GABAN pepper tsukemen at a Jung-gu ramen shop, Seoul: Mentsuru

Today's story is about a visit to Mentsuru City Hall Branch, where you can try Japanese ramen near City Hall Station. I was looking for a dinner spot around City Hall Station and ended up at Mentsuru City Hall Branch. Browsing the menu, I was happy to spot tsukemen (dipping noodles) — I remembered enjoying it on a trip to Tokyo once, so I ordered it hoping to relive that taste after a long while.

In the end, my dinner choice turned out to be a great success!

Where is Mentsuru City Hall Branch? One minute from Exit 10

Mentsuru City Hall Branch is about a one-minute walk from Exit 10 of City Hall Station, so it was easy to find. Being so close to the station, it's a convenient spot whether you have plans near City Hall or you're an office worker nearby grabbing a meal.

Even from outside, it had that distinctive atmosphere of a Japanese ramen specialty shop. It seemed like a nice, low-pressure place to stop by after wandering around Seoul City Hall or Deoksugung Palace.

Inside Mentsuru: solo-friendly seats and kiosk ordering

Stepping inside Mentsuru City Hall Branch, I felt a clean space that still had that distinctly Japanese ramen shop mood. It didn't feel awkward at all to eat alone, so solo diners should be able to use the place comfortably too.

When I visited, there were people eating solo, as well as office workers who'd come after work enjoying ramen with a beer. It seemed like a great fit for nearby office workers wanting a light meal and a drink after their shift.

Mentsuru City Hall Branch offers more than just ramen — there's a good lineup of drinks that pair well with it too, like highball, Japanese beer, and sake. It felt like a place you could comfortably visit any time of day: a meal-focused lunch, or a lighter dinner with a drink.

Another plus is that it's open every day with no break time. It was nice not having to work around strict lunch or dinner hours and instead being able to drop by whenever suited me.

Once inside, you check the menu and order through a kiosk. It was simple to use — just take your time browsing and place your order at your own pace.

Basic tsukemen, chashu don and handmade karaage at Mentsuru

This time, I ordered tsukemen basic, chashu don, and handmade karaage.

Basic tsukemen: noodles and broth served separately

Unlike a typical bowl of ramen, tsukemen comes with the noodles and broth served separately. You dip the noodles into a rich, deep-flavored broth, which gives it a completely different appeal from regular ramen.

Dipping the noodles into the broth at just the right amount let the rich flavor come through nicely, and unlike ramen where you drink a lot of soup at once, I liked being able to control how much broth I got with each bite. Getting to enjoy both the noodle texture and the concentrated broth flavor together meant I never got tired of it until the last bite.

While waiting for the food, I noticed a bottle of GABAN black pepper sitting on the table. I sprinkled a bit onto the tsukemen, and the subtle peppery aroma made for a fun twist on the dish.

Chashu don: a generous layer of pork over rice

The chashu don (braised pork rice bowl) I ordered alongside it exceeded my expectations too. There was a generous amount of chashu piled on top of the rice, making it plenty filling as a standalone meal.

The tender, well-cooked chashu paired nicely with the rice, and its distinctive flavor really came through when eaten together.

Switching between the tsukemen and the chashu don let me enjoy two different textures and flavors, and I was glad I'd ordered both.

Handmade karaage: crisp outside, juicy inside

The handmade karaage (Japanese fried chicken) was another highlight. Crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside, the texture was especially good.

Every bite gave that crispy coating together with the moist meat inside, and I was glad I'd added it as a side. It's great for when ramen or tsukemen alone isn't quite enough, and it would go really well with a beer or highball too.

What to order at Mentsuru next time

After thoroughly enjoying the tsukemen, I got curious about Mentsuru City Hall Branch's other menu items. With options ranging from deep, rich ramen broths to a clean, light shoyu ramen and a spicy motsu ramen (offal ramen), I'm already thinking about trying a different bowl on my next visit.

For anyone deciding on lunch or dinner near City Hall Station, or craving Japanese ramen, I'd recommend Mentsuru City Hall Branch.