Japanese restaurant in Seongsu, Seoul: mince katsu set at Menya Pomo

A Seongsu date-course restaurant find — Menya Pomo's tomato ramen and Korean beef mince katsu are legit delicious, and it's a hidden gem you can enjoy solo too!

Where is Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch, and is there parking?

Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch is a tomato ramen restaurant on the basement level of a quiet alley just off the main Yeonmujang-gil strip in Seongsu, next to Aime Donut. Have you heard of tomato ramen before? It was my first time, and this is how I found it.

There's no parking, but it's just a 3-minute walk from Seongsu Station Exit 4, making it a popular spot for office workers' lunches, solo diners, and even foreign visitors dropping by after weekend pop-ups.

Inside Menya Pomo: solo counter seats and what's on the self-bar

Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch has a private space set aside for solo diners, and the restroom is inside too, so there was nothing inconvenient about using it. I have no idea how everyone finds this place..! Even at an awkward hour past lunch, it was packed with both Korean and foreign customers — a proper Seongsu date-course spot.

At the self-bar you can freely grab ice, water, lemon water, disposable aprons, cabbage pickles, small plates, and more. The chopstick holder by the table thoughtfully includes hair ties for anyone with long hair — a nice touch that impressed me all over again.

🍯Tip: There's rice at the self-bar, so keep that in mind before ordering rice separately.

The table had garlic oil and various other sauces set out, and a review event was running too, so keep that in mind~~

🍯Tip: Leave a review on Naver or Kakao Map and choose one of: croquette, snow cheese, or king shrimp tempura.

There are 5 kinds of tomato ramen to pick based on your taste — original, bone broth, tom yum, Indian, and tantan — so anyone, regardless of nationality or age, can find a version that suits them~

The seasonings set out on the table are explained in detail, and there's even a guide on how to make delicious risotto after finishing the noodles — a really thoughtful touch👍

Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch menu and prices

Here's the menu for our Seongsu date-course meal. Tomato ramen is the main, signature dish, with versions topped in various ways — I ordered the Real Tomato Ramen~ You can also order with cheese beef katsu, cheese chicken, beef katsu, cheese, ham vegetable, or Pomo corn toppings, or go with the basic version — a solo-diner-friendly Japanese restaurant with lots of options.

The Korean Beef Mince Katsu Set has a reputation for being delicious (and I'm about to spread that reputation further) — this Seongsu date-course spot Menya Pomo is genuinely good, so I'd recommend ordering this too.

Besides the katsu set, there are side dishes like yaki mandu (pan-fried dumplings), king shrimp tempura, chicken fresh salad, cheese rice, basil rice, and cilantro add-ons.

Besides soda, there's yuzu citrus vinegar and oolong tea, so I ordered the oolong tea without hesitation — there's also lemon water at the self-bar, so keep that in mind when ordering a drink.

How the tomato ramen and Korean beef mince katsu taste

The visuals of this Seongsu date-course meal are insane. I walked in not knowing much about the place, so I was totally unprepared for how generous the portions and how reasonable the prices would be — the two of us were floored.

Your Oolong Tea, 3,000 won

I already liked oolong tea, but I fell even harder for it after a trip to Taiwan. This was my first time trying Your Oolong Tea, and it's refreshing with a bitter edge and a weirdly addictive charm — total thumbs up from me!

Real Tomato Ramen, 12,500 won

This is a clear broth simmered from pork and chicken, with added acidity and umami. Personally, if the plain no-topping version is pure and clean, the Real version has more acidity — almost tom yum style!?

A whole lightly-seasoned tomato sits on top, and basil adds a slight tang, but the more you eat, the more addictive it gets — delicious, and the noodles were nice and firm too.

Ham and Vegetable Tomato Ramen, 12,500 won

More of a crowd-pleaser flavor compared to the Real version? Built on a clear broth with added ham, eggplant, and mushroom, this version is full of umami — accessible and packed with savory depth.

You have to finish all the noodles first, then add rice to the broth, to properly enjoy the final risotto — that's how you do it right at this Seongsu date-course spot.

Korean Beef Mince Katsu Set, 13,800 won

The mince katsu, made from fresh Korean female beef, comes with a house-made tomato demi-glace sauce, delivering a flavor on a completely different level from your usual tonkatsu.

Crispy outside, juicy inside — genuinely insane. I can't believe how juicy it is, the shrimp tempura is also incredible, and the flavor is on another level. Paired with the ramen, this makes for a hearty, filling meal you can knock out easily.

Yaki Mandu, 5 pcs for 4,000 won

Following the beef mince katsu, the yaki mandu also delivers that crispy-outside, juicy-inside quality. A perfect portion for a side order, with tasty filling inside a crunchy wrapper — this solo-friendly spot Menya Pomo nails it.

Is Menya Pomo Seongsu Branch worth it?

Wrapping up this review of Real Tomato Ramen, Korean Beef Mince Katsu Set, and Yaki Mandu at Menya Pomo, this Seongsu date-course spot — go check it out for a weekday lunch or a solo meal~