Spicy shoyu vs shoyu vs gyudon at Mentsuru, Gwangjin ramen shop

Wandering around university areas or near Children's Grand Park, it's oddly hard to decide what to eat. Some days something simple feels lacking, but something too heavy feels like too much.

This time I was near Children's Grand Park and craving ramen with a warm broth, so I stopped by Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch. It's a Japanese-style ramen restaurant with a wide range of ramen, and since I wanted to sample a bit of everything that day, I ordered 🍜 spicy shoyu ramen, 🍜 shoyu ramen, and 🍚 gyudon.

Ordering two ramens plus a rice dish made for a pretty full spread on the table. It's also a good combination for ordering different dishes and sharing.

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch: location and hours

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is located at 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1F, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, and is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00. Last order is 22:30, and amenities include group seating, takeout, reservations, Wi-Fi, a high chair, a waiting area, and easy payment.

It's close to Children's Grand Park Station, so it's easy to reach by public transit, and it's also reasonably accessible from Konkuk University or Sejong University. It would also work well to stop by for a meal after a walk or a date at Children's Grand Park.

With no break time in particular, it's convenient if you want to visit slightly off the usual lunch hours or eat a late meal.

A restaurant atmosphere that also works for solo dining

Walking in, the place had that clean, comfortable atmosphere typical of a ramen restaurant.

There were seats good for eating alone as well as tables for larger groups, so it seemed to work well for solo dining, meals with friends, or dates. These days a lot of people visit ramen restaurants alone for a quiet meal, and Mentsuru had that kind of atmosphere too — comfortable for grabbing a bowl of ramen solo.

On the other hand, it was also fine for ordering several dishes and sharing them, like we did. Takeout and reservations are available, and with a high chair on hand, it looked convenient for families too.

Spicy shoyu ramen, ₩11,000 — how spicy is it really?

The first dish to arrive was the spicy shoyu ramen. Price: ₩11,000.

According to the menu description, it's built on a clean, light clam and chicken broth with spice added on top. I tasted the broth first, and it was cleaner than I expected.

Rather than a spice that hits you hard right away, it was more the salty umami of shoyu with a moderate kick added in. So people who like spicy food would enjoy it, but so would people who find overly intense broths too much. Since the broth was warm, I kept going back for spoonful after spoonful.

With ramen, sometimes you just eat the noodles and leave a lot of the broth behind, but this was the kind you keep tasting the broth throughout. Spicy yet clean, I thought it would also work well as a hangover-cure ramen. It's the kind of dish you'd think of if you drank the night before or your stomach feels a little heavy and you're craving a warm, spicy broth.

Spicy shoyu ramen: noodles and toppings

With ramen, the noodles matter just as much as the broth.

The noodles weren't overcooked and had a good bounce, making them easy to slurp up with the broth. Lifting them with chopsticks along with the broth, the shoyu's salty flavor had naturally soaked into the noodles — delicious.

There was meat and egg on top of the ramen too, which made it feel much more filling than just noodles. The meat in particular was tender and paired well with the noodles, and the egg went well with the broth too. A spicy sip of broth followed by a bite of the soft toppings made for a good balance. Given the ₩11,000 price, it didn't feel like a heavy commitment for a meal, so it would work as a lunch option too.

Basic shoyu ramen, ₩11,000 — how is it different from the spicy version?

For anyone who doesn't want the spice, I also ordered the basic shoyu ramen. Also ₩11,000.

Comparing it with the spicy shoyu ramen, the mood was clearly different. The basic shoyu ramen let you taste the clean, light clam and chicken broth a bit more comfortably.

There's that distinctive soy-based umami, but it leans clean going down rather than feeling overly salty or heavy. I think it would suit people who prefer mild flavors over intense ones. I like spicy ramen too, but I kept reaching for the basic shoyu ramen as well.

For anyone who can't handle spice, or families visiting with kids looking for a mild option, the basic shoyu ramen would be worth choosing. Ordering both ramens and alternating between them made for a fun way to compare spicy and mild side by side.

Gyudon, ₩11,000 — a beef rice bowl that pairs well with ramen

The third dish was gyudon (beef rice bowl). Price: ₩11,000.

I ordered it since it's a beef rice bowl made with beef pork belly (u-samgyeop) in Mentsuru's own house sauce. When a ramen restaurant has a rice bowl on the menu, you kind of want to try it too. I especially like combining ramen broth with rice, so I added a gyudon.

The bowl came out with rice and meat together, and it looked hearty just from the visual alone. The savory flavor of the beef pork belly combined with the sauce made it great with rice. Taking a spoonful of meat and rice together, the umami of the sauce soaked naturally into the rice — quite good.

Adding the gyudon on top of the ramen definitely raised how satisfying the meal felt compared to just ramen alone. If you're visiting as two, ordering one ramen each and adding a gyudon to share sounds like a good plan too, since you'd each get a bowl of ramen and still get to share the gyudon, trying a variety of dishes.

Why it's good to order all three together

What I liked about this order was that the three dishes each had a different character.

• Spicy shoyu ramen wakes up your appetite with a spicy, umami-rich broth
• Basic shoyu ramen is clean and light, easy to eat without any pressure
• Gyudon is the dish that fills you up with meat and rice

So rather than just ordering one dish, ordering several and sharing them was much more fun. Ramen especially changes its whole mood depending on the broth, so I'd recommend comparing the spicy and basic versions.

A good spot for a Children's Grand Park date or a lunch stop

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch has a good location, so it seemed easy to fit into a broader plan nearby. You could take a walk at Children's Grand Park and then go for ramen, or stop by while looking for lunch around Konkuk University or Sejong University. If you're on a date near Konkuk and want a meal that isn't too heavy, a bowl of ramen followed by a café would make a nice route too.

Ramen isn't a burden as a solo meal either, so it's fine to visit alone, and it's also fine to visit as a group and order a variety of ramen and rice bowls. Takeout is available too, so on days when you don't have time to eat in, you can always take it to go.

If I go back, what would I order?

This time I ordered the spicy shoyu ramen, shoyu ramen, and gyudon, and all three had their own appeal, which made for a satisfying meal.

Personally, on days I crave a spicy broth I'd go for the spicy shoyu ramen, and on days I want something clean and light I'd choose the basic shoyu ramen. And on days when ramen alone feels like it might not be enough, adding a gyudon would make for a hearty meal. The spicy shoyu ramen in particular has a clean yet appropriately spicy broth that would suit a hangover or a craving for something a little fiery. The basic shoyu ramen is one I'd recommend to anyone who likes mild flavors, and the gyudon is worth ordering if you like meat and rice.

If you're looking for a lunch spot near Children's Grand Park or Konkuk University, it might be worth stopping by Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch for a warm bowl of ramen. It's also nice that it works comfortably for a range of situations — solo dining, meals with friends, a lunch date near Konkuk, or a family meal out. Next time, I'd like to try some of the other ramen options on the menu.

Warm broth, chewy noodles, and a hearty gyudon on top — I left feeling like I'd had a proper meal. 🍜🤍

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch at a glance

• Name: Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch
• Address: 394 Gwangnaru-ro, 1F, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–23:00 / Last order 22:30
• Amenities: Group seating / Takeout / Reservations / Wi-Fi / High chair / Waiting area / Easy payment
• 🍜 Spicy shoyu ramen ₩11,000 — clean clam and chicken broth ramen with added spice
• 🍜 Shoyu ramen ₩11,000 — the basic clean clam and chicken broth shoyu ramen
• 🍚 Gyudon ₩11,000 — beef rice bowl made with house sauce and beef pork belly