Yongsan mazesoba with egg yolk mixed in and pork belly chashu: Menya

I was shopping at Yongsan Station and looking for somewhere to grab a quick meal, and that's how I ended up at Menya Seoul!

If you're looking for somewhere to eat inside Yongsan I'Park Mall, ramen or mazesoba is probably what comes to mind haha. I've always just ordered ramen at Menya Seoul, but this time I finally tried the mazesoba I'd been curious about!

Where is Menya Seoul Yongsan I'Park Mall Branch?

It's located on the 7th floor Taste Park of Yongsan I'Park Mall, near the escalator inside the food court area!

What's on the menu?

While looking through the menu, I noticed you could choose a topping for the broth ramen, either dongpo pork or jambon. The broth wasn't just one flavor either — it came in mild, spicy, and mala versions, so it was set up nicely for different taste preferences.

It wasn't only ramen either. The side menu included karaage, crispy gyoza, a sweet soy chicken rice bowl, and spring rolls.

Ordering the pork belly mazesoba set!

Pork belly mazesoba: breaking the egg yolk and mixing it in

What I ordered that day was the pork belly mazesoba (dry ramen with sauce, mixed by hand) set. The whole point of mazesoba is mixing the noodles and toppings well from the start, so I popped the egg yolk and stirred it all together.

As the yolk spread through the noodles, the nutty aroma hit first, mixing in with the chewy noodles, minced meat, chives, and bonito flakes. One bite in, and the flavor was heavier than I expected.

The spicy-sweet sauce combined with the distinct flavor of bonito flakes left a rich, lingering flavor in my mouth. But it wasn't just one strong flavor — as I chewed through the different ingredients together, the taste kept shifting slightly. It was a strange kind of umami explosion, familiar and yet like I was tasting it for the first time haha. The noodles especially were so chewy that I ended up chewing them for a long time along with the sauce!

Smoky pork belly chashu

The pork belly chashu on top of the mazesoba was also impressive. The thickly sliced chashu looked pretty appetizing on its own, and it had a slight smoky char to it. The meat was tender enough that eating it together with the noodles wasn't overwhelming at all, and the savory meaty aroma made the mazesoba's rich flavor even deeper.

Compared to just eating noodles the whole time, weaving in bites of chashu changed up the texture and kept things from feeling monotonous. If you're someone who likes meat toppings, I think you'd really enjoy this!

How were the karaage and crispy gyoza sides?

I also tried the side dishes one by one. The karaage had that style where the sauce is moistly soaked into the coating. It was sweet with a slight kick of spice, well-seasoned enough to eat on its own, and switching back and forth with the mazesoba kept perking up my appetite haha.

The crispy gyoza lived up to its name, with the outside fried nice and crunchy. Biting into it, I liked how the crispy texture gave way to juicy filling inside. The mazesoba itself leans heavy because of the sauce and toppings, so pairing it with the crispy gyoza's crunch worked really well.

If you're looking for ramen or mazesoba in Yongsan

Based on what I tried this time, I liked that Menya Seoul lets you choose between broth ramen and mazesoba. Especially if you're visiting with someone else — one person can order broth ramen and the other mazesoba, so you get to try different dishes, which makes the menu selection feel pretty wide-ranging.

It's a good place to keep in mind if you want a filling meal while shopping at Yongsan I'Park Mall, or if you're near Yongsan Station and craving noodles. Whenever ramen or mazesoba comes to mind before or after shopping at Yongsan I'Park Mall, this is a spot worth putting on your list!!