Pangyo Station bar for after-work mentaiko pasta and scallops: Bacha

This is a review of Bacha, a Pangyo Station spot with great food to go with your drinks, good for company dinners, dates, or a casual drink with friends.

Some days after work you just crave a cold beer. 🍺 This time I went looking for a bar near Pangyo Station and ended up at Bacha Pangyo Branch (바차 판교점), which has a reputation for a nice atmosphere and tasty snacks. The food quality was better than I expected, and I ended up working harder on the food than on the drinks.

Bacha Pangyo Branch location, hours and parking

• Address: 151 Bundangnaegok-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam (Unit 101)
• Hours: daily 17:30 to 02:00 the next day
• Groups welcome
• Reservations available via Catch Table
• Parking available (₩4,000 for the first hour, ₩4,000 per additional hour)
• 1 hour of parking covered per ₩50,000 spent in the restaurant

A Pangyo Station bar for after-work drinks: book ahead

I booked through Catch Table to match my finishing time and headed to Bacha Pangyo Branch. When I arrived there were only about two tables of customers, so I figured it would be relaxed, but before long it was almost full. You can tell right away that plenty of people already come here as their Pangyo Station bar. So if you're planning to visit, I really recommend reserving.

What impressed me most was that the reserved table had a little sign with my name on it. It was a small touch, but it made me feel looked after and put me in a good mood from the start.

Black and blue interior with a bar-like feel

The space isn't huge, but it has a good mix of tables for two and for four.

The black and blue interior gives it a stylish bar feel, and the soft lighting makes it a really nice place for a drink.

The door was closed because it was so hot out, but I heard that in the seasons when it's thrown wide open, you also get a pocha (Korean street-tent pub) vibe. It's good for company dinners and a comfortable atmosphere for a date, too.

Bacha Pangyo Branch menu and what we ordered

The menu turned out to be way more varied than I expected.

• Seafood jjim, delivered fresh from source (signature dish)
• Sous vide pork jowl suyuk (boiled sliced pork)
• Onion boneless fried chicken
• Spicy seafood tteokjjim (braised rice cakes)
• Thick mentaiko (spicy pollock roe) cream pasta
• Hotteok (sweet filled pancake) ice cream
• A wide range of drinks, highballs and more

The signature dish is Bacha's seafood jjim, packed with fresh seafood and clams. But it was so hot that day that I skipped the broth and ordered lighter snacks instead.

• Mentaiko bacon cream pasta (₩22,000)
• Sous vide pork jowl suyuk with seasoned chives (₩27,000)
• Grilled scallop (₩11,000)
• Cream draft beer, 2 glasses (₩9,000)

Complimentary snack that calls for beer

You order on the tablet at each table, and pretzels came out first as the complimentary snack. It's a snack I often eat at home with beer, and the saltiness pairs really well with it, of course. The drinks started flowing right from the free snack.

Mentaiko bacon cream pasta, ₩22,000

The first dish to arrive was the mentaiko bacon cream pasta. The cream sauce looked so generous that I was excited before even taking a bite.

There was more bacon than I expected, plus plenty of mushrooms, so it works as a proper meal too. Best of all, the sauce was so generous that soaking the noodles in it was really good.

I was so happy with it that if they served it at lunch, I'd probably come often. The portion is quite big, so it's enough for two to share.

Sous vide pork jowl suyuk with seasoned chives, ₩27,000

Maybe because the pork jowl is cooked sous vide, it was really tender and moist. It keeps the rich, nutty fattiness but isn't greasy at all, so it never felt heavy.

It was tasty just dipped lightly in salt, and I also piled on plenty of wasabi. It wasn't as harsh as I expected and went really well with the pork.

The seasoned chives served alongside are tangy with a little kick, and they cut the richness cleanly. One slice of pork, one bite of chives: you have to try this combo.

Big grilled scallop, ₩11,000

I wanted some seafood too, so I ordered the scallop, and I was surprised at how big it was. It's big enough that splitting it into about 4 pieces is just right, and if you love scallops, I'd also suggest cutting it in half for a big bite.

Dipped in chojang (sweet and tangy chili vinegar sauce), the scallop's clean, sweet flavor really comes through. The bouncy texture as you chew was great.

Cream draft beer: the perfect match

The cream draft beer I ordered with it was satisfying too. The soft cream foam on top of the cold beer made it go down much more smoothly. It went well with the cream pasta, and with the pork jowl and scallop too, so the drinks just kept flowing naturally. Every snack was good quality, so the whole time spent drinking was really fun and happy.

A Pangyo Station spot for great food, recommended for company dinners

Bacha Pangyo Branch isn't just a place for drinking; the food was satisfying too. From the reservation service to the friendly service, the nice interior and the high-quality snacks, I was happy with the whole experience.

• When you crave a cold beer after work
• When you're looking for a date spot with atmosphere
• When you're stuck choosing a place for a company dinner
• When you want a bar with tasty snacks

I'd confidently recommend it to anyone like that. Next time I'll definitely try the signature seafood jjim too. I saw it at the next table and it looked like something you really shouldn't skip. If you're looking for a bar near Pangyo Station, I don't think you'll regret visiting Bacha Pangyo Branch, with its good atmosphere and food.