Hannam-dong izakaya for a wedding invitation dinner: OSA Hannam

OSA Hannam for a wedding invitation meetup in Hannam-dong

OSA Hannam (오사 한남) is a Japanese izakaya (Japanese-style pub) in an alley in Hannam-dong, at 61-1 Hannam-daero 20-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. I was wondering where to hold my wedding invitation meetup, and ended up going to OSA Hannam because I'd heard the mood was great and the food was good.

A lot of places in Hannam-dong are really just for drinking, but here the food quality is good too, so it works for a wedding invitation meetup, a date or an anniversary get-together..💗

OSA Hannam atmosphere and seating

It's tucked in a Hannam-dong alley so it feels a little hidden, but the exterior is clean and upscale, and you think, this must be the place..! Inside it's a black-toned interior with soft lighting, so it feels calm rather than noisy.

The tables are spaced fairly wide, which was good for talking, and it was no problem to sit for a long time, like at a wedding invitation meetup. Oh, of course, it seemed like there's a 2-hour limit when there's a wait..!

Anyway, just from the exterior you can tell it's a hot spot..

OSA Hannam menu

Looking at the menu, there was a real variety: sashimi, sushi, robatayaki (charcoal grill), meals, tempura and simmered dishes. Sashimi lovers will be happy, meat lovers have options, and the meal dishes are pretty solid too, so it's good for a drink or for coming just to eat!

Overall it felt less like a typical izakaya and more like a slightly upscale dining place..?! So the range of menu choices was very, very wide.

Grilled flounder with salted uni, ₩54,000

This was a new menu item at OSA Hannam, and it looked so pretty from the start. And of course it tasted so, so good too ㅠㅠ Thinly sliced flounder comes with uni, pickled cucumber and aged kimchi..?! some kind of pickle, plus seaweed and rice, so you wrap it yourself.

The flounder was really chewy yet light, and the richness of the uni made the flavor pop ㅠㅠㅠㅠ If you go, please order this…!!! It's a little pricey, but the taste is worth it!!!!

Anyway, you put uni, aged kimchi and a salt and sesame oil sauce on the seaweed and eat it like gimbap (seaweed rice roll). The textures are so varied and so delicious that I kept reaching for more. The combination worked far better than I expected.

Uni and sweet shrimp perilla oil soba, ₩39,000

Personally the most memorable dish of the day. I don't normally like the smell of perilla oil, but this was delicious.. haha. The perilla oil aroma comes up gently without being overpowering, and blends well with the savory soy-sauce base.

It's topped with uni, sweet shrimp, grated yam and tempura crumbs, so you mix everything well before eating. First you get the nuttiness of the perilla oil, then the sweetness of the shrimp, then the rich flavor of the uni. The buckwheat noodles were springy with a great texture, and the shredded scallions were kind of the kicker..?! It isn't greasy, so I kept eating.

I don't usually like buckwheat noodles either, so it's amazing that I liked it.. not a soba fan.. not a perilla oil fan.. not a uni fan.. basically none of these were my thing, yet it was delicious!!

When they served it they also told us to mix it really well, so I mixed in the wasabi and radish thoroughly too!!

Iberico pork neck miso-yaki, ₩36,000

We also ordered one meat dish and it was satisfying too. Thick-cut Iberico pork neck comes out grilled and juicy, on a bed of a creamy potato sauce with a soft, mashed potato kind of texture.

The miso seasoning made it salty and savory, and the meat stayed juicy. A little wasabi on top made it much cleaner to eat, and eating it with the side salad balanced it nicely..🥹🙏🏻

Chicken nanban, ₩28,000

We ordered this at the end because something still felt missing!! The portion was bigger than I expected: crispy fried chicken generously topped with tartar sauce, and the sauce wasn't heavy but had a tangy edge, so I never got tired of it.

The batter isn't thick and the chicken was moist, so it's good drinking food, and eating it with the salad that came alongside kept it fresh.

OSA Hannam for a wedding invitation meetup or a blind date?

Once night fell, the brunch-café-like interior became so, so pretty!!!! The mood is really great, so it's perfect for a blind date too, and both floors, up to the 2nd, were completely full with no empty seats. Maybe I was the only one who didn't know..! It seemed like one of those famous spots.

Anyway, I came for the atmosphere but the food quality was better than expected. Sashimi, meat and meals were all well made, so if you go with several people you can order a bit of everything and share, and it should suit occasions where you want a good mood too, like a wedding invitation meetup, a blind date or a date.

If you're looking for a place in Hannam-dong with both good food and good atmosphere, it's worth a visit. I especially recommend ordering the uni and sweet shrimp perilla oil soba and the flounder salt gimbap 💗