramen: a first try at Mentsuru's rich chicken broth

What I picked was tori paitan ramen! I got curious about it since it's described as a ramen with a rich, heavy broth made by simmering chicken bones for a long time, so I gave it a try!

Just from the look of it, the broth seemed so rich that I wondered if it would be an intensely heavy flavor, but it was actually more savory and mild than expected‼️ For someone like me who likes rich broths, it was a great match👍 That said, it wasn't overly thick or heavy, so it was easier to eat than I expected!

It was my first time trying paitan ramen and I personally liked it quite a lot! The chashu on top was tender as expected, and the noodles were cooked just right! The egg was especially soft — I liked it so much I ended up taking pictures of it again mid-meal🤣

You can also add extra spice or toppings, so next time I'd like to try it a bit spicier🫶

Reservations, waiting time and other things to know

• ✔️Naver reservations available
• ✔️Get a takoyaki coupon by signing up for Naver notifications
• ✔️If waiting, pre-order at the kiosk then wait outside the store
• ✔️Turnover is fast, so wait times aren't usually long
• ✔️Saltiness and spice level adjustable
• ✔️Free rice available on request
• ✔️Ramen and rice bowls available for takeout

Final verdict: is Mentsuru a good lunch before a Children's Grand Park outing?

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch, which I visited this time, is a place I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good ramen spot near Children's Grand Park! It's less than a minute from Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station, so accessibility was really great, and it was perfect for lunch before or after a visit to Children's Grand Park! The menu is varied, from ramen to rice bowls, so it was also great for picking whatever suits your taste! My family also enjoyed the shoyu ramen, tori paitan ramen and gyudon, all of it😁 Next time I'd like to try the motsu ramen or a spicier ramen too! Food came out quickly and turnover was fast, which was nice, and being able to make a Naver reservation was a plus👍 It was great to visit with my parents, and it also seemed like a solid spot for a lunch with friends or a Konkuk University date! If you want a hearty bowl of ramen near Children's Grand Park, I recommend this Konkuk-area favorite, Mentsuru🤗