Office lunch ramen with katame noodles at City Hall: Mentsuru

I booked through Superchart and today I went to Mentsuru at City Hall Station!

It's a ramen restaurant!

Where is Mentsuru City Hall Branch, and what are its hours?

Mentsuru City Hall Branch is on Seosomun-ro in Jung-gu, Seoul, a 3-minute walk from Exits 9 and 10 of City Hall Station. Hours are 11:00 - 21:00, with a break time from 15:00 - 17:00, and last order at 20:30.

• Location: Seosomun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (3-min walk from City Hall Station Exits 9/10)
• Hours: 11:00 - 21:00 (break time 15:00 - 17:00 / last order 20:30)
• Features: kiosk ordering, all bar (dachi) seating, rice/noodle refills available

What is Mentsuru like at the 1pm lunch peak?

I visited Mentsuru City Hall Branch around 1pm and it was really packed. The staff were so kind! Their energy and enthusiasm were great and it put me in a good mood haha

I started off with an Asahi 330ml!! Aahh...

Waiting for the main dish to arrive! In the meantime, some store info!

1. Clean storefront and an easy solo-dining atmosphere

Mentsuru City Hall Branch sits in an office-worker alley near City Hall Station! From the entrance, the clean wood-toned Japanese-style interior catches your eye. Inside, it's mostly bar (dachi) seating around an open kitchen, which is perfect for solo diners or pairs to visit without any pressure!! There's a fair amount of waiting from office workers during the lunch peak, so I'd recommend going a bit early

2. Ordering by kiosk and the Mentsuru menu lineup

You prepay through the kiosk at the entrance. Alongside signature dishes like shoyu ramen, miso ramen, tsukemen, and abura soba, there are side dishes like handmade gyoza and karaage. You can add chashu or tamago (seasoned egg) depending on your taste!

How good are Mentsuru's ramen toppings, the sous-vide chashu and ajitama?

Sous-vide chashu: the flat chashu slices lining the bowl's edge are thin but still have visible grain, so there's zero dryness. When the fat softens slightly from the broth's heat and you wrap it around noodles for a bite, the mild juices burst out and mix with the broth to complete a deep flavor!!

Ajitama (seasoned egg): when you split it with chopsticks, the jelly-like yolk holds its shape instead of running out! The soy seasoning is evenly soaked deep into the white, and its salty-sweet umami gently balances out the broth's saltiness!

Menma (bamboo shoots) and green onion: the crunchy bite of the menma's distinct aroma and the crispness of the finely chopped green onion add a rhythmic textural accent between the soft chashu and noodles

Housemade medium-thick noodles: katame texture and how they hold the broth

These are medium-thick straight noodles (chuze-men) with the density that's distinctive of housemade noodles. Served in a 'katame' (firm-cooked) state with a slight bite left in the core, the nutty flavor of the wheat comes through more the more you chew!!

The broth clings to the noodle surface like a thin coating, so every slurp gives you a perfect balance of the broth's rich umami and the noodle's chewy spring!!!

Mentsuru City Hall Branch is a ramen restaurant with great accessibility near City Hall Station!! Along with various ramen menus, they also have rice bowl dishes like motsudon and gyudon!! It's convenient to order via kiosk, and with seating space extending down to the basement level, it's also suitable for group visits!!

3. Honest verdict on Mentsuru's lunch ramen

Broth: from the first sip, the rich yet umami-packed chicken-and-seafood based broth is great!! The seasoning isn't superficial, it's steeped in deep, and the clean finish without greasiness is impressive!

Noodles and toppings: the springy straight noodles come up well-coated in broth. The thinly sliced chashu melts softly with no off-flavor, and the rich yolk of the soft-boiled ajitama pairs wonderfully with the broth!

The kindness and the taste are both top-tier so I highly recommend it! The beer was so good too!