Solo meal at a Euljiro rice bowl shop: horumon-don and gyoza, Mentsuru

Euljiro has so many good restaurants.

Getting to Mentsuru Euljiro Branch and what it's like inside

Mentsuru Euljiro Branch (멘츠루 을지로점) is at 1F, 26 Mareunnae-ro 2-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, a 5-minute walk from Exit 9 of Euljiro 3-ga Station. It's a Japanese-style place in Euljiro where you can enjoy ramen, rice bowls and a variety of other dishes.

The shop isn't huge, but it didn't feel cramped either. It's fine for eating alone, and there is group seating too. You can come comfortably whether you're dining solo or with friends!

Mentsuru Euljiro Branch menu, prices and kiosk ordering

This time I ordered horumon-don (beef intestine rice bowl) ₩15,000, an extra egg ₩1,000, fried gyoza (dumplings) ₩6,000 and ramune (Japanese marble soda) ₩4,000. You order at the kiosk in front of the shop before going in, so ordering is easy 😆

I added an egg to the intestine rice bowl, and ordered crispy fried gyoza and ramune, a Japanese soft drink, too.

Rice refills are free, so if you run short while eating your rice bowl you can add more without worrying. Each table also has a simple pickled radish container and water!

What does Mentsuru's horumon-don (beef intestine rice bowl) taste like?

At Mentsuru Euljiro Branch this time, I ordered the horumon-don, the beef intestine rice bowl!

Inside the horumon-don were soft yet chewy intestines and savory meat. I was satisfied getting that signature chewy intestine texture together with the meat.

If you like intestines, this is a dish you'll enjoy 🤤 Not that vague, undercooked kind of texture at all, but properly springy!

Before eating, break the basic yolk and mix it through the intestines and rice for extra richness. The rich seasoning combined with the soft, savory yolk has a different charm from eating it plain. 👍

Horumon-don too salty? Use the free rice refill

That said, the horumon-don was a little salty for my taste. But the good thing here is that you can refill rice for free!

I tried a bite of intestine and a bite of meat topped with wasabi. I'd already thought it wasn't greasy, but with the wasabi it was totally clean..👍

Still, the best combination was the intestines and meat together!! When the seasoning felt strong, I added rice and ate them together, which balanced the saltiness and made it much more filling. Eating rice with the sauce, I understood why this is so popular as a rice bowl. haha

Is the extra egg on the horumon-don worth it?

I definitely recommend the extra egg (₩1,000) on the horumon-don! It's different from a regular yolk.. the soft, half-cooked egg wraps between the rice and toppings like a cushion, and it's so good 🤤

Also, while eating I noticed a red ingredient inside, and it turned out to be pickled radish! Eating it with the intestines and rice adds a crunchy texture and freshens your mouth, so it's nice to eat them together.

Mentsuru's fried gyoza: watch out for the hot juices

Mentsuru Euljiro Branch's fried gyoza (₩6,000)! Is it smaller than expected? Nope, I almost couldn't finish it eating solo.. When I bit into a gyoza, the amount of juice that came out was really impressive. The outside is crispy and the inside is full of juice, so the texture contrast is great.

But I took one bite and the juice shot out and even soaked my phone😂 There was so much juice it hit my phone... Be careful when you eat it!

The fried gyoza is tasty plain, but eating it with green onion was especially good. The onion seemed to bring out the gyoza's flavor, and a soy-sauce-like sauce comes underneath too, so I soaked them in it as much as possible and they were even better. Crispy outside, moist inside and juicy, they went well alternating with the intestine rice bowl. If a rice bowl alone feels like not enough, order the fried gyoza too!

Trying ramune soda for the first time

During the meal I also tried the Japanese drink ramune (₩4,000) for the first time!

Ramune is the drink where you push the marble at the mouth of the bottle, right? It was my first time too, and I even left a mark on my hand pushing the marble haha You have to use more force than you'd think. The cap came off midway.. watch your hands 😎

Compared with Korean cider (lemon-lime soda), the scent and taste were a bit lighter. Rather than the strong fizzy-drink aroma standing out, it felt relatively subtle? It was different from what I usually drink, so it was a new experience.

A good place to visit when you want a hearty dish like an intestine rice bowl or somewhere to eat comfortably alone!

Mentsuru Euljiro Branch: quick review for solo diners

I went to Mentsuru Euljiro Branch near Euljiro 3-ga Station and had the horumon-don and fried gyoza. I enjoyed the intestine rice bowl, with soft, chewy intestines and savory yolk, and the crispy gyoza that gushes juice when you bite in. Free rice refills made it a great place for a filling meal 😊