Songpa izakaya for sea bass ceviche and wine: Ichigo

Today, I wanted to enjoy a glass of wine and delicious Japanese food somewhere with a lovely atmosphere, so I visited Ichigo (이치고), a great spot in Jamsilsaenae. It has a range of menus that reinterpret classic Japanese cuisine in a modern way, plus an atmosphere that works beautifully with wine—so it would suit a Jamsil date or a blind date, too.

It sits between Sports Complex Station and Jamsilsaenae Station, so it is also conveniently located for anyone looking for a good restaurant near Sports Complex Station! From Jamsil Station, bus 3411 takes about 10–15 minutes. There were lots of unusual dishes rather than the standard izakaya lineup, so I was excited.

Ichigo Chef’s Special Menu

• Summer corn tartlet
• Squid tartare (summer menu)
• Sea bass ceviche with truffle sauce
• Tamamiso, shiromiae
• Negitoro maki

I found this place while looking for a good Jamsil restaurant, since it is located between Sports Complex Station and Jamsilsaenae Station. I saw lots of positive reviews before visiting, so I went myself and decided to leave an honest review.

One bottle of corkage is free from Monday through Thursday.

At the basement of Lotte Department Store in Jamsil, I was able to pick up a ₩60,000 bottle of wine for ₩40,000 on sale. The wine we had was Gigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc. It had delicate fruit notes like peach and apricot. It felt fresh rather than overly heavy or sweet, making it a nice wine to pair with Japanese dishes.

What does the corn tartlet taste like?

Corn tartlet, 2 pieces: ₩10,000

A bite-sized starter with corn, whiteleg shrimp, ricotta, and dill. The corn popped in the mouth, its gentle sweetness blending with soft, nutty ricotta, while the dill left a fresh finish. It was a lovely light way to start the meal.

The truffle sea bass ceviche was the best dish

Sea bass ceviche with truffle sauce: ₩28,000

This ceviche was truly delicious. The ingredients themselves were good, of course, but the combination of sauce and accompaniments felt particularly well put together. You eat the nicely thick sea bass with orange, ricotta cheese, pistachios, and more. The sea bass is springy and mild, then the orange pops in for a bright start, and the soft ricotta wraps the flavors together once more.

Then there were little crunchy, nutty bits (?) along with fragrant dill and delicate truffle notes, so the flavor seemed to keep changing in every bite! The aburugado scattered throughout was fun, too. It looks like caviar, but it is not actual caviar; it is a caviar substitute made by smoking and processing herring roe. Its popping texture and savory saltiness went wonderfully with the mild sea bass.

This was the best dish I ate that day. I completely understood why people so enthusiastically recommend ordering ceviche at Ichigo. Even more essential if you are drinking wine~!

The nutty pairing of tamamiso and shiromiae

Tamamiso, shiromiae: ₩18,000

Isn’t this menu a little unfamiliar? It is made with delicious ingredients to begin with, but I wondered whether the white miso would be salty. While the ceviche beforehand was bright and refreshing, this dish had a softer, nuttier flavor. It had a distinct appeal completely different from the earlier dish. My dining companion said it was just as good as the ceviche, haha.

The sauce especially seemed to cling to the seafood, so it was even better to scoop everything up together and wrap it in gim (roasted seaweed). Personally, I think eating the ceviche after this dish leaves your palate feeling clean.

Fried squid with paprika sauce

Fried squid with tartar sauce

The next dish was fried squid. It is crisp-fried squid served with paprika sauce, and the squid inside still had a nice chewy texture. Unlike fried squid simply dipped in soy sauce or salt, the paprika sauce added extra flavor and made it more unusual than I expected. Ask for more paprika sauce if you run out 🤗

With the crisp batter and soft, slightly sweet sauce, it was the kind of flavor that kept me reaching back in. The earlier dishes were mild and delicate, while this was a savory dish that was nice to eat here and there in between.

Negitoro maki generously packed with tuna

Negitoro maki: ₩26,000

And the negitoro maki was personally another dish I really loved! It is tuna and chopped scallion rolled up in gim. Can you see how generously packed it is with tuna rather than scallion? No skimping here. The tuna melted softly in the mouth as soon as I took a bite. 👍 👍

Ichigo’s atmosphere for dates and gatherings

When I actually visited, the guests were wonderfully varied: couples on dates, groups of friends, company dinners, anniversaries, and more! What stood out was how many tables of men there were. You might expect an izakaya with this kind of atmosphere to have mostly couples, but plenty of groups of men came, too. Isn’t it unusual for groups of men to come to a place like this?! 😂 That alone made it feel clear that this is an izakaya known for genuinely good food.

The atmosphere was great as well, so I think it would work not only for dates but also for gatherings with friends or company dinners.

Overall, every menu item felt carefully considered, and I loved being able to enjoy Japanese food in a different way. Of everything I ate that day, the sea bass ceviche and negitoro maki were especially delicious, and I was even more satisfied having them with wine.

If you are looking for a good restaurant in Jamsilsaenae or Jamsil, I recommend Ichigo for a slightly different take on Japanese food and wine. 🤗