Bar in Seolleung, Gangnam: dried pollack and tteokbokki at 88 Nogari

After a first round in Seolleung, I wasn't ready to go home, so my coworker and I wondered where to go for a second round and ended up at 88 Nogari Seolleung Main Branch (88노가리 선릉본점), which seemed like a good place for something light.

Where is 88 Nogari Seolleung Main Branch, and what are the hours?

88 Nogari Seolleung Main Branch is on the second floor above a convenience store, in the food alley by Seolleung Station Exit 1. It's open Sun–Thu 17:00–02:00 (last order 01:00) and Fri–Sat 17:00–03:00 (last order 02:00).

It's right in the food alley, so it's easy to reach and perfectly placed for a second round.

It's right above the convenience store!!!

What's the atmosphere like at 88 Nogari Seolleung?

Maybe because the weather's been so nice lately, 88 Nogari had its doors wide open, and the moment you walk in you get a street-stall (yajang) feel. Even though you're indoors, a breeze drifts in, and with the lively pocha (Korean pub) buzz on top, the atmosphere was really great.

It was a bit chilly that day, but the atmosphere put me in an even better mood. Street-stall vibes are the best!!!

Is 88 Nogari good for company dinners or group gatherings?

The inside is bigger than I expected and the tables are nicely spaced, so I think it would work fine for a company dinner or group get-together. There were all sorts of groups while I was there, from coworkers to friends.

How does kiosk ordering work, and what are the prices?

At 88 Nogari you order at a kiosk and fetch your own drinks and water. The nice part is that snack prices are cheap overall, so you can order several dishes without worrying. Love it!!!

There's also a separate snack-counter area, like a little school store, where you can grab extra snacks, cup ramen and even ice cream, which I thought was neat.

What we ordered at 88 Nogari Seolleung Main Branch

We said we'd keep it light since it was a second round, and still ended up ordering the dried filefish + 88 tteokbokki set and two Kelly draft beers. Love it!!!

• Dried filefish + 88 tteokbokki set
• 2 Kelly draft beers
• Complimentary snack: chicken drumstick-shaped snacks

The complimentary snack is chicken drumstick-shaped crackers, and they're sneakily addictive. I kept reaching for them.

How are the dried pollack (meoktae) and Kelly draft beer?

The dried filefish (mukttae) here was honestly perfect as a second-round snack.

It's crispy and nutty and not chewy at all, the kind you keep grabbing like chips. Good!!!

Dipped in the soy-mayo sauce, the salty, nutty flavor really pops, and with beer it's insanely good.

The Kelly draft beer was really cold too, and with the filefish the drinks just kept going down smoothly.

So delicious!!!

Is the 88 tteokbokki spicy?

I expected the 88 tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) to be spicy, but it was surprisingly sweet, like the tteokbokki you get outside a school. I was surprised by how big the portion looked, too. It's not a side dish, it's practically a main.

The rice cakes are wheat-based, so they're chewy, and the sauce soaks in deeply, which keeps you eating. It has perilla leaves in it that give off a subtle aroma, and that's the real kicker!

The fish cakes are thin and soft, nice with the rice cakes, and there are quail eggs in there too, so it's fun to find them as you eat.

I want to eat it again 😭😭😭

Song requests and 1,500 won snack-counter ice cream

You can request songs at 88 Nogari too. Write your request on the paper at each table, hand it in, and they'll play it. That added to the mood and I loved it.

I crunched through an ice cream from the snack counter too. ₩1,500 each!!!

Is 88 Nogari a good second-round bar in Seolleung, Gangnam?

88 Nogari is a great place to drop in for a light second round when you're looking for a good-value pub in Seolleung. With the doors open in this kind of weather, it has a proper street-stall feel and a really nice atmosphere.

I had such a fun, happy time having a relaxed drink with my coworker after a long while. If you're looking for a second-round pub in Seolleung, I recommend 88 Nogari.