Charcoal yakitori and cream cheese raisins at Yakitori Iyu, Mapo bar

Yakitori Iyu for a second round in Hongdae

After dinner with a friend, we wondered where to go for a second round, then decided to have drinks with skewers and headed to Yakitori Iyu. I have been to plenty of skewer places in Hongdae, but I was curious because this one grills them directly over charcoal.

A calm izakaya atmosphere in an alley

Yakitori Iyu is tucked into an alley. The soft glow of its sign caught my eye. You can see the care put into even the details around the entrance. It is set slightly away from Hongdae's usual bustle, so the place felt calm.

A framed piece hanging inside. Even the name makes it clear this is a yakitori specialist. Once inside, it had that full-on Japanese izakaya vibe. The lighting was warm, and the space was roomy enough that it did not feel cramped.

Up half a flight of stairs are counter seats where you can look outside while eating. On a nice day, it would be lovely to sit here, watch people go by, and have a drink. The table seating is also spaced comfortably. The layout makes it easy to sit across from a friend and chat, so it looked like a decent Hongdae date spot too.

There were coat hangers, which made it easy to put away outerwear.

What we ordered

• Five-skewer platter ₩17,800
• Niku nabe ₩22,000
• Cream cheese raisins ₩8,000
• Alcoholic drinks

If you order soju, you can choose your own glass. It was fun picking a favorite from the different designs, and that alone put me in a good mood. First, a refreshing Asahi.

And then soju too.

Five charcoal-grilled skewers full of smoky flavor

That day, we ordered the five-skewer platter: chicken wing, chicken neck, knee cartilage, chicken heart, and pork belly. The platter changes from day to day. Being able to try different cuts every visit is another fun point.

It came with three sauces: Cheongyang chili pepper pesto, salt, and shichimi (Japanese seven-spice blend). The skewers were already seasoned well enough to eat on their own, but dipping them according to your taste brought out different flavors. The Cheongyang chili pesto was sharp and spicy, while the shichimi added a gentle fragrance, so alternating between them kept things interesting.

Because they were grilled directly over charcoal, they were packed with smoky flavor. The clear char marks on the surface felt like exactly what makes yakitori so appealing. The meat was tender too, so it was easy to chew. The knee cartilage in particular had a fun crunchy texture, and the chicken hearts were springy without any off smell. Nothing beats this with beer!! For a Hongdae skewer place, this quality was definitely satisfying.

Niku nabe generously filled with pork jowl

After the skewers came the niku nabe, a Japanese-style hot pot made with pork jowl.

The broth was clear, yet deeply savory.

There was plenty of pork jowl, and its fat gave it a definite rich, nutty flavor. Still, since we ate it right after filling up on skewers, it did feel a little heavy. It might be better to switch the order and eat the nabe first, or have a refreshing sip of alcohol between bites.

I also liked that it was set over a candle, so we could eat it warm to the very end.

The most memorable dish: cream cheese raisins

For dessert, we ordered the cream cheese raisins. They make it in-house by combining several cheeses with honey, raisins, and raspberries. You spread it on crackers, and the cream cheese's softness comes together with the sweetness of honey and the chewiness of raisins. It was sweet but not cloying, with a savory depth that kept me reaching for more. It was the most memorable thing I ate that day.

By the way, there are two types of counter seats here. One is the seat I mentioned earlier that looks outside, while the other lets you watch the staff grill skewers right in front of you. Waiting while watching the skewers cook over charcoal is fun too.

Menu information

A good place for drinks with skewers in Hongdae

Yakitori Iyu stood out for its skewer platter full of charcoal smoke. It was perfect for a casual drink after the first round, making it a good Hongdae second-round spot, and the three sauces made choosing how to eat each bite fun. The cream cheese raisins were an unexpected discovery. If you are looking for a Hongdae izakaya or bar, this is worth visiting at least once. It is great for drinking while having a quiet conversation, so it would be a nice addition to a Hongdae restaurant list.