Sindang izakaya lunch: garlic soy vs gochujang eel bowl, Bada Yakbang

I've started working in Sindang-dong lately, so I've been tracking down new places to eat one by one. That's how I found Bada Yakbang (바다약방)! I always thought of it as an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) for good food with drinks at night, but it also sells lunch specials, so this time I went for lunch. 😊

Bada Yakbang Sindang Branch: location and hours

Bada Yakbang Sindang Branch is at 23 Dasan-ro 40-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, 1st floor, Unit 101, about a 3–5 minute walk from Sindang Station Exit 6. It's open daily 11:30–23:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 22:00.

• Parking: the shop's own parking is hard to use, so I'd recommend a nearby public car park.
• Reservations and groups: reservations are possible, and there's a room at the back, so it works well for gatherings too.
• Hours and menu can change. Please check before you visit whether the lunch specials are still offered and at what price.

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

Bada Yakbang is an izakaya with a clear concept and a hip vibe. I spotted it while walking around Sindang-dong. A lot of distinctive restaurants seem to be opening here lately, and this felt like one of them.

Inside, it stretches back longer than I expected, so it's surprisingly spacious with plenty of seats! At the very back there are restrooms and a room, so it wouldn't be a bad spot for a company dinner. It also looked fine for bigger groups or when you want a slightly more private space to eat.

Maybe because we went in the daytime, quite a lot of light came in at the front of the shop, so we took seats up front where it was brighter. There were also T-shirts hanging on one side! They seemed to be Bada Yakbang shirts, and the design was prettier than I expected, so I kind of wanted one haha.

Looking further in, the kitchen was partly hidden, while the area where the sashimi is prepared is an open bar. I was impressed that you can watch the fish being cut right at the cutting board line. As a specialist in aged sashimi, it's fun to see not just the food but the space where it's made.

Bada Yakbang lunch special menu and prices

The lunch specials were the freshwater eel bowl at ₩29,000, the mixed aged sashimi set at ₩20,000, the premium mixed aged sashimi set at ₩25,000, and Chuyangok chueotang (loach soup) at ₩12,000. It's an izakaya great for aged sashimi and drinks in the evening, but it has a separate lunch menu too!

• Freshwater eel bowl lunch special ₩29,000 — garlic soy or gochujang (chili paste) flavor
• Mixed aged sashimi set lunch special ₩20,000
• Premium mixed aged sashimi set lunch special ₩25,000
• Chuyangok chueotang (loach soup) lunch special ₩12,000

For the eel bowl you can pick whichever of the two sauces suits you, and the sashimi set comes in a regular and a premium version. There's also the chueotang, so it's a good option if you want a hearty Korean meal. I'd like to come back for the chueotang next time haha.

Roulette draw receipt review event

Bada Yakbang was running an event where you write a receipt review and get a prize from a roulette draw. Receipt review events can feel like a bit of a chore, right? But it doesn't end with just writing the review; there's the fun of wondering what prize you'll get, so I felt like joining in haha. Small events like this add to the fun of a visit.

Freshwater eel bowl: how do garlic soy and gochujang differ?

For the Bada Yakbang freshwater eel bowl (₩29,000), my two companions ordered one garlic soy and one gochujang. And finally the dish we'd been waiting for arrived! The table was full, and it was more generous than I expected, which I loved.

There was a lot more eel than I expected, and afterward both of them said they felt properly full! They were happy, saying it gave them energy, as you'd expect from a place called Bada Yakbang ("sea pharmacy") haha. I was curious too, so I tried a little of both flavors, and each had its own charm.

The garlic soy was familiar but with an appealing savory depth, while the gochujang version had a richer, spicier flavor. Above all, the eel was thick and chewy, and really tasty. I could barely smell that typical eel odor, so it was easy to eat. I think an eel bowl is all about how the sauce and eel work together, and comparing the two flavors was fun. Eating eel at lunch felt like a real energy refill. 😆

What comes in the ₩20,000 mixed aged sashimi set?

The Bada Yakbang mixed aged sashimi set (₩20,000) is a lunch menu with several kinds of aged sashimi, thickly cut, two pieces or one piece of each depending on the type. This is what I ordered. Eating raw fish at lunch felt a little odd at first, but when it arrived, everything from the side dishes to the amount of sashimi was just right. Maybe because it's aged, the color looked great too, and it looked delicious from the first glance haha.

It isn't just a plate of sashimi on its own; rice, seaweed soup and side dishes come with it, so it works well as a full meal. I especially liked that the rice is sushi rice, which goes well with sashimi. Putting a piece of fish on it and eating them together worked nicely. The seaweed soup and side dishes were tasty too, which surprised me a little. Not just the sashimi but everything on the table felt neatly prepared.

Now the sashimi mukbang (eating show) begins! Picking one piece at a time and comparing the taste and texture of each kind was a lot of fun. Some were chewy and some soft, so even one plate gave plenty of variety. As an izakaya whose main thing is aged sashimi, it was a satisfying lunch special. If you like sashimi, having it as a set meal at lunch like this is a good idea.

Overall verdict on Bada Yakbang's lunch specials

I'd only thought of Bada Yakbang in Sindang-dong as a place for aged sashimi with drinks at night, but going for the lunch special showed it's a good place for a hearty meal too. The eel bowl had plenty of eel and a choice of two sauces, and the mixed aged sashimi set was appealing because you get to taste a variety of fish at once.

The atmosphere is hip and there's a room at the back, so it made me interested in it not just for lunch but for evening gatherings too. The one downside: since I went at lunch, I couldn't have it with a drink? haha. Aged sashimi with a glass of something would be a different charm, so I definitely want to visit in the evening next time!

If you're looking for a lunch special in Sindang-dong, or a nice izakaya there, give Bada Yakbang a look. I'd like to try the dinner menu next time. 😊