Izakaya nabe and okonomiyaki with soju-beer at Mullae's Akai Teppan

Ugh, I'm exhausted... lately every time I meet friends I'm running around announcing my wedding news. This is Hanisa.

A while back I decided to grab drinks again with a friend who works in Mullae-dong... so it was back to Mullae after a long while.

I happened to be craving monjayaki or okonomiyaki, and after going back and forth with Jojo Mullae branch, I ended up heading to Akai Teppan.

Location and parking for Akai Teppan near Mullae Station

There's no parking lot, so you'll need to use nearby roadside parking or a public lot. Mullae-dong is full of these hidden alley spots, and right next to Golmokjip (골목집) I got a whiff of something delicious and showed up starving.

The menu: okonomiyaki and yakisoba specialists

They specialize in okonomiyaki and yakisoba, but I also spotted whole grilled squid on the menu, and the nabe hot pots looked delicious too. Anyway, we were there for soju-beer, so...

Karai nabe — a spicy meat broth loaded with beef brisket

We ordered the karai nabe. It's packed with beef brisket in a spicy meat broth, kind of gave me Deungchon kalguksu vibes but delicious in its own way. We met at 7pm and I was so surprised the place was already packed — blind dates and all — and it was still just a Tuesday night...

Okonomiyaki — texture like a really good rolled omelet

First up, the okonomiyaki! It really feels like eating a fantastic rolled egg omelet. Loaded with meat, bean sprouts, and cabbage — it's been a while since I had okonomiyaki, and this one was genuinely delicious.

But funny thing is, this is an okonomiyaki place and the nabe is genuinely great too... it's a bit spicy, and pairs perfectly with okonomiyaki and beer.

How do I describe the okonomiyaki... anyway, it tastes similar to what I had in Tokyo, and the sauce has this oddly familiar note — my favorite Japanese cup noodle is UFO yakisoba, and somehow that sauce flavor is mixed in here too. Perfect side dish for a second round of drinks!

This time too, we fell down a three-mile rabbit hole of dating and marriage talk and ended up drunk and collapsed.

Is it a good blind date spot?

The table right next to us was clearly on a blind date... so it might be a blind-date hotspot too. And drinking beer here, the lighting is so good I'd just go straight for the second date.

Eating it all up neatly with my chubby little hands...

Enjoying hangover cure and getting drunk at the same time... ugh, it's rough.

I haven't even had my bridal shower yet, but I keep meeting people to announce my wedding news, collapsing exhausted for the Nth time at the Nth bridal shower — but hey, the okonomiyaki was so good, and that's a fact.

What to order next time

Ah, such a delicious and happy place. It's been a while since I enjoyed okonomiyaki this much — next time I'll come back for the yakisoba. No chain branches either, so it's a perfect spot for a blind date!

Writing this is making me want it again...

I want it again... ah, good thing I got my pre-Tokyo okonomiyaki tour in early!