Sinyongsan date bar with sea urchin and yukhoe: Yukhoegwan Black

My husband and I hadn't had a highball in a nice atmosphere together in a while, so we headed to Sinyongsan for a date.

Instead of just eating meat, we wanted something that paired well with drinks, so we picked a set that comes with both Korean beef tartare and uni (sea urchin). It turned out to be way more filling than expected — we finished full without ordering anything else! Even the basic side dishes were delicious. Here's our writeup of Yukhoegwan Black Sinyongsan.

Inside Yukhoegwan Black Sinyongsan: private rooms and hall seats

Yukhoegwan Black Sinyongsan (육회관블랙 신용산점) is a Korean-style drinking spot on the 3rd floor of a building at 13 Hangang-daero 40-gil. The moment we walked in, the atmosphere was comfortable but still had a nice vibe.

My husband and I went as a couple, and it wasn't loud or chaotic, so it was easy to talk while eating. There are also private rooms, separated for privacy, so it seemed like a great choice if you want to eat quietly.

As soon as we sat down, we ordered the uni set, the tartare, and highballs. They went really well with clean, light dishes like tartare and uni. So if you're looking for a place in Sinyongsan for a light drink with food, this kind of bar in Sinyongsan is a solid pick! The vibe is also good for a first date or setup, and with private rooms available, it would work well for a blind date too :)

The uni set: sea urchin on vinegared rice, wrapped in gamtae seaweed

Yukhoegwan Black's uni set comes with vinegared rice, which made it easy to enjoy. Rather than eating the uni on its own, piling it onto the rice and wrapping it in gim (dried seaweed) or gamtae (seaweed fulvescens) made for a really good combination!

The uni came plated in a way that was easy to eat, so my husband and I wrapped it up however we liked. It was tasty with a spoonful of seasoned herring roe, and also good drizzled with soy sauce. The uni's natural sweetness combined with the rice and seaweed made for a perfect single bite, and it paired really well with the highball.

If you love uni, I'd say it's worth trying it in different ways like this — with rice, gamtae, and gim — rather than eating it plain!

Korean beef tartare with pear, cheese and crackers — refills included

Yukhoegwan Black's Korean beef tartare didn't come out plain — it arrived with pear, cheese, and crackers, which made it fun to eat with different pairings. It had been a while since I properly enjoyed yukhoe in Yongsan. The table behind us even bragged to their friends about how good the tartare here really is.

The tartare was good with pear, and also good with cheese and crackers — it felt like a nice wine bar, and mixing and matching combinations was fun!

On top of that, the pear, cheese, and crackers were refillable, so if you run out while eating, you can just ask for more.

The free sides that steal the meal: beef seaweed soup and fusilli salad

Honestly, what impressed me most that day was, surprisingly, the basic side dishes at Yukhoegwan Black. I figured the beef seaweed soup and fusilli salad that came standard were just typical filler side dishes.

But once I tried them, both were so good I thought they could be sold as menu items on their own.

The beef seaweed soup especially had a broth so good I kept going back for more, and I even mixed the vinegared rice into it. The fusilli salad was as good as something from a dedicated salad shop! Between the uni and tartare set and the side dishes, the portions were just right for two people, and we finished the meal quite full!

At first we thought we'd just have a light snack with drinks, but the portions were more than enough, so we didn't need to add anything else! If you want to enjoy a highball in a nice atmosphere in Sinyongsan while having yukhoe or uni, this is a solid spot to visit with your husband or partner for a date.