Mapo Korean bar for seafood fish cake soup: Jeongju Ilga

Whenever I went to Mangridan-gil, I kept thinking, I really have to try this place!! I finally visited Jeongju Ilga (정주일가), a Korean bar I’d had my eye on—and the drinking snacks were delicious!

Jeongju Ilga in a Mangridan-gil alley

1F, 66 Poeun-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul · In a Mangridan-gil alley · No parking support

Outside the bar

It’s about a 10-minute walk from Mangwon Station, tucked into a Mangridan-gil alley. The moody lighting and stylish exterior suit Mangwon-dong so well, and it was always bustling whenever I passed by. That’s why I’d bookmarked it for a future visit!

An interior made for quiet conversation

There are tables for two and four, plus open-air outdoor-style seats. With its warm lights and dim mood, it isn’t a loud, chaotic bar—it’s such a nice place to have a quiet little chat over drinks! Korean-style items are dotted around the space, so it also feels a bit like a modern jumak (traditional Korean tavern), haha. There were even things resembling grandma-style vests hanging on the walls.

We sat by the open window so we could enjoy the cool autumn weather.

Traditional alcohol and Korean drinking snacks

As you’d expect from a Korean bar, the traditional alcohol selection is seriously varied! There were lots of makgeolli (Korean rice wine) I’d never seen before, plus Boksoondoga, which I love!! (Though I didn’t order it..) If you come as a group of three or four, or want to drink with a meal, the full-table set menus look like a good choice too.

The menu is packed: bossam (boiled pork wraps), assorted jeon (Korean savory pancakes), yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), squid and minari salad, golbaengi salad, hot pots, fish cake soup, jjageuli (spicy Korean stew), alcohol-steamed dishes, dubu kimchi, stir-fried bean sprouts, and more. It would be great for a first round with dinner and drinks, or for a second or third round with jeon, yukhoe, salads, or soup as drinking snacks!

Before the food arrived, they gave us eopo, dried fish jerky, as a complimentary snack. As an eopo lover, I liked it so much that I got three refills!! If eopo had been on the menu, I honestly would have ordered a whole basket of it, haha.

Dubu kimchi with Cheongsong apple makgeolli

Dubu kimchi ₩18,000 & Cheongsong apple makgeolli. There were so many tempting makgeolli options, so we ordered dubu kimchi with apple makgeolli, which I was trying for the first time.

The tofu came in big pieces, and the stir-fried kimchi and meat had generous chunks of meat too. It was sooo good eaten as a trio of meat, tofu, and kimchi, topped with seasoned chives!! The Cheongsong apple makgeolli was refreshing, smooth going down, and not at all heavy or murky. Dangerously easy to drink!!

Seafood-loaded fish cake soup

Seafood fish cake soup ₩21,000. After finishing the dubu kimchi as our first round, we craved something brothy and ordered this seafood fish cake soup! I didn’t get a photo, but they also sell Hallasan soju, so we had the classic fish cake soup and soju pairing for our second-round snack. I got drunk way too quickly, then realized it was 21% ABV... Hallasan is only available at 21%, so be careful haha.

The bubbling fish cake soup was packed with squid, blue crab, clams, shrimp, and more. As expected, all that seafood made the flavor richer, and it was absolutely perfect with soju.

The seafood in the soup was fresh, and the blue crab had lots of meat, so it was even more generous than I expected. I sipped the broth and headed home pleasantly tipsy from the effects of that 21% Hallasan, hahaha.

On the way out, I noticed other guests were ordering lots of jeon. It looked like the pancakes were served so you could keep them warm over a small candle, so next time I absolutely have to try one! If you’re looking for a bar in Mangwon with delicious drinking snacks, or you love Korean bars, definitely give it a visit!!