Aged kimchi and flounder platter at Sangkai, a Songpa izakaya

Enjoying Sangkai Izakaya, a bar in the Bangi-dong food alley! On the second day of a 2-night-3-day Seoul trip with my boyfriend, we checked into the Seoul Olympic Parktel and planned to ride the Hangang River cruise in Jamsil that evening. Before boarding, we headed to the Bangi-dong food alley to fill up and have a light drink. Among the countless bars in Bangi-dong's food alley, we picked Sangkai Bangi Branch, a spot with a wide range of sashimi and specialty dishes!

Where is Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch, and what are the hours?

Sangkai Bangi Branch is about a 5-6 minute walk from exits 8 and 10 of Jamsil Station, and about a 5-6 minute walk from exit 3 of Mongchontoseong Station. Sitting between the two stations, it's easy to reach by public transport, and it's close to Seokchon Lake and Olympic Park too, making it a great date spot.

Sangkai sits on the 2nd floor of the Bangi-dong food alley. The big sign on the exterior made it easy to spot.

• Daily 16:00 - 05:00
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Sangkai, located in the Bangi-dong food alley

Second-floor window seats with the windows wide open

The day I visited, we sat by the window overlooking the Bangi-dong food alley. The windows were wide open, letting in a refreshingly cool breeze. Drinking with my boyfriend while looking out over the Bangi-dong street from the second-floor window meant none of that stuffy indoor feeling — even better. With the cool breeze blowing through, it was exactly the atmosphere for a light drink while traveling.

Side dishes and tablet ordering at Sangkai

Right after ordering, Sangkai's basic side dish came out first — a tangy mix of chewy webfoot octopus with crisp cucumber and pickled radish. The refreshing flavor whetted our appetite and made a nice little bite to pick at while waiting for the main dishes.

Each table had a tablet set up, so we could take our time browsing the menu and prices before ordering right away. With sashimi, tataki, soups, fried dishes, hot plate dishes, skewers, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), salads and more, there was plenty of fun in choosing what to order.

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What comes on the 49,000 won flounder and aged kimchi platter?

Soon after, a big plate arrived, loaded with flounder sashimi, aged kimchi, rice, seaweed, radish sprouts, monkfish liver, beef brisket, mushrooms and sauce — the flounder and aged kimchi platter. We ordered just one dish, but it came with sashimi, meat and sides all together, so the spread was much more generous than expected.

Ankimo (monkfish liver), the foie gras of the sea

The orange-hued ingredient sitting in the center of the flounder and aged kimchi platter is ankimo (monkfish liver)! Ankimo has a soft, thick texture with a rich, savory flavor. It's known as 'the foie gras of the sea' for its intense taste. Ankimo pairs really well with flounder sashimi!

Beef brisket and mushrooms on the platter

The beef brisket had just the right amount of fat, moist and tender, and eating it together with the chewy mushrooms brought out a great savory flavor.

How to eat the flounder sashimi with aged kimchi

The flounder sashimi had a subtle sheen with a clean, chewy texture. It's clean enough dipped in soy sauce alone, but pairing it with well-fermented aged kimchi made it even better.

I put rice on a sheet of seaweed, then layered on flounder sashimi, aged kimchi, and radish sprouts, and tried it all in one bite. With the rice added in, it worked not just as a drinking snack but as a filling dinner. Since the ingredients were served separately, my boyfriend and I had fun wrapping our own favorite combinations.

Sweet and savoury chicken neck skewers, 2 pcs for 6,900 won

Along with the flounder and aged kimchi platter, we added an order of chicken neck meat skewers, 2pcs. Big chunks of chicken neck meat were generously skewered, and the glossy, sweet-and-salty sauce looked delicious right away. Eating them with the cabbage and mayonnaise on the side added a crisp, savory touch.

Sangkai as a date stop on day two in Seoul

The plan was to check into the Seoul Olympic Parktel, then enjoy dinner and drinks at Sangkai before heading off to ride the Hangang River cruise in Jamsil. Resting a bit at the hotel, then moving to the Bangi-dong food alley for good food and soju before catching the Han River night view — it made for a perfect date course on day two of our Seoul trip. Eating by the second-floor window gave it that outdoor-drinking-tent atmosphere too! If you're looking for a bar in the Bangi-dong food alley, Sangkai, a Bangi-dong izakaya, is the one.

From flounder sashimi to ankimo and beef brisket, we enjoyed a generous spread at this Bangi-dong izakaya, and the breezy second-floor window seat made it a great spot for a date.