Yeouido izakaya alcohol-free couple dinner set: Robadayakki Sodam

Lately I've been really into the atmosphere and food of izakayas, so my husband and I have been going out to dinner at them often. I love that even without drinking alcohol, you can enjoy a wide range of dishes in one place — skewers, sashimi, warm soups. Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch was another spot where we could properly enjoy Yeouido izakaya Japanese food and still leave full. We visited on a weekday evening, and from the moment we walked in, the warm lighting and wood interior made it a really nice atmosphere for dinner.

Where is Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch? 5 minutes from Saetgang Station

The closest subway station to Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch is Saetgang Station. Walking out of Exit 1 or 2, you can get there in under 5 minutes. I took Line 5 that day and walked slowly from Yeouido Station, which is about a 10-minute walk away too, so it seemed like a good spot for nearby office workers to stop by after work, or for anyone running errands in Yeouido to drop in for dinner. Since there are so many companies in the area, it seemed convenient for weekday dinners or after-work gatherings.

Robatayaki atmosphere: watching the skewers grill from the counter

Walking in, the first thing that caught my eye was the open-style counter seating. You can watch the skewers and other dishes being grilled and prepared right in front of you, which gave the whole space a lively feeling. Watching the skewers cook one by one on the grill, plus the ingredients laid out at the counter, gave it a different feel from a typical bar.

The inner tables were divided by wooden partitions like in the photo, which I liked because it gave some separation from the next table. The lighting was soft and everything was in wood tones, so it was comfortable for the two of us to eat quietly, and it let us enjoy that Yeouido izakaya Japanese-food atmosphere too.

Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch at a glance

• Location: within 5 minutes on foot from Saetgang Station Exits 1 and 2
• Accessibility: about 10 minutes on foot from Yeouido Station too
• Seating: counter seats and partitioned table seats
• Atmosphere: warm wood-toned Japanese izakaya
• Menu: sashimi, mixed skewers, odeng nabe, and other Japanese dishes
• Set menus: options that work well for two people or larger groups

What comes in the 67,000 won hungry set for two

We were both starving, so we ordered Set 5, the hungry set for two. Looking at the menu board in the photo, it was a 67,000 won set that comes with a small sashimi platter, mixed skewers, and odeng nabe. I liked that we didn't have to order each dish separately — we got cold sashimi, skewers full of smoky char, and a warm soup all in one go.

Before the main dishes came out, a fried egg sizzling on a hot plate arrived first. The yolk was left slightly soft and not fully cooked, while the edges were nicely browned and crisp on the hot plate — a nice light bite while waiting for the rest of the meal.

Small sashimi platter: salmon, octopus and white fish

The sashimi came out beautifully arranged on one plate with salmon, octopus, and white fish. The slices were thick, so each bite had real texture.

The white fish was clean-tasting with a chewy texture, while the salmon had a rich, soft, savory flavor.

The octopus was also cut nice and thick rather than thin, so it had a springy texture with each chew, which I really liked. Dabbing a little wasabi on and dipping it in soy sauce made for a clean bite.

Mixed skewers: shrimp, pork, ginkgo nuts and mushroom

What had the biggest presence on the table was the long platter piled high with mixed skewers. There was a good variety — shrimp, meat, ginkgo nuts, mushroom — so it was fun picking through them one by one. The shrimp in particular was grilled golden with the shell still on, giving it a savory crunch and smoky grilled flavor with every bite, and the meat skewers were also browned nicely on the outside with a subtle smokiness.

Vegetable skewers like ginkgo nut and mushroom were mixed in between, so it was much more varied than just eating meat the whole time.

If you're looking for Yeouido izakaya Japanese food and want to try several kinds of skewers at once, ordering the mixed platter seems like a good idea.

Odeng nabe and the cheese odeng inside it

The odeng nabe (fish cake hot pot) came out in a big pot generously filled with fish cake skewers. With crown daisy greens and red chili on top, it really looked like a warm soup dish. The broth was great to sip on between other dishes, and pulling out the skewers one at a time, the portion turned out more filling than expected.

What stood out most was the cheese-filled fish cake. Biting into it, the savory cheese inside added a whole different flavor from a regular fish cake.

Eating sashimi, then taking a sip of warm broth, then going back to a skewer, then pulling out another piece of fish cake — the combination of dishes really worked well together.

Does Robadayakki Sodam work as a dinner without alcohol?

We didn't go for a second round that night and just had a relaxed dinner at Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch. If we'd only had sashimi and skewers it might have felt a bit lacking, but with the warm odeng nabe included too, it ended up being more filling than I expected for one meal.

For people who drink, this would be a great spread to order as drinking snacks, but for us, eating it food-first without any alcohol didn't feel awkward at all. Since it's within walking distance of both Saetgang Station and Yeouido Station, it seems like an easy stop to fit into a date or an after-work dinner plan in the area.

Is the hungry set for two enough food for two people?

At first I wondered if it would be too much for two people, but eating slowly through each dish, we got to try a good variety of everything, so I was glad we went with the set. By the time we finished, we were happily full — a satisfying dinner for both my husband and me :)

Overall, being able to enjoy such different dishes at once — sashimi, smoky skewers, and warm odeng nabe — made for a very satisfying meal. That said, true to its name, the hungry set for two is a fairly hearty portion for two people, so if you don't usually eat much, it's worth checking the set composition before ordering. If you're looking for a place that's more than just a good-vibes bar, one where you can actually enjoy the food properly, or a Yeouido izakaya Japanese-food spot you can enjoy without drinking, Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch is a solid choice.