Ramen for a cold at Lotte Incheon: clear vs spicy broth, Menya Seoul

Today I went to the Crayon Shin-chan pop-up store at Lotte Department Store, and then I was stuck wondering what to have for lunch... I happened to be suffering from an autumn cold ㅜㅜ so I was craving something hot and soupy. So! I headed to the ramen spot on the B1 floor, Menya Seoul Lotte Department Store Incheon Branch (멘야서울 롯데백화점 인천점)!

Where is Menya Seoul at Lotte Department Store Incheon, and what's it like?

Menya Seoul sits in the B1 food court of Lotte Department Store Incheon! The interior is done in dark tones, so it felt modern and stylish.

The seats wrap around the kitchen in a circle, so it's a good setup for eating alone too! I went at lunchtime on a Saturday and there happened to be 2 seats left. A lot of people left while we were eating, so the turnover seemed good! Department store restaurants are mostly better than just okay, so picking a menu is actually the hard part ㅠㅠ

How to order ramen at Menya Seoul

There are menu models near the ordering spot, so it's easy to choose by looking at them! Ramen tastes very different depending on the topping and broth style, so I stood in front of these models for about 5 minutes haha. Someone who finds choosing a menu way too hard,,, 😮‍💨😞

For Menya Seoul ramen, you pick a topping from jambon (Korean-style ham) or dongpo (braised pork belly), and a broth from 3 options: clear, spicy or mala! My girlfriend and I wanted to try both the clear and the spicy broth, so we chose the spicy dongpo chashu ramen and the basic dongpo chashu ramen!

We wanted to try a side too, so we switched one of them to a set. My girlfriend doesn't like grilled dumplings, so we chose karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken)! For the drink you can pick Coca-Cola or Sprite.

A nicely organized display case! The sweet soy chicken rice bowl and the whole pork belly mazesoba (brothless mixed noodles) looked tasty too.. but we'd already ordered a lot, so we'll try them next time and skipped them!

Menya Seoul set keycap and review event

If you order a set at Menya Seoul, you can also get a Coca-Cola special keycap! It lights up like an LED keycap. I'd already made keycaps once in Dongdaemun,, so it would just be pretty clutter and I didn't take it haha. They also give you an ajitama (marinated soft-boiled egg) for a review event, so it's worth joining in!

Each seat has lemon vinegar and chili oil (rayu), so add them when the flavor starts to get tiring!

What comes on Menya Seoul's dongpo chashu ramen?

Menya Seoul's signature dongpo ramen is topped with dongpo, chashu, a soft-boiled egg, bean sprouts, seaweed and green onion. The big chunk of dongpo makes it look appetizing from the first glance haha. Two side dishes come with it, which are nice to nibble on between bites of ramen!

Clear broth or spicy broth: which ramen tasted better?

Menya Seoul's dongpo is made with pork belly!! It was soft and delicious with no gamey smell haha. The chashu was tender and odor-free too! Alternating one bite of dongpo and one of chashu with the noodles kept it from getting tiring and I enjoyed it so much😚

The basic broth isn't deep and heavy like at a tonkotsu ramen shop; it's clean and light. Maybe because of that it felt a little plain, so the spicy broth tasted better to me!

My girlfriend found it plain too partway through and added chili oil!

Is the Menya Seoul karaage set worth the extra 5,000 won?

Menya Seoul's karaage side comes topped with a sweet sauce and green onion. We added ₩5,000 for a drink and karaage, and the portion was a little disappointing ㅠㅠ But the taste was really good?! It was crispy and well seasoned, and I hadn't expected much, but I enjoyed it!!!

When you want a hot, soupy meal, or you're craving generous toppings and good ramen, I recommend this ramen spot, Menya Seoul!!!✨✨💕