Gwangjin solo ramen after study: shoyu and fried gyoza at Mentsuru

Gwangjin / Konkuk University / Sejong University / Children's Grand Park / ramen

I've been trying to live my best life this semester, so I started actually studying at the school library haha. And if I studied hard, I have to reward myself with good food, right~? I went back to Mentsuru, the ramen spot near Children's Grand Park I'd visited during midterms last semester when I was also studying at the library haha. At this point it feels like my study buddy...

Where is Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch, and what are the hours?

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is located at 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1F, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea, and is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00 (last order 22:30).

Coming out of Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station, it's less than a minute away — great accessibility!! It was right in the middle of mealtime, so as expected of a popular ramen spot near Children's Grand Park, it was packed. Luckily I'm a solo diner, so I found an empty seat among the crowded bar seats and sat down!

Mentsuru's menu: ramen plus sides and drinks

The menu at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch has ramen and rice bowls, of course, but also sides like fried gyoza and takoyaki. There's also draft beer and highballs, which looked nice for a light drink in the evening.

True to its reputation as a good ramen spot near Children's Grand Park, they had a variety of ramen and rice bowls, plus side dishes that go well alongside them like fried gyoza and takoyaki! And of course draft beer and highballs, essential to any Japanese restaurant, were there too — perfect for a light evening drink.

I've seen plenty of review events offer a drink, but giving one of the few side dishes on the menu — now that's generous. A restaurant I like: one that doesn't just tell you the Wi-Fi password but also puts up a QR code next to it. Honestly, typing in a password every time is kind of a hassle.

Bar seats and an open kitchen: is Mentsuru good for solo dining?

The Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch space is split about half and half between bar seats and table seats. The kitchen is open, so you can see the whole cooking process.

The place felt like a half-and-half mix of bar seats and table seats. When I go for Japanese food I prefer bar seats — no particular reason, it just feels more like being at a proper Japanese restaurant. And honestly, when you're alone there's not much reason to sit at a table anyway.

Because the kitchen is open, watching the cooking process happen right in front of me built a sense of trust, which I liked haha.

On the bar counter there was water, utensils, pepper, and pickled radish! There was also this cute little object on the right whose purpose I didn't know — but then I noticed the people sitting next to me using it as a phone stand, and it clicked haha. The person next to me had a different design of stand than mine, and it was so cute.

Shoyu ramen and fried gyoza at Mentsuru, compared with the shio ramen

What I ordered at Mentsuru this time was shoyu ramen and fried gyoza. Comparing it to the shio ramen (salt-based ramen) I had last time, the shio ramen was a bit cleaner in taste while the shoyu ramen (soy sauce-based ramen) had stronger umami.

Last time I tried the shio ramen, so this time I went with shoyu ramen. For a side I debated between takoyaki and fried gyoza, but since takoyaki is something I can eat elsewhere too, fried gyoza — which you can really only get at a ramen restaurant like this — won me over haha.

Basically I'm usually a shoyu ramen person, but at Mentsuru the shio ramen I had last time actually suited my taste more. Still, both were delicious, so either way was a good choice haha. Shio ramen felt a bit cleaner, and shoyu ramen had a bit more umami punch, so I think you can just pick based on your mood or preference that day. The fried gyoza was great too — fried food can't really go wrong — and if I'd just eaten the fried bits alone it might have felt greasy, but it came topped with shichimi and scallions, which balanced it out nicely.

Mentsuru's noodles and the bamboo shoot topping

Look at these bouncy, springy noodles... Apparently the noodle type changes depending on the broth base? I actually prefer this yellowish, slightly curly noodle that goes into shoyu ramen over the straight white noodles you find in meat-based broths like tonkotsu ramen.

So, what's everyone's favorite ramen topping? I'd guess it's usually chashu or the soft-boiled egg, but for me it's always bamboo shoots, no question. The crunchy texture of bamboo shoots pairs so well with ramen broth. I especially think shoyu ramen really needs bamboo shoots in it. When the saltiness of the soy sauce soaks into the bamboo shoot, it's seriously so good...

It had been a while since I'd had ramen this good, so the meal was extra satisfying haha. If you're ever near Children's Grand Park, I'd recommend giving Mentsuru, a solid ramen spot in the area, a try!! It works well for solo dining and for groups too, so you can go anytime without any pressure — hard to find a better place for a casual meal.