Pangyo Station pub for crispy meoktae and spicy seafood gambas: Bacha

Bacha Pangyo Branch (바차 판교점) is a Korean pub (yori-jujeom, a place serving proper dishes as drinking snacks) near Pangyo Station. I had a dinner plan in Pangyo and was looking for somewhere to have a casual drink after work, so I stopped by. The snack menu is varied and they have everything from soju to draft beer, highballs and wine, so it looked fine for people with different tastes. We ordered the seafood red gambas and crispy mukbat, and drank draft beer and soju.

Location, hours and parking at Bacha Pangyo Branch

Bacha Pangyo Branch is at 151 Bundangnaegok-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi (Unit 101). It is open daily 17:00–02:00, with last order at 01:20. It's close to Pangyo Station, so it's an easy stop after work, and the route looked convenient for Pangyo office workers heading out for dinner or a company dinner (hoesik).

• Address: 151 Bundangnaegok-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Unit 101
• Hours: daily 17:00–02:00
• Last order: 01:20

You can park in the building's underground lot, but it's paid parking, so keep that in mind before you go.

What are the atmosphere and seating like?

The blue accents catch your eye from the outside, and inside it's dark and cozy, which suits an evening drink. The place isn't huge, but the tables didn't feel cramped, and it was a good spot for two of us to drink casually.

Seats can be pushed together so several people can sit together, so it looks like a good fit for a small company dinner or get-together near Pangyo Station. Guests kept coming in as time went on, so it seems already well known as a Pangyo Station bar.

Snack and drink menu at Bacha Pangyo Branch

The menu had more variety than I expected: Korean-style snacks, pasta, gambas, fried dishes, suyuk (boiled sliced pork) and more. Some go well with soju, others with draft beer, highballs or wine, so it looked fine for either a first or second round.

We were craving something spicy, so we ordered the seafood red gambas, and picked crispy mukbat as an easy snack to pick at.

What does the seafood red gambas taste like?

The seafood red gambas here uses a red, spicy sauce instead of the usual oil-based gambas, and it was spicy and salty enough to go really well with soju. It came out first, and it looked delicious from the start.

It has shrimp and other seafood, with the sauce served a little soupy, so it's good with bread. I assumed gambas would pair with draft beer, but it was spicy and salty, so it worked just as well as a soju snack.

The savoriness of the seafood and the spicy sauce kept me reaching for more, and it wasn't heavy to eat while drinking. If you want something a bit different from the usual Pangyo Station pub snacks, it's worth ordering.

Does the crispy mukbat go with draft beer?

As the name says, the mukbat (dried pollock) came out grilled crisp on the outside, and with cold draft beer it was a familiar, can't-go-wrong combo. I tore it into bite-size pieces and dipped it in the sauce: salty and nutty, really good.

It's easy to nibble between bites of the seafood red gambas, so the two dishes paired better than I expected. It isn't too heavy, so it would suit a second round after dinner or when you just want a bit more to drink.

Starting with draft beer, moving on to soju

We opened with cold draft beer, then ordered soju to go with the seafood red gambas. The glass came out properly chilled, perfect as a first drink after work, and it went well with the crispy mukbat.

You can have both draft beer and soju in one place, with a good range of snacks for each, so choosing the menu should be easy even with a bigger group.

Is it good for a Pangyo Station group dinner or get-together?

Bacha Pangyo Branch is close to Pangyo Station, with plenty of snack and drink choices, so it's a nice place to drop in after work. It isn't too loud or like a typical hof (Korean beer pub), so it also works for a date or a meetup with friends.

With a bigger group you could order a mix of Korean snacks, pasta and fried dishes to share, so it should suit a Pangyo Station company dinner. But the space isn't very large, so I'd recommend booking ahead on weeknight evenings or at busy times.

My honest wrap-up

The seafood red gambas was spicy and savory and worked well as a soju snack, and the crispy mukbat was an easy match for draft beer. If you're looking for a Pangyo bar near Pangyo Station that has both atmosphere and good snacks, it's worth a visit.

Bacha Pangyo Branch is an easy place to go after work with colleagues, or on a day you want dinner and drinks together near Pangyo Station.