# Date-lunch ramen in Gwangjin: kombu vinegar abura soba at Mentsuru - By Yerin (https://superchart.com/en/@queue-side-bites/) - Written Sep 16, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Gwangjin, Seoul - Sponsored: This review was written after receiving a complimentary meal from the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@queue-side-bites/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@queue-side-bites/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/index.md) ## In short Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is a ramen restaurant in Gwangjin, Seoul, a 2-minute walk from Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station. Over a date lunch near Konkuk University, the order was abura soba, spicy shoyu ramen at 11,000 won and fried gyoza (6 pieces), and the abura soba tasted cleaner once kombu vinegar was added. The portions were big enough that the finishing rice for the abura soba had to be skipped, but the spicy shoyu ramen was the bowl worth coming back for. ## Good to know - **Location**: 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1st floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul — about a 2-minute walk from Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station - **Menu ordered**: Abura soba, spicy shoyu ramen, fried gyoza (6 pieces) - **Spicy shoyu ramen**: 11,000 won - **How to order**: Kiosk and table tablet - **Review perk**: A free drink or fried gyoza for leaving a Naver review - **Abura soba tip**: You can ask for finishing rice to mix into the sauce left in the bowl *as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026* I haven't done a food post in a while, so my photo roll ended up stuffed with nothing but food pics haha. So here's a restaurant review after a long break. This time I went to Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch! I was looking for a ramen place near Children's Grand Park Station and ended up here — the location turned out better than expected and the portions were pretty generous too, so overall a satisfying visit. ![Photo from a visit to Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-01-11bxv-900.webp) ## Where is Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch, and how far from the station? Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is about a 2-minute walk from Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station, so accessibility was really good. The address is 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1st floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Being so close to the station makes it easy to find, and it's a great spot to stop for a meal whether you're out for a picnic at Children's Grand Park or on a date around Konkuk University. ![Exterior of Mentsuru near Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-02-1pe23-900.webp) ![View around the entrance of Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-03-1dgvo-900.webp) ## Inside Mentsuru: seating, space and solo dining The interior of Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch was bigger than I expected. The seats were also spaced out comfortably. When I visited, there were solo diners, couples, and families all around — a real mix. So it seemed like a place you could visit alone without any pressure, or come with a group too. It was a bit hot outside that day, but the AC inside was blasting, so it was nice and cool. Eating piping hot ramen while getting blasted with cold AC air was actually amazing haha. That whole blast-the-AC-and-hide-under-a-blanket kind of feeling... ![Interior of Mentsuru with roomy seating arrangement](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-04-103w6-900.webp) Just a heads up — if you leave a Naver review, you can get a free drink or fried gyoza! ![In-store notice about the Naver review perk](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-05-9eebl-900.webp) ![Mentsuru's kiosk and table tablet ordering screen](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-06-1rf2c-966.webp) Ordering was easy since you can use either the kiosk or the table tablet. ### What we ordered at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch - Abura soba - Spicy shoyu ramen - 6 pieces of fried gyoza ![Table with abura soba, spicy shoyu ramen, and fried gyoza](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-07-on15w-1200.webp) ![Ramen dishes served at Mentsuru](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-08-1w4x6-900.webp) ## Abura soba with kombu vinegar: how does it taste? First up, abura soba! Apparently it's an oil ramen flavored with Mentsuru's own five-ingredient secret oil blend. It's a brothless, mix-style ramen, so you just toss the noodles well with the sauce first. You can also add kombu (dried kelp) vinegar partway through, and personally I liked it better with a little vinegar mixed in. At first it tastes rich and savory, but once you add the kombu vinegar it gets a bit cleaner and the umami really pops. I'd recommend adding it little by little to suit your taste. ![Mentsuru's abura soba mixed with sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-09-we6ns-900.webp) ### Is there room for the finishing rice with abura soba? After finishing the noodles, you can also ask for finishing rice for the abura soba. It's mixed into the leftover sauce once the noodles are gone — it sounded delicious so I was determined to try it. But... Even as an adult woman, the portion was pretty big lol. Just the noodles alone filled me up way more than expected, so I ended up not being able to finish with the rice. It looked so good that I really wanted to try it, but my stomach said no... Next time I visit, I'll pace myself better so I can save room for the rice from the start haha. ![A bowl of abura soba with most of the noodles eaten](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-10-133fc-900.webp) ## Spicy shoyu ramen at 11,000 won: how spicy is it? And then there was what I think is Mentsuru's signature dish, the spicy shoyu ramen, priced at 11,000 won. It's made with a clam and chicken broth base, so the soup was clean but still full of umami. With the spicy kick added on top, it was a bit more intense than the regular shoyu ramen, but not overwhelmingly spicy or too much. ![Spicy shoyu ramen with a clam and chicken broth base](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-11-1vf87-m-900.webp) The broth had a nice kick to it, so I thought it would work well not just when you're craving ramen, but also as a hangover cure haha. Of everything I ate that day, the spicy shoyu ramen was the most memorable. Eating the noodles and broth together, it's spicy and full of umami — personally, this one is more my style! ![Noodles and broth lifted from the spicy shoyu ramen](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-12-1xzf8-966.webp) ![Close-up of the spicy shoyu ramen broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-13-1fc5t-900.webp) ## Fried gyoza (6 pieces): enough for two to share Can't skip the fried gyoza we ordered as a side. Crispy on the outside and juicy inside, they went really well with the ramen. Ramen alone can feel a little lacking, but having a gyoza with each bite made it just right. It was also a good amount to split between two people. ![Six pieces of crispy fried gyoza](https://img.superchart.com/images/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen-14-1x51n-900.webp) ## Is Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch worth a visit? Overall, the restaurant was spacious and clean, making for a comfortable meal, and above all, being just 2 minutes from Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station made it super accessible. It's a good stop if you're out for a Children's Grand Park outing or a Konkuk University date and looking for a place to eat nearby. The spicy shoyu ramen was my favorite, and I liked that the abura soba let you adjust the flavor to your taste with the kombu vinegar. Next time I'm around Children's Grand Park and craving ramen, I'll probably stop by again 🍜 ## 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/@queue-side-bites/mentsuru-abura-soba-spicy-shoyu-ramen/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt