# Gwangjin Japanese restaurant, fried gyoza with abura soba: Mentsuru

- By Yeonhee Park (https://superchart.com/en/@paju-noon-shelf/)
- Written Sep 16, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Gwangjin, Seoul
- Sponsored: This visit was written after receiving a complimentary meal from the restaurant.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@paju-noon-shelf/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@paju-noon-shelf/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/index.md)

## In short

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is a ramen and rice-bowl restaurant on the first floor right outside Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station in Gwangjin, Seoul. Arriving just before 2pm, the writer ordered abura soba for 12,000 won, gyudon for 11,000 won and fried gyoza for 5,000 won, and found mostly solo seats that made eating alone easy. After 2:30pm the room emptied out, making Mentsuru a relaxed choice for a late lunch.

## Good to know

- **Abura soba**: 12,000 won
- **Gyudon (beef rice bowl)**: 11,000 won
- **Fried gyoza**: 5,000 won (6 pieces)
- **Hours**: Daily 11:00–23:00 / last order 22:30
- **Address**: 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1F, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul
- **Seating**: Mostly solo seats, plus tables for two and four and bar seats facing the kitchen
- **Ordering**: Tablet at the table
- **Extra**: After finishing the abura soba you can ask for rice to mix into the leftover sauce / soda for a receipt review

*as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026*

## Where Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is, how close to Exit 4

![Exterior of Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch near Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-01-ch4ao-966.webp)

Looking for somewhere for a late lunch near Children's Grand Park, I ended up at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch. It's really close to Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station. Coming out of Exit 4, just turn around and go left — it's visible right away, so it wasn't hard to find. Being on the first floor also made it easy to spot on a first visit.

![Entrance of Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch on the first floor](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-02-1dcd6-966.webp)

I arrived a little before 2pm. Even though lunch hour was basically ending, the place was still pretty full. Luckily a seat opened up quickly, so I didn't wait long.

![Interior of Mentsuru with customers before 2pm](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-03-1wxr6-966.webp)

## A comfortable spot for solo dining

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch has tables for two and four, but solo seats make up most of the seating. So it's fine to come with a friend, but it also feels like an easy place to stop in alone for a bowl of ramen. Sure enough, there were quite a few solo diners there too.

![Seating at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch with many solo seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-04-1uhdt-966.webp)

![View of the bar seating comfortable for solo dining at Mentsuru](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-05-th0kx-966.webp)

Once it passed 2:30pm, the place emptied out like nothing had happened. If you're looking for a Konkuk University-area spot for a late lunch, this time slot actually feels much more relaxed.

![Mentsuru dining room quieter after 2:30pm](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-06-1swkw-966.webp)

![Empty dining hall at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch once the crowd left](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-07-6kpx0-966.webp)

### Tablet ordering, bar seats, and yuzu radish

At this Children's Grand Park ramen spot, ordering is simple through the tablet at the table. I sat at the bar facing the kitchen, and noticed one of the udon bowls had Moon Sang-hoon's signature on it. There was another signed bowl next to it, but I couldn't quite make out whose it was.

![Yuzu radish and tablet ordering device on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-08-17j6v-966.webp)

The yuzu radish on the table was fragrant and refreshing, and I'd barely finished picking at a few pieces before the dishes started arriving. The food comes out fast, so this would be a good spot to eat quickly and go on a busy day.

## Abura soba, ₩12,000 — an oil ramen that tasted surprisingly clean

![A bowl of Mentsuru's abura soba](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-09-wr6s0-1200.webp)

![Close-up of abura soba topped with a soft-boiled egg](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-10-hvpfd-966.webp)

First up was the abura soba (오일라멘, oil-based mixed ramen) — think of it as a mixed ramen made with oil. It's flavored with Mentsuru's own blend of five secret oils. Honestly, when I heard it had oil in it, I thought it might feel a bit greasy, but it turned out to taste much cleaner than expected!

![Abura soba noodles with scallion and seaweed flakes](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-11-v7bwn-966.webp)

Finely chopped scallion, onion and seaweed flakes cut through the heaviness of the oil, and the soft-boiled egg added richness once I mixed in the yolk. The pork also had a slight torched aroma, with a springy, juicy texture I liked.

![Pork topping on the abura soba](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-12-17u4j-966.webp)

![Abura soba noodles mixed together](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-13-1lbbt-966.webp)

![Abura soba with kelp vinegar and pepper added](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-14-zen1l-966.webp)

Adding a bit of kelp vinegar partway through worked well, and a sprinkle of pepper suited it too. It was fun adjusting the flavor to my own taste.

![Nearly finished bowl of abura soba](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-15-120x3-966.webp)

![Table note about adding rice to abura soba](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-16-17kdo-966.webp)

There's a note that once you finish the abura soba, you can ask for rice to mix into the leftover sauce. My noodle portion was generous enough that I skipped the rice add-on, but for guys it could make for a pretty filling finish.

## Gyudon, ₩11,000 — a rice bowl carried by beef short rib and good rice

![Mentsuru's gyudon topped with beef short rib](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-17-1qgf1-966.webp)

Besides ramen, the other dish I picked at this Children's Grand Park restaurant was the gyudon (규동, Japanese-style beef rice bowl), piled high with beef short rib. It's marinated in Mentsuru's house sauce, and I liked that the seasoning wasn't too salty. The short rib was thin and tender, not chewy, with a nice texture.

![Close-up of thin beef short rib on the gyudon](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-18-gg3jf-966.webp)

![Gyudon topped with pickled ginger and scallion](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-19-1qkye-966.webp)

Pickled ginger and scallion added a fresh note between bites of the savory beef. The ratio of rice to meat felt just right too — I never felt like the meat was running short.

![A spoonful of gyudon showing the rice-to-beef ratio](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-20-r1z0w-966.webp)

Personally, I was happy the rice itself was good. It had a nice bite without being mushy, which matters a lot for a rice bowl — you need good rice to enjoy it all the way through, and the gyudon at this Konkuk University-area spot really delivers on that.

![Gyudon showing the fluffy rice underneath](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-21-1ugka-966.webp)

![Onion mixed generously into the gyudon](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-22-171j0-966.webp)

There was also plenty of onion mixed in, and its subtle sweetness from cooking seemed to add extra depth of flavor.

## Fried gyoza, ₩5,000 — six pieces, and hot with juice inside

![A plate of six fried gyoza from Mentsuru](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-23-10tm7-966.webp)

For a side, I ordered the fried gyoza. It comes six to a plate — not huge, but plump enough to feel like a decent portion.

![Fried gyoza seasoned with soy sauce and shichimi](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon-24-1sqh8-966.webp)

They arrive pre-seasoned with soy sauce and a dusting of shichimi, so you can eat them cleanly without dipping into extra sauce. That said, they're freshly fried and packed with juice, so they were quite hot. I'd recommend letting them cool a bit rather than popping one straight into your mouth like I did. Also, if you leave a receipt review you get a free soda, so it might be worth checking out the Naver review too.

## Visitor info for Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch

- Hours: Daily 11:00–23:00 / last order 22:30
- Address: 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1F, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- Nearest station: right at Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station

## Where it is

- Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch (멘츠루 어린이대공원점)
- 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1F, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 광진구 광나루로 394 1층
- 37.547275, 127.0734369
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%A9%98%EC%B8%A0%EB%A3%A8%20%EC%96%B4%EB%A6%B0%EC%9D%B4%EB%8C%80%EA%B3%B5%EC%9B%90%EC%A0%90/@37.547275,127.0734369,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@paju-noon-shelf/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-abura-soba-gyudon/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt