Bangi-dong date izakaya with window booths and soju: Sangkai

Sangkai Bangi Branch, on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Hana Building in Bangi-dong's restaurant alley, is an izakaya with private rooms.

I stopped by with my girlfriend for a dinner date and a drink, and we had raw salmon sashimi and mille-feuille nabe (Japanese-style hot pot).

Sangkai Bangi Branch at a glance

• Location: about 8 min walk from Mongchontoseong Station Exit 3, about 10 min from Jamsil Station Exits 8/10
• Signature menu: raw shrimp sashimi (₩39,000), assorted handmade tempura (₩28,500)
• Today's order: raw salmon sashimi (₩35,000), mille-feuille nabe (₩23,000), Terra beer (₩6,000), soju (₩5,500), total ₩69,500
• Seating: 2nd floor window booths, 3rd floor private rooms and group seating
• Ordering: order directly via tablet at the table
• Hours: daily from 4pm to 5am the next day
• Reservations: available via Naver Reservations; 3rd floor group bookings by inquiry

Why we went, and who this izakaya suits

On Tuesday, September 22nd, around 6pm, I went with my girlfriend for drinks to Sangkai Bangi Branch, a bar in Bangi-dong. Bangi-dong's restaurant alley gets crowded and noisy in the evenings, so we were looking for somewhere we could talk quietly over a drink, just the two of us, and settled on this place.

Stepping inside the building, the noise from the alley dropped away sharply, and the wood interior and soft lighting really nailed that izakaya mood. It's easy to get a private seat, which makes it a good stop on a Bangi-dong date course, and it suits anyone who wants a quiet conversation over drinks.

Where Sangkai Bangi Branch is and the basics

• Name: Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch
• Address: 2nd and 3rd floors, Hana Building, 30 Olympic-ro 32-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Location: about 8 min walk from Mongchontoseong Station Exit 3, about 10 min from Jamsil Station Exits 8/10, 527m from Songpanaru Station Exit 2
• Hours: daily from 16:00 to 05:00 the next day
• Closed: open every day

The building has Bangi Suisan (a seafood restaurant) on the ground floor, so it's easy to find even on your first visit. If you're taking the bus, get off at the Songpa-gu Office Bangi Matgol stop and it's about a 3-minute walk. Search for "Bangi-dong Hana Building" on Naver Map for accurate directions.

The exterior on the Bangi-dong restaurant alley

The front of the 2nd and 3rd floors is wrapped in layered wood paneling, with warm lighting underneath. In the middle of the 2nd floor, a white brush-script Sangkai sign and a big red circular logo catch your eye right from the alley entrance, and you can see the 2nd-floor seats through the plate glass windows, haha.

Following the Sangkai entrance sign on the left side of the building, you'll find a directory listing the 2nd and 3rd floors, group seating, and private rooms.

The entrance is stylishly labeled "Sangkai Izakaya." Haha, gravel is laid along the base of the wall, so the first impression felt calm from the start.

2nd floor window booths or 3rd floor private rooms?

The 2nd floor at Sangkai

The 2nd floor is a row of partitioned booths and floor-seating rooms running along the windows. The plate glass windows let you watch people passing through the Bangi-dong restaurant alley, which gave it a good sense of openness.

Even so, each seat has a tall partition so you don't feel self-conscious about the next table. The rattan-style lamp stands and lattice lighting at each table add to the izakaya mood.

The 3rd floor private rooms

The 3rd floor has several private rooms with doors lined up in a row. Soft light leaks out above the doors, keeping the calm mood going even in the hallway. The group seating has tables pushed together so several people can sit together. The mix of openness and privacy makes it good for gatherings or reserved bookings.

What makes Sangkai Bangi Branch different

A quiet izakaya for talking over drinks

Even in the middle of the crowded Bangi-dong restaurant alley, the rooms let you focus on just the two of you talking. It's especially good when you need a quiet spot for a date or a blind date.

A different mood on each floor

The 2nd floor is centered on open, window-side booths, while the 3rd floor is centered on private rooms and group seating, so you can pick a seat to match the mood of the day.

Open until 5am every day

It runs daily from 4pm to 5am the next day, so it's convenient to carry on here as a second stop after a dinner date.

The menu and prices at Sangkai

The signature menu items are raw shrimp sashimi (₩39,000), assorted handmade tempura (₩28,500), clam sake steam (₩25,000), and spicy yurinchi (₩19,500).

What we ordered today were raw salmon sashimi (₩35,000) and mille-feuille nabe (₩23,000). For drinks, there's Terra bottled beer (₩6,000), Chamisul Fresh (₩5,500), and Chamisul Classic (₩5,500).

There's also a range of assorted sashimi, charcoal-grilled skewer platters, heart skewers, and jjamppong-tang (spicy seafood soup), so you can choose from sashimi to skewers to soup dishes.

Tasting the raw salmon sashimi and mille-feuille nabe

Raw salmon sashimi (35,000 won)

The raw salmon sashimi (₩35,000) is thick-cut salmon sashimi with a rich, nutty fat flavor, served with shiso leaves and lemon.

The plate had the thick cuts and the pieces with distinct white fat marbling separated out, so we could compare the texture piece by piece.

The salmon was fresh, so the nutty fat flavor spread richly with each bite. There was no fishy taste and the texture held up, so it felt like something from a dedicated sashimi restaurant.

It came with separate dipping plates of chojang (spicy vinegar sauce) and soy sauce, so you can dip however you like.

A dab of wasabi dipped in soy sauce brought out the fatty flavor even more. Pickled radish, pickled ginger, and danmuji (pickled daikon) in between cleaned up the palate.

Mille-feuille nabe (23,000 won)

Sangkai Bangi Branch's mille-feuille nabe (₩23,000) is a Japanese-style hot pot with layers of tender beef, crisp napa cabbage, and fragrant perilla leaves, simmered in a clear broth. It comes topped with a generous amount of bok choy, enoki mushrooms, and scored shiitake mushrooms.

Beef was packed tightly between every layer of cabbage and perilla leaf — I immediately understood why this is the popular dish.

As it simmers, the cabbage's sweetness and the beef's savory aroma come out, and the broth deepens more and more.

The broth was a clear golden color and really clean, with little oil.

The beef wasn't tough at all — it was tender — and the cabbage kept a nice crunch, so I kept going back for more.

The bean sprouts at the bottom of the pot had soaked up the broth too, and were great to pull up together with the meat. A bite of the rich, fatty salmon followed by a spoonful of the clean nabe broth was just so refreshing — the two dishes really brought out the best in each other, best combo of the night.

Eating it with the side dishes

The basic side dishes included danmuji, cucumber, cabbage, and a tangy octopus salad topped with sesame seeds.

A cold bottle of Terra beer paired well with the clean broth of the mille-feuille nabe. The raw salmon sashimi went best with soju.

Is it enough food for two people?

With the raw salmon sashimi and mille-feuille nabe plus one beer and one bottle of soju, the total came to ₩69,500. The portions were plenty for two people drinking together, and having the nabe made it hearty enough to double as a meal.

Naver reviews and coupon perks at Sangkai

If you include the phrase "Bangi-dong bar" or "Bangi-dong izakaya" in a Naver receipt review, you can get a free pineapple sherbet or a highball.

You can also download a Kiss Me Highball coupon or a drink coupon via Naver Coupons.

Before you go: parking and group bookings

Parking space in front of the building is limited, so you'll need to use a nearby public or paid parking lot. The Songpa-gu Office public parking lot is about a 3–5 minute walk, and the paid parking lot in the Bangi-dong alley is about a 1-minute walk. Parking conditions can change, so it's worth double-checking with the store before you visit.

Groups can use the 3rd floor group seating and book it out, which makes it a good spot for company dinners or gatherings. If you want a private room, it's best to request room seating in advance via Naver Reservations or by phone.

Tips for ordering and eating at Sangkai

The soy sauce for the sashimi and the soy sauce for the mille-feuille nabe are different. If the nabe seems under-seasoned, feel free to add plenty of the soy sauce set out on the table to taste.

Once the nabe broth is boiling, pull out the beef from between the layers first; eat the vegetables after the broth has simmered longer, when the sweetness comes through stronger.

If it still feels a little under-seasoned, try dipping it well in the dedicated nabe sauce.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of atmosphere does Sangkai Bangi Branch have?

Sangkai Bangi Branch is an izakaya with dark wood interiors and soft indirect lighting. It's inside the Bangi-dong restaurant alley, but the partitioned seats and private rooms make it easy to talk quietly.

Is Sangkai Bangi Branch a good date spot?

With its izakaya mood, it's well suited to a drink with atmosphere while dating in the Bangi-dong restaurant alley.

How do the 2nd and 3rd floors at Sangkai Bangi Branch differ?

The 2nd floor has booths running along the plate glass windows, giving a nice sense of openness. The 3rd floor is centered on private rooms with doors and group seating, suiting quiet get-togethers or gatherings.

Can you park at Sangkai Bangi Branch?

Parking space in front of the building is limited, so you'll need to use the Songpa-gu Office public parking lot or a paid lot in the Bangi-dong alley. It's also an easy 8-minute walk from Mongchontoseong Station Exit 3 by public transit.

What does the mille-feuille nabe at Sangkai taste like?

Sangkai Bangi Branch's mille-feuille nabe (₩23,000) is a clear hot pot with cabbage and beef layered tightly and simmered. The broth is clean with no oiliness, and the cabbage's sweetness and beef's aroma deepen the longer it simmers.

Is the raw salmon sashimi at Sangkai too rich?

Sangkai Bangi Branch's raw salmon sashimi (₩35,000) is thick-cut with a rich, nutty fat flavor, but there's no fishy taste.

Are the portions at Sangkai enough for two?

We ordered the raw salmon sashimi and mille-feuille nabe with one bottle each of Terra and soju, totaling ₩69,500. It was plenty for two people drinking together, and the mille-feuille nabe made it hearty enough to double as a meal.

Are there any discounts or perks at Sangkai?

Writing a Naver receipt review with the phrase "Bangi-dong bar" or "Bangi-dong izakaya" gets you a free pineapple sherbet or highball. You can also download a Kiss Me Highball coupon or a drink coupon via Naver Coupons.

Would I go back to Sangkai Bangi Branch?

Yes — I liked the izakaya vibe, the private space, and the friendly service, so I plan to go back. Next time I'm thinking of trying the signature raw shrimp sashimi and assorted handmade tempura.

Final thoughts on Sangkai Bangi Branch

Being able to enjoy the raw salmon sashimi and mille-feuille nabe together was plenty for two people to drink over. The 2nd floor window seats felt open, and the 3rd floor's private setup suited a date or a quiet drink well.

The staff were also friendly, so overall it was a comfortable experience. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a good-vibe Bangi-dong bar, a Bangi-dong izakaya, or a quiet Jamsil room bar within the Bangi-dong restaurant alley.