Dongjak bar with tuna mayo egg rolls and daechang udon: Dosi Night

A tropical night with temperatures over 35°C. Staying home felt suffocating, but going out for a walk felt way too hot, so after a long while we decided to do a Seoul food date somewhere with the AC blasting.

Where is Dosi Night, and what are its hours?

Dosi Night is a bar at 15 Dongjak-daero 27da-gil, 1st floor, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, walkable from Isu Station. It's open daily from 17:00 to 2:00 the next day, and there's no parking.

Even the short walk from Isu Station had us sweating in this heat, but the great thing about this place is that you really can walk here, so the accessibility was awesome. (Even Sue-ssi, who sweats easily, made it here without breaking a sweat.) The sun never seems to set these days, but looking at the Dosi Night sign and menu board still gave off a romantic, somehow cool feeling haha. I also really loved that they cook everything themselves using seasonal ingredients.

Since it's the height of summer, there was no way we could sit outside, but in spring or fall it would probably be romantic to eat out there under real stars. When there's a wait, you can use your table for 2 hours 30 minutes. That's manageable to wait for (as long as it's not this hot...), and for those eating, 2 hours 30 minutes seems like enough time to eat and still head off for round two.

Star ceiling and bar seats: the mood at Dosi Night

Inside, Dosi Night has a nighttime vibe with a star-shaped ceiling and blasting AC. We finally stepped inside. The moment we walked in, Sue-ssi shouted, 'wow, it's so cool!' Even outside of summer, this would be a lovely atmosphere for drinks. Full of romance.

There's a bar table for solo or two-person guests, and since it's an emotional, mood-lit bar, there are also mirrors haha. We're a couple who barely takes photos anymore these days, but this would be a great Isu Station date spot for people who just went on a blind date or are in the early, blushing stage of dating. Of course, it might be even better for a night out with girlfriends haha. The big cityscape photo hung behind the tables also seemed like it would make the drinks go down smoothly. Ha-ssi loves nature but also really loves drinking while looking at a city night view.

The restroom is located outside the main space, and I was honestly surprised at how clean it was once I went. Even though it's an outdoor restroom, the toilet paper was thick, the floor and toilet were spotless, and there was even mouthwash haha. The perfect spot for an Isu Station date.

Nacho cheese starter and a free milk thistle shot

Dosi Night's basic side dish is nacho cheese. I love nacho cheese so much... I've rarely seen a place serve it as the free basic side, so I dug in eagerly. The table setting was also super clean. Who lays down a tissue under your utensils at a bar? Haha. In keeping with the 'city night' concept, each table has a moon-shaped lamp, which added a lot of atmosphere. With a vibe like this, it's a solid choice for an Isu Station date. Overall, a great Isu bar where you can enjoy a nice atmosphere without paying a fortune haha.

Another thing I loved about Dosi Night: they give out skewers or tomato marinated burrata as a review event prize! It's like they gathered up all my favorite things haha. On top of that, they're running a donation event where they donate based on their follower growth...! You can really tell the owner put a lot of thought into every part of the interior.

And something Sue-ssi, who was drinking, loved: they give everyone a milk thistle tablet. It's such a small thing, but it makes you actually take it haha. I looked it up and apparently you're not supposed to take it right before or after drinking — it's a liver tablet you take about 24 hours after drinking. Sue-ssi quickly pocketed it into her bag. (Couldn't you just... not drink? ^^)

Flipping through the menu, another example of the owner's sense of style: they also run a dessert event for birthdays and anniversaries. We said we should come back for an anniversary — a great spot for dessert lovers like us.

Dosi Night menu: the signature dish and summer specials

There's a separate menu page for Dosi Night's signature dishes, recommended pairings, and summer season specials. Just like it says at the entrance, the owner seems to change the menu depending on seasonal ingredients. I really wanted the sweet shrimp + uni, but Ha-ssi, who's pregnant, has to be extra careful, so we passed. And Dosi Night's signature oven-roasted jokbal — Sue-ssi wanted it so badly she must have said 'it's the signature here' about ten times before we even arrived, but Ha-ssi, who hasn't been able to eat jokbal since morning sickness, let it go in one ear and out the other...

And then the rest of Dosi Night's menu. There were so many dishes right up Ha-ssi's alley — daechang (beef intestine) hot pot, potato pancake, egg rolls, all things she loves. Since everything is cooked in-house, there are also plenty of unusual dishes you don't see at other bars, plus dessert-style side dishes. An Isu bar I'd love to come back to and try everything at.

There was also a wide variety of alcohol, and lots of highball options made by the owner, a bartender with 15 years of experience. Coming solo or as a pair and drinking highballs at the bar would also be a great atmosphere.

Smoky daechang stir-fried udon: a huge portion of beef intestine

What we ordered was the grilled daechang stir-fried udon, said to be Dosi Night's hit dish. Ha-ssi, who loves daechang hot pot, was seriously torn the whole way there haha. Daechang hot pot is everywhere, but daechang stir-fried udon is something I've almost never seen, and since it's supposedly their hit item, we gave it a shot!

And I'm so glad we ordered it. The crown daisy (ssukgat) mixed generously throughout smelled amazing, and there were plenty of vegetables like cabbage, chives, and mushrooms, but the best part was the sheer amount of daechang. Ha-ssi, who loves daechang and always feels like there's never enough, came away completely satisfied.

Udon, crown daisy, and daechang... the best combination. Why did I never think of making it like this? It's such a familiar yet new flavor that even now, writing this blog post, I'm still thinking about it.

One bite of udon with crown daisy, one bite with cabbage, we just kept picking at this and that haha.

Tuna mayo egg roll, packed with tuna mayo and seaweed

Next we tried Dosi Night's tuna mayo egg rolls. What a way to roll an egg roll — the bonito flakes and sauce on top were a perfect match. The egg roll was so heavy that just lifting one piece looked like a challenge.

Picking one up and looking inside, it was packed full of tuna mayo. And inside the tuna mayo there was also a ton of seaweed (gim), which paired perfectly with the bonito flakes and sauce. I've had plenty of egg rolls with pollack roe or cheese inside, but I was once again amazed at the owner's creativity — tuna and seaweed inside an egg roll turned out to be this delicious.

We ate so well again today that we were stuffed, but there was one more touching moment on the way out — the owner handed each of us a bag of gummies. Given out per person, presumably so we wouldn't fight over them haha. My favorite gummies, no less!! I popped one open on the way out, and since it's just the two of us at home, they're both mine anyway ^^. Such a delicious meal at this Isu restaurant, Dosi Night — we'll definitely come back for an anniversary.