Pachinko Izakaya in Yongridan-gil, Sinyongsan Review

Hi! Today I went to Yongridan-gil in Yongsan. I often go to Yongsan to meet friends, and this spot completely won me over. We had already eaten and drunk quite a bit at our first stop, so we came in for a lighter second round. The snacks were good, the atmosphere was great, and I left really satisfied.

The exterior has a strong Japanese izakaya feel. It is located near the beginning of Yongridan-gil. It is closest from Sinyongsan Station, and it is also walkable from Samgakji Station. Hours: Friday: 16:00-01:00 Saturday: 14:30-01:00 Sunday: 14:30-23:30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 16:00-23:30 Hours vary by day, so check before you go. Last order is 30 minutes before closing. Parking: Parking is not available, so public transportation is the better option.

We visited around 9 p.m. on a Saturday and there was a wait, so we waited a little. While waiting, my friend and I went to take photos, and the timing worked out so we could go in right away. I think we waited about 15 minutes. On weekends, there seems to be a wait most of the time, so I recommend arriving early and putting your name down. Since it feels like a second-round drinks spot, the queue also seemed to continue even later at night. We were shown to a table set for two. Looking around, there were seats that could fit groups of around six. I could not take a photo, but there was also bar seating where people could sit around together.

The four-person tables looked like this. The chairs had backs and were comfortable. The inside was fairly loud. Even though I was sitting across from my friend, not very far away, it was a little hard to talk. It is not a quiet bar.

Myeongran jaga butter (명란쟈가버터, pollack roe potato butter) Oksusu-al twigim (옥수수알튀김, fried corn kernels)

Since we were already pretty full, we ordered these two lighter side-style snacks.

The shop also had a bit of a semi-basement feel. We went down a few steps when entering from the doorway, and when I looked up from the table, I could see a little bit of the outside like this.

The fried corn kernels came out first. They were sweeter and tastier than I expected. A sweet seasoning was sprinkled on the outside, and the nutty-sweet flavor made it just right as a drinking snack.

Next came the myeongran jaga butter. It was a boiled whole potato with pollack roe, and the sauce was really addictive. It paired well with the potato. It was a little rich, but as a drinking snack it was hard to beat.

There was pollack roe between the potato and sauce too, and it was tasty. Because we were full, we had it with soju, but it felt like it would be perfect with beer. It was too loud for us to stay very long, but the snacks were better than expected, so next time I want to visit as a first-round stop.

My friend also took pretty photos for me. If you are looking for a second-round beer spot or izakaya on Yongridan-gil, or if you want a bar with plenty of Japanese-style atmosphere, this is one to consider. The mood feels even more Japanese than Japan, so I recommend giving it a try. The myeongran jaga butter was delicious, so I would definitely order that. #YongridanGil #YongsanBar #YongridanGilBar #YongridanGilIzakaya #YongsanIzakaya #SinyongsanStationBar #SinyongsanStationIzakaya #YongridanGilBeer #YongsanBeer #YongsanRestaurants #YongridanGilRestaurants #SinyongsanStationBar