You know those days when you suddenly crave ramen so badly after ages? This was exactly one of those days~

My friend and I were looking for something to eat when we found Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch (멘츠루 어린이대공원점) near Children's Grand Park.

Looking over the menu, I saw dishes that were a little different from the ramen I usually eat, so I was curious!

After deliberating for a while, we ended up ordering abura soba + motsu ramen + karaage, haha.

Ordered abura soba, motsu ramen, and karaage

There were only two of us, so I wondered if we had ordered too much, but we ended up polishing off almost everything.

As the dishes came out one by one, the table looked even more abundant than I expected.

Motsu ramen, abura soba, and karaage laid out on the table

From the red-broth motsu ramen to the abura soba and golden-brown karaage. We took a few photos~ and, since we were hungry, dug right in, haha.

Motsu ramen that stayed with me, even though I am not great with offal

The abura soba was what I was most curious about from the start, but my friend wanted ramen with red broth, so we tried the motsu ramen first.

To be honest, I do not really like offal. So the motsu ramen was not the dish I had chosen.

But after one bite, I changed my mind a little. It was delicious, hahaha.

Motsu ramen that stayed in my memory after trying it

The broth looked quite spicy, but even I, a total lightweight with spice, could eat it without any trouble.

Motsu ramen with red broth that looks spicy

It had a warming, spicy feel, but it was not the kind of heat that suddenly hits you, so it was more comfortable to eat than I expected. One reason I am not great with offal is its distinctive smell, but that was not a major concern that day either.

Eating the noodles with the broth, the warming flavor soaked in nicely, making me want another bite right after the first.

At first I thought I would just taste my friend's order, but before I knew it, I was helping out~ I think I would order this again next time.

Should you add kombu vinegar to abura soba?

Abura soba with kombu vinegar as its key point

And then, the abura soba I had been most curious about! Since it is a brothless noodle dish, it had a completely different feel from the motsu ramen.

I mixed the sauce and noodles well before trying it, and it was a little spicier than I expected.

I actually found the abura soba a little spicier than the motsu ramen.

That said, it was not so spicy that I could not eat it—it was the kind of flavor that kept drawing me back for more, I guess?

Abura soba with its noodles mixed into the sauce

But when you add kombu vinegar~~ At first, I sprinkled on only a little out of curiosity, but it changed the flavor much more than I expected.

A slight tang made the seasoning feel lighter, while bringing out even more umami. It was good plain too, but adding a little kombu vinegar gave it another flavor that kept me reaching for more.

Personally, I preferred it with kombu vinegar. Rather than pouring in a lot from the start, I recommend adding it little by little and adjusting it to your taste!

Crisp and juicy karaage with ramen

And the karaage we ordered as a side.

When you come for ramen and see karaage, it is hard to just pass it by, right? Haha. The golden fried coating was crisp and the inside was juicy, so it went well with the ramen.

Then my friend said, “Isn't this almost exactly like the one I had in Japan?” My friend had actually been to Japan recently.

I have not had enough karaage in Japan to compare it properly, but it definitely had that characteristic Japanese-style karaage feeling: crisp outside and juicy inside.

I picked one up while eating ramen, then another, and before I knew it, they were gone in a flash~ I guess side dishes are not ordered for nothing.

One meal shared across three dishes

When you are craving ramen near Children's Grand Park, trying these three dishes together is fun because each has its own style.

Choose motsu ramen if you want ramen with broth. Go for abura soba if you are in the mood for something a little different. Add crisp karaage, and it is also nice for two people to share a bit of everything.

I came here because I had been craving ramen after ages, and we had several dishes to choose from. Above all, the fact that we finished every dish we ordered that day shows how perfectly they suited our tastes, haha.