# Late-night bar-seat shoyu and shio ramen at Mentsuru, Gwangjin - By Moeun (https://superchart.com/en/@porch-bowl-gyeonggi/) - Written Sep 8, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gwangjin, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@porch-bowl-gyeonggi/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@porch-bowl-gyeonggi/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/index.md) ## In short Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is a ramen restaurant near Gwangnaru-ro in Gwangjin, Seoul, close to Children's Grand Park Station. Arriving after 8:30pm as a couple, this writer sat at the bar seats and shared a shoyu ramen, a shio ramen, and karaage, praising the chewy noodles and light broth. Free parking was easy across the street at Gwangjin Plaza public parking lot, making it a solid pick for a Children's Grand Park or Konkuk-area date dinner. ## Good to know - **Menu ordered**: Shoyu ramen, shio ramen, karaage, zero-sugar cola - **Visit time**: After 8:30pm - **Seating**: Bar seats, close view of the kitchen - **Parking**: Gwangjin Plaza public parking lot across the street (plenty of space in the evening) - **On the table**: Table pepper, yuzu-scented danmuji (pickled radish) *as written by the visitor on Sep 8, 2026* I was watching YouTube when a ramen video suddenly popped up and the craving hit me... boom!! It was already getting a bit late, but when I searched and saw Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch was still open, I said let's go, right now! ![Visit photo of Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-01-1f7iz-966.webp) ## Where is Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch? - Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch - 📍 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1st floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul - 🚗 Nearby public parking lots available - 🍜 Shoyu ramen / shio ramen / karaage - 👫 Also recommended for Children's Grand Park or Konkuk-area dates Want to see how the food looks first? ![Mentsuru shoyu ramen, shio ramen, and karaage table spread](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-02-1myzx-1200.webp) Okay, now let's get into the details~ We arrived well past dinnertime, after 8:30pm, but I was surprised to see more people eating than I expected! I mostly photographed the food and the store to keep other customers out of frame, but there were actually quite a few people at the tables. And more kept coming in even while we were eating... ![Interior of Mentsuru captured during a lull with no customers in frame](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-03-1phqh-966.webp) Snapped quick photos whenever no one was around! ## Children's Grand Park / Konkuk date course and parking The location is fairly close to Children's Grand Park, so it's a good spot to come for a meal after a walk in the park! It's also not far from the Konkuk University area, so it works well as a course — head to Konkuk after a Children's Grand Park date, or stop by for ramen after hanging out around Konkuk! We drove, but instead of parking at the restaurant, we parked right across the street at Gwangjin Plaza public parking lot and walked over! We walked a little after parking, but since it was evening there were tons of open spots! ![Bar seats at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-04-odqp3-966.webp) ![View of Mentsuru's tidy, organized interior](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-05-lbb7j-966.webp) ## The bar seats and what we ordered We sat at the bar seats here, and the overall vibe was clean. Rather than the chaotic, busy feel typical of ramen shops, it felt organized and comfortable to eat in, and the staff were friendly too, which made the meal even more pleasant! Good good. We ordered three things: shoyu ramen, shio ramen, and karaage! If you're going as a pair like us, ordering one of each ramen plus karaage as a side seems like a solid combo. For a clear conscience... we got zero-sugar cola haha... ![Ramen and zero-sugar cola at the bar seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-06-l2nuw-966.webp) ![Two bowls of ramen with a side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-07-xxkwi-966.webp) ## How was the shoyu ramen? First, the shoyu ramen! It's soy sauce-based ramen, and the broth was cleaner than I expected! The egg was cooked to perfect doneness too! When you think of ramen, you usually picture a heavy, rich broth, but this wasn't too heavy or salty, so it was easy to eat without feeling weighed down. I also liked the noodle texture — chewy, and a great match with the broth. Dipping the noodles briefly in the broth before eating brought out that distinct shoyu umami really nicely! ![Soy sauce-based shoyu ramen with a soft-boiled egg](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-08-6brov-966.webp) ![Chewy noodles lifted from a bowl of shoyu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-09-r3azm-966.webp) ## How is shio ramen different from shoyu? The shio ramen has a slightly lighter color(?) than the shoyu and a plainer, cleaner feel! I'm usually the type to agonize when asked to pick just one between two menu items, but this time we ordered both and compared them as we ate, which was great. If you personally prefer a clean broth over a strong-flavored ramen, shio might be the one for you. I felt the shoyu was tastier, but my husband said the shio was better haha — so I guess we each ordered the right one for our taste (?) If you're going as two, I'd recommend one shoyu and one shio to split and share! ![A bowl of shio ramen with lighter-colored broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-10-1jg8q-966.webp) ![Shio ramen and shoyu ramen side by side for comparison](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-11-cvi20-966.webp) ## The side dish: karaage And surprisingly, the karaage stuck with me. I ordered it as a side without expecting much, but it turned out better than I thought! The chicken felt fresh with no off smell at all, so it disappeared fast (and once only one piece was left, it became a staring contest). The batter wasn't too thick either — fried to just the right level of crispiness, and it went great with the ramen! Karaage can be disappointing if it's too greasy or if the chicken smells off, but this one had none of that — clean, and I felt it was good value too! If ramen alone feels like it's not quite enough, ordering this as a side is a good call! ![Crispy fried karaage side dish](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-12-5tzgx-966.webp) Haha, that little phone stand detail... so cute...! ![Phone stand at the bar-seat table](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-13-13mhh-966.webp) ## Kitchen hygiene and table setup Sitting at the bar seats meant we had a close view of the kitchen, and it was really clean..! You could feel the staff staying attentive to hygiene the whole time! What surprised me most was that customers kept coming in even while we were still eating. There really is a difference with a place like this (the photos avoid showing other guests, but in reality there were quite a few people dining.) ![Clean kitchen visible from the bar seats](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-14-1p3p9-966.webp) Pepper was set out on the table like this, and they told us to let them know if the seasoning wasn't quite right! For me, it was exactly right~ ![Pepper shaker set on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-15-111mp-966.webp) This yuzu-flavored danmuji (pickled radish) was also a nice touch!! ![Ramen bowl emptied down to the bottom](https://img.superchart.com/images/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen-16-110l1-966.webp) We were so full,,,, you can see the bowls emptied out, right???? Haha ## To sum up If you're looking for somewhere to eat dinner near Children's Grand Park, or craving something not-too-heavy on a Konkuk-area date, how about ramen? I liked having the fun of ordering two different ramen styles like shoyu and shio to compare, and I really liked the combo of chewy noodles with a clean broth. Overall the store was clean, the staff were friendly, and the food was very satisfying ~ If you're looking for a ramen restaurant near Children's Grand Park, or want a clean meal after a date around Konkuk, I'll remember Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch as a place worth stopping by! ## Where it is - Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch (멘츠루 어린이대공원점) - 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1st floor, 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 --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@porch-bowl-gyeonggi/menzuru-childrens-grand-park-late-night-ramen/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt