Lunch date ramen with ramune and yuzu radish near City Hall: Mentsuru

My boyfriend's office is near City Hall Station, so we went for a lunch date to Mentsuru City Hall Branch, an office-worker favorite near City Hall Station that's popular enough to have a wait haha.

It's just a 1-minute walk from Exit 10 of City Hall Station, so it was super easy to find! With no break time and open year-round, it seems like a great City Hall Station restaurant to visit anytime haha.

How long is the lunch wait at Mentsuru City Hall Branch?

• Daily 11:00–21:30
• Last order 21:00
• Group seating available
• Reservations/takeout
• Wi-Fi
• Waiting area
• Separate men's/women's restrooms
• No parking

The moment I stepped inside, the genuinely Japanese-style interior caught my eye! The upscale, stylish atmosphere made me feel like I'd walked into a real ramen bar in Japan, and I was already excited before even ordering lol.

It's such a popular office-worker spot near City Hall Station that even with a reservation you might have a short wait at lunchtime. But if you order first at the kiosk and then wait, turnover is so fast that a seat opens up quickly. You get seated without waiting long, which makes it perfect for busy office workers on their lunch break!

Whenever I eat ramen, I always order ramune to drink alongside it haha. That refreshing, cider-like fizz pairs so well with ramen, so I love it even more! Oh, and if you leave a Naver receipt review at this City Hall Station restaurant, you get a free drink or gyoza.

Tori paitan at Mentsuru: rich, deep chicken broth

The tori paitan I ordered had a broth that was simmered from chicken bones for a long time — it was really deep and hearty!

There wasn't a trace of gaminess, just a clean yet rich chicken broth flavor that was so good I couldn't put my spoon down ㄷㄷ. The chewy noodles soaked up all that rich broth, so it was really delicious.

Motsu ramen at Mentsuru: spicy beef intestine broth my boyfriend picked

The motsu ramen my boyfriend chose is a spicy hangover-cure ramen generously loaded with beef intestine (gopchang) and beef brisket haha.

The sharp spiciness in the red broth combined with the savory intestine is fantastic — I let out a gasp with the very first bite! (I stole some.) It's great to scoop up the noodles, intestine and brisket all together for a hearty bite.

If you're Korean and love spicy food, you'll definitely love this haha. It really seems like a place that does ramen well — besides office workers, tons of foreign tourists come here too! When tourists visit, they usually look for the real local spots, right? That's how word-of-mouth it's become as a solo-dining spot near City Hall Station haha.

Mini donburi, the rice bowl side to share with your ramen

Yuzu pickled radish, the free side on every table at Mentsuru

It felt like something was missing with just ramen, so we ordered the mini donburi as a side — it comes generously topped with sauce, mayonnaise and meat, a hearty combo haha.

It was sweet, salty and savory, and pairs really well with the ramen broth!

And the yuzu pickled radish (yuja danmuji) served at each table to scoop for yourself is a real standout among standouts! The subtle, refreshing citrus scent cuts through the salty, rich ramen flavor so cleanly that I kept eating it between bites lol.

Easy for solo diners, and a stop before Deoksugung Palace's night opening

Thanks to the cozy, trendy vibe, it's a great spot for solo diners near City Hall who want a quiet, comfortable meal haha.

Another big plus is that with no break time and year-round hours, you can visit whenever works for you haha. With the cool weather these days, it's a perfect course to stop by before or after checking out Deoksugung's night opening for a hot, rich bowl of ramen!

If you're looking for genuinely authentic Japanese ramen near City Hall Station, definitely pay Mentsuru City Hall Branch a visit!