Konkuk University ramen restaurant, three bowls for two: Mentsuru

I had somewhere to be near Konkuk University and ended up wandering all the way over toward Sejong University haha. There's a well-known ramen place around there, so I went straight in — Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch. A line started forming while we were eating, but we got lucky and were seated right away.

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch

What's on the menu at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch serves a range of chicken-broth-based soup ramens, mixed noodle ramen, and rice bowls. There are also side dishes like fried chicken and takoyaki if ramen alone feels like too little, and they sell draft beer too, so I was briefly tempted — but today was ramen only~

From the soy-based shoyu ramen to the rich, tonkotsu-like tori paitan, all the way to what seemed like their signature beef tripe ramen — it was hard to decide what to pick. The hormone-don (offal rice bowl) and gyudon (beef rice bowl) looked good too, but since it was our first visit, it felt right to go with ramen haha.

How ordering and seating work at Mentsuru, and is solo dining OK?

You can order at Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch via the kiosk near the entrance while waiting, and once seated, each table has its own tablet for ordering.

There are wall-facing seats like these as well as 4-person tables, so it seems fine for groups too. More parties of three or more visited than I expected, and there were quite a few families nearby! There are also a good number of bar-style seats, so it looks good for solo dining too.

There are also bar seats facing the kitchen counter.

Endless deliberating while looking at the photos haha

Mentsuru's table setting and refillable yuzu pickled radish

Water, paper cups, and pickled radish are all set up at the table.

Whether it's yuzu or not, the pickled radish was so refreshing! Unlike regular yellow radish, it's a bit less yellow, which somehow made it feel less artificial.

Not sure what it is exactly, but there's a cute little decoration like this too.

Why two diners ordered three bowls of ramen at Mentsuru

We ended up ordering three items between the two of us haha. From the shoyu ramen, which shows off the basics, to the rich-broth tori paitan, to the mazesoba-like abura soba. Spice level can be adjusted depending on the ramen, and you can also add egg, chashu, or seaweed for an extra fee.

Abura soba, 12,000 won: oil-tossed noodles

The abura soba (₩12,000) came out first. Since the sauce itself is oil-based, it looked super moist and glossy.

Kelp vinegar comes on the side, and adding it partway through gives the dish a tangy kick and more umami.

Starting with the poached egg, shake it all up. The meat pieces were pretty large, and the ingredients blended really well with the seasoning. Being oil-based, it also mixed together more smoothly. And unlike the other ramens, even though the noodles were a bit thicker, the sauce soaked in well, so it was never bland.

Tori paitan, 12,000 won: rich chicken broth

Next was the tori paitan (₩12,000). At first glance, it looked so rich and deep that I thought it might be tonkotsu ramen. There were several big chunks of meat, and the broth was genuinely rich and delicious.

Shoyu ramen, 11,000 won: clear soy broth

Lastly, the shoyu ramen (₩11,000). Being soy-based, the broth was the cleanest of the three, but that didn't mean it was bland or weak — it hit just the right note. Here too, big chunks of meat were piled on generously, and the thin noodles paired really well with the broth.

Which Mentsuru ramen to pick, plus waiting times and parking

This clearly seems like a one-bowl-per-person kind of place, but we got greedy and tried all three! The portions were a lot and it was tough going, but I'm glad we tried all three. Each broth had its own distinct charm, and skipping the mixed noodle dish would have been such a regret haha.

The egg was so rich and delicious, and the generous meat made it all really satisfying! It's a great spot to grab a meal before a walk around Children's Grand Park or Sejong University — the location was excellent. Quite a lot of people came in around lunchtime, so a line did form, but since it's noodles, turnover seemed fast and people were seated again quickly. There's no dedicated parking, so you'd need to use the public parking lot out front, but honestly finding a spot there is a nightmare, so public transit is the way to go!