Izakaya for two in Sadang, Seoul: grilled mentaiko biscuits at Hiku

My friend and I had a dinner plan for the first time in a while, and while trying to figure out where to grab a drink, I ended up at Hiku near Sadang Station. Sadang is where subway lines 2 and 4 meet, so it's convenient to meet up from different areas, and there are plenty of spots good for both a meal and drinks afterward. This time, instead of somewhere loud and busy, I was looking for a good Sadang Station izakaya restaurant where we could actually eat well while having a relaxed drink, and that's how I ended up here.

Where is Hiku and when is it open? 209m from Sadang Station Exit 10

Hiku is located at 49 Dongjakdae-ro 7-gil, 1st floor, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It's about 209m from Sadang Station Exit 10, so it was easy to get to by subway.

It's open daily from 5pm to 2am the next day, so it looks great for anything from dinner to a late-night drinking session. It seemed like a solid spot whether you're having a casual drink with a friend, meeting up after work, or looking for a Sadang Station date spot.

• 📍 Name: Hiku
• 📍 Address: 49 Dongjakdae-ro 7-gil, 1st floor, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 📍 Transit: About 209m from Sadang Station Exit 10
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 17:00 – 2:00 the next day

Hiku's menu, from hanwoo beef tartare to raw salmon sashimi

Right at the entrance, big menu photos catch your eye, and the hanwoo (Korean beef) tartare and raw salmon sashimi really stood out. Looking at the actual menu, besides tartare and sashimi there was also a wide range of dishes that go well with drinks — hot pot, jjamppong hot pot (spicy seafood noodle soup base), fish cake stew, beef brisket stir-fried udon, karaage, french fries, corn pancake, and more.

There was everything from light dishes for two people to stews meant for sharing among a larger group, so it seemed easy to pick and choose depending on the number of people or drinking preferences. That day, we ordered a plate of hanwoo two-horn beef tartare, a plate of grilled mentaiko & biscuits, one draft Asahi beer, and a bottle of Saero soju.

Hanwoo two-horn beef tartare with radish sprouts, perilla leaves and purple sweet potato chips

The dish I was most looking forward to that day was, of course, the hanwoo two-horn beef tartare.

It came out on a large plate with a generous portion of tartare, piled high with radish sprouts in the middle, so it looked quite appetizing just from the visual. The tartare wasn't served alone either — it came with various sides like onion, perilla leaves, chili peppers, and cucumber, so I liked being able to mix and match according to taste.

I tried a bite of just the tartare first, then switched things up by adding perilla leaves or onion, and changing the combination like that kept it from getting monotonous even after finishing a whole plate. Wasabi and sauce were also served alongside, so I could add as much as I wanted.

With a dish like tartare where one flavor can go on and on, having purple sweet potato chips and fragrant perilla leaves paired with it made for a great drinking snack. It was also a dish that suited slowly picking at while chatting with a friend.

If you're looking for a Sadang Station izakaya restaurant and you like beef tartare, this is a dish worth keeping an eye on.

Grilled mentaiko & biscuits: salted pollock roe with cucumber

The second dish we ordered was the grilled mentaiko (salted pollock roe) & biscuits.

At first I was curious what kind of combination mentaiko and biscuits would make, but when the plate arrived, it had grilled mentaiko, cucumber, and biscuits all together on one plate. Mayonnaise, wasabi, and chili peppers were also prepared to go with it.

The salty mentaiko is a good drinking snack on its own, but eating it with the crunchy biscuits completely changed the texture. Adding cool, crisp cucumber in between cleansed the palate, making me reach for the mentaiko again.

It was also fun being able to enjoy it in different combinations — putting a bit of mentaiko on a biscuit with mayonnaise, or eating cucumber and mentaiko together. It's a dish good for picking at little by little while chatting over one plate with a friend, so it would also suit a Sadang Station bar date.

Draft Asahi first, then a bottle of Saero soju

With tartare and mentaiko ordered, drinks couldn't be left out.

I first ordered a draft Asahi beer. A cold draft beer really does suit being the first drink. After a bite of tartare and a sip of cold beer, the mood of the dinner get-together with my friend naturally loosened up.

After that, we added a bottle of Saero and drank slowly, using the tartare and grilled mentaiko as side dishes. If it's a day when beer alone feels lacking but going straight to soju feels like too much, starting with draft beer and moving on to soju is a good combination.

The drinks menu also had a wide range of choices beyond soju and beer — Seoul-ui-bam, Hwayo, highballs, and more — so you can pick according to the food.

Why Hiku works well for two people

This time I visited for a dinner get-together with just one friend, and personally, I think Hiku's strength is a menu lineup that lets you enjoy a proper meal and drinks together in one place.

There are light dishes good for a casual drink like tartare or sashimi, as well as hot pots, fish cake stew, and jjamppong hot pot, plus familiar bar snacks like karaage and french fries — so the menu range seemed wide enough for people with different tastes to visit together.

Above all, it's within easy walking distance from Sadang Station, so it was convenient to set as a meeting place. Since it's open until late, it seemed good for anything from an early dinner-and-drinks first round to a slightly later drinking session.

Chatting with my friend over good side dishes, time flew by before I knew it.

If you're near Sadang Station looking for hanwoo beef tartare with a cold draft beer, or a snack that goes well with soju, this place is worth adding to your list. Ordering something simple to share like beef tartare alongside something to pick at slowly like grilled mentaiko made for a good combination for two.

Whether it's a dinner get-together with a friend, a Sadang Station date, a drink after work, or you're looking for a nice-atmosphere bar in Sadang, give this place a try.

Drink in moderation...