Hangover-cure solo ramen in Gwangjin, Seoul: shio ramen at Mentsuru

Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch: an easy solo ramen stop near Konkuk University

Came out to hang around Konkuk University today, and honestly this is the best spot for eating alone. Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch is Japanese ramen, and it's honestly better than the ramen I had recently in Japan.

You can check the menu and stuff here first, so let's take a look and then head in. Open daily 11:00-23:00, last order 22:30. Just go whenever, no need to overthink it. Fine to go after work, fine after school. Just walk out Exit 4 of Children's Grand Park Station and you're there.

The front looks neat and tidy with that Japanese feel. Let's go in.

What Mentsuru looks like inside, and is eating alone awkward?

The interior is really clean. Nice.

And the vibe is really good, really pretty.

And the best part for solo dining is that you don't need to worry about people around you at all, it's a comfortable atmosphere. Some places feel awkward walking in alone to eat, but this place barely has that feeling.

Mentsuru's menu: ramen, abura soba, gyudon and draft beer

They've got ramen and abura soba, tons of it. And even gyudon (Japanese beef rice bowl). Must be so good.

And when you come to a place like this you've gotta order draft beer to go with it. Let's eat.

You can order over there or at the table too.

Asahi draft, and the way it goes down is no joke. And the pickled radish over there tastes like yuzu, which makes it even better.

Spicy shoyu ramen at Mentsuru: stings the tongue, keeps you eating

The visuals alone pass the test. The broth color already looks delicious, the toppings are laid out neatly, so I took a few photos before eating. But honestly, no time to be taking photos haha. The second the smell hits, you just want to eat fast.

The first bowl that came was spicy shoyu ramen. The spice is the tongue-tingling kind. But it goes so well with the soy sauce that you just keep eating it.

Shio ramen at Mentsuru: chicken broth with a spice aroma that lingers

The next one was shio ramen, which I'd never had before in my life. But this one, I recommend it without question. It was so good.

Hard to put into words, but it's salty with a chicken-based broth, and there are so many spices in it that keep swirling around in your mouth.

Shio ramen isn't just aggressively salty, it's more like the flavor quietly builds the more you eat. At first it seems light, but a couple more spoonfuls and the aroma keeps rising.

Asahi draft with the ramen, and last night's drinking cleared

And eating it with the beer over there really makes for a full day. Taking one sip of beer right before the ramen makes all the day's stress just melt away.

And spooning up the broth one scoop at a time is just insane. Whatever I drank last night just gets cured right there.

I just kept eating without thinking. Overall, after eating, my takeaway is this is a great place to just go for one ramen meal. Comfortable to go alone, good to go after work, good for a light meal after school, and above all the broth is so good that finishing it gives you that 'I drank every drop' satisfaction. Next time I want to try the abura soba. I'll try that and write a review too.

One spoonful and you go 'hm?', another spoonful and 'oh, this is good.' And then at some point you're just spooning up broth nonstop haha. If you're looking for a spot to eat alone near Konkuk University, save this one. It's the kind of place you'll think of next time you're craving ramen. Especially the shio ramen, you have to try it.

In the end I just finished it off completely. Walked out having eaten almost all the broth. My head was hurting from drinking the night before, but the ramen brought me back to life. Today's hangover cure was a success.

Who should go to Mentsuru Children's Grand Park Branch?

• Anyone looking for a solo dining spot near Konkuk University
• Anyone who wants ramen after work
• Anyone looking for a hangover cure the day after drinking

Definitely worth trying this place once. The shio ramen especially, I'd recommend it twice over. Next time I need to come back for the abura soba.

Sub score 5/5 — the best ramen, and the gyudon is perfect too. The broth is genuinely amazing, especially recommend the shio ramen more. And the beer, need I say more, you have to have it together.