City Hall ramen restaurant for a solo late lunch: Mentsuru

A late solo meal in front of City Hall Station Exit 10

I went for a late solo meal around 2:30 p.m. on a weekday! Mentsuru City Hall Branch was right in front of City Hall Station Exit 10, so it was seriously easy to find. Such a great location for hopping straight on the subway home after eating, too! If you’re looking for somewhere to eat alone near City Hall Station, keep this one in mind!

Kiosk ordering and helpful menu explanations

Menu

You order from the kiosk! I was hesitating a little while choosing, but the staff kindly explained the menu and even recommended some tasty options, so I could order comfortably haha.

Solo seats and the basement-level seating atmosphere

Inside the restaurant (Basement level 1 is available when the first floor is full)

Even though it was already past lunchtime, lots of people were eating inside—probably because it’s such a popular spot! Since I came for a solo meal, I settled into one of the single seats haha. There were bar tables too, so it felt easy and comfortable to come eat alone!

The cozy Japanese-style atmosphere really made me feel like I’d somehow gone on a trip to Japan while eating ramen hahaha. It was comfortable for solo dining and had such a nice vibe, so I loved it.

If you join the review event, you can choose a drink or fried gyoza! I picked Coke Zero!

And I was totally into the yuzu pickled danmuji (yellow pickled radish)! It had such a refreshing yuzu fragrance, and it went so well with the ramen haha. Maybe because it felt so Japanese-style, but I really enjoyed this too.

Freshly fried karaage, ₩7,000

The karaage (Japanese fried chicken) seemed to come out freshly fried, so it was seriously tender and delicious! Crispy outside and juicy inside—it was impossible to stop reaching for it hahaha. They also gave me sweet chili sauce and mayonnaise, and dipping it in those made it not greasy at all; it was just perfect.

Rich motsu ramen and spice-level options

The motsu ramen comes mildly spicy as standard! You can also choose a little spicier or very spicy, too haha. Since the beef intestines themselves are rich and fatty, I thought the spicy flavor would suit it even better! If you love spicy food, keep that in mind when ordering.

The beef intestines were so delicious and full of rich fat that I absolutely loved them hahaha. If you like beef intestines, I think you’ll be satisfied.

Apparently, the motsu ramen comes with thin-sliced beef brisket and beef intestines as standard!! With both brisket and intestines in it, it was completely my kind of thing as a meat lover hahaha.

Why the ₩2,500 extra chashu was worth it

It was seriously tender and juicy, and it had been lightly torched, so there was a subtle smoky flavor too!! It felt like it melted as soon as it went into my mouth, and I was so glad I added the chashu hahaha.

It was such a late lunch, but I ate a seriously filling meal hahaha. It’s great for eating alone and right by City Hall Station, so I think it would be perfect to stop by before or after going to see the night opening near Deoksugung Palace!