Purple ube makgeolli bubble show at Bidangusul, a Busan pocha bar

What kind of bar is Bidangusul Seomyeon?

Bidangusul Seomyeon is a Korean-style pocha (street-food-style) dining bar located on the 1st floor of 40 Dongcheon-ro 85beon-gil, Busanjin-gu, Busan. The space blends Korean tradition with a modern feel, and the interior has a distinctive look that adds contemporary touches to hanbok-inspired design.

• A unique Korean pocha where tradition meets modern style
• A generous yukhoe (beef tartare) platter to enjoy fully
• Gusul ube makgeolli with an eye-catching purple color
• A special performance where a bubble forms and dissolves like smoke
• Visually striking menu items great for photos and video
• A great pairing of yukhoe and makgeolli
• A varied spread of side dishes — boiled meats, jeon (pan-fried dishes), soups, stir-fries, fried food
• A wide range of traditional liquors and makgeolli to choose from
• Distinctive interior mixing hanbok elements with modern touches
• A great spot for dates, get-togethers with friends, or drinks in Seomyeon

Purple gusul ube makgeolli and a hearty yukhoe platter at Bidangusul

When you go out for a drink, a place that adds visual fun on top of just good food and drinks tends to stick in your memory longer.

This time, I got to try a slightly special menu — the gusul ube makgeolli and the yukhoe hansang (beef tartare platter).

The generous full-table spread looked great, but what really impressed me was the striking purple color of the ube makgeolli. It looked completely different from ordinary makgeolli, so it caught my eye the moment it hit the table.

How is the gusul ube makgeolli served?

The drink we ordered together was the gusul ube makgeolli.

It comes out in a large bowl filled with purple makgeolli and ice, and the soft purple color was really mysterious and pretty. It looked totally different from the white makgeolli you'd normally picture, so it made for great photos too.

It's poured into small glasses one at a time, so it was easy to share with friends.

But the real fun of the gusul ube makgeolli didn't stop there.

The bubble performance made at your table

Using a machine, the staff member showed us a performance where they made a round bubble on top of the ube makgeolli.

The round bubble held its shape for a moment before popping, releasing white smoke that drifted apart like a cloud — the whole thing happened in an instant and it was really fascinating.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of device makes it happen, but watching the process unfold right in front of us was fun in itself.

Especially with the white smoke spreading over the purple ube makgeolli, it created such a mystical mood that I couldn't help but pick up my camera.

It wasn't just about ordering and drinking — being able to enjoy the visual fun alongside it was memorable.

It'd be a great order for a date or a get-together with friends, since everyone can watch together and it lifts the mood.

The yukhoe platter that filled the whole table

For a side dish, we ordered the yukhoe hansang (beef tartare platter).

True to its name, it came out as a genuinely full table spread, so it felt generous from the moment it arrived.

The yukhoe sitting generously in the center caught my eye first. It was laid out long over a bamboo mat, topped with sesame seeds and chopped green onion, so it looked really appetizing.

Next to the yukhoe were accompaniments like sliced pear, seaweed, egg yolk, and wasabi to pair with it.

Yukhoe is great on its own, but being able to mix and match according to your taste meant even ordering just one dish gave us a variety of ways to enjoy it.

I especially liked being able to switch it up bite by bite — pairing it with crunchy pear one time, seaweed the next.

Not just yukhoe: what a full hansang spread includes

True to the name yukhoe hansang, it wasn't a spread of just yukhoe on its own.

From a hot soup to tofu with a spicy side, a rice dish, seasoned vegetables, and crunchy snacks and fries, a whole range of food was laid out at once.

So I liked that you could enjoy a variety of flavors from one platter without needing to order side dishes separately.

Sometimes while drinking you crave a hot soup, and other times you want something salty and crunchy.

Whenever that happened, I could just pick what I wanted right off the table, so it was easy to keep enjoying the meal without getting bored.

A hot soup comes with the platter

I especially liked that there was doenjang sul-bap (soybean paste rice soup) served in a big earthenware pot.

After eating something cold like yukhoe, taking a warm spoonful of soup in between paired really well.

There was a generous amount of tofu in it too, with visible ingredients that made the whole platter feel more substantial.

It was great to alternate — a bite of yukhoe, a sip of makgeolli, then a spoonful of hot soup.

Fresh fruit to finish the meal

Personally, I loved that fruit came included with the platter.

The colors looked really pretty in photos too — orange, pineapple, green grapes and cherry tomatoes were all arranged nicely on one plate.

After all the drinks and side dishes, your palate can start to feel a bit heavy, and having a piece of refreshing fruit was a nice way to clean the palate.

From start to finish, it felt like the platter was designed to let you pick and choose whatever you wanted.

Is Bidangusul Seomyeon good for a group?

The gusul ube makgeolli and yukhoe hansang I tried this time were a particularly good pairing when ordered together.

With yukhoe at the center and a hot soup, tofu, rice, light snacks and fries, and fruit all laid out, the table itself became incredibly full.

On top of that, having the strikingly purple gusul ube makgeolli on the table made it visually special as well.

In particular, the bubble performance the staff member showed us, with the smoke spreading like a cloud, was one of the standout moments from this visit.

Good food and drinks are great, but adding a little extra fun like this made the whole experience feel much more special.

If you love yukhoe, or if you prefer trying a little bit of many different side dishes rather than just one, the yukhoe hansang would suit you well.

If you're looking for a good spot to have drinks with friends, or want something a bit special for a date, the combo of gusul ube makgeolli and yukhoe hansang is worth trying.