Mokdong Station izakaya: cream beer and grilled mero, Anju Gongbang

Where is Anju Gongbang Mokdong Station Main Branch, and what are the hours and parking?

Anju Gongbang Mokdong Station Main Branch (안주공방 목동역본점) is at 1F, 100 Sinjeongjungang-ro, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, within a 5-minute walk of Mokdong Station. It's open daily from 17:00 to 02:00 the next day. For parking, use the public street parking in front of the shop, which is free after 19:00. Corkage is available for a fee.

On a weekend evening I went on a date to Anju Gongbang, a great spot near Mokdong Station! 🤍 It's really close to the station, so access was perfect, and here's a tip: the public street parking right in front of the shop is free after 7 p.m.!! If you're coming by car, keep that in mind and park easily, then enjoy yourself, hehe.

Anju Gongbang is famous around Mokdong Station as a real-deal izakaya (Japanese-style pub) full of Japanese vibes, and even though we arrived late, around 10 p.m., the place was bustling with customers!!

What's on the Anju Gongbang menu?

The Anju Gongbang menu covers a wide range of izakaya anju (food to go with drinks), from tataki and salmon sashimi to hot pots, soups and pasta. There were just so many good things on it!

• Tataki
• Salmon sashimi
• Cheese potato jeon (pancake)
• Truffle yukhoe (Korean beef tartare)
• Clams steamed in sake
• Hanwoo motsunabe (Korean beef offal hot pot)
• Mara jjamppong soup (spicy seafood noodle-style soup)
• Odeng-tang (fish cake soup)
• Beef brisket steamed in a cypress box
• Grilled meroe (Chilean sea bass)
• Yakisoba (fried noodles)
• Assorted cream and rosé pastas

It's like they gathered every dish I wanted to see at an izakaya, hehe.

There are also set menus bundling signature dishes, like the tataki set and the salmon sashimi set, so you don't have to agonize over choices and it looks like great value!!

If you're visiting, I recommend using Naver reservations!! On Naver Place you can get coupons for the signature cucumber barley-doenjang (soybean paste), birthday seaweed pasta, octopus sausage and extra pasta noodles, which is a total bargain!! 🤍

What we ordered at Anju Gongbang and the prices

At Anju Gongbang Mokdong Station Main Branch, the two of us had grilled meroe, beef tataki and yakisoba as the mains, with highball and draft beer. Here's what we ordered.

• Grilled meroe - ₩28,000
• Beef tataki - ₩21,000
• Saeksaek Highball - ₩7,000
• Zero Pepsi - ₩2,000
• Yakisoba - ₩16,000
• Cream draft beer - ₩5,000

Grilled meroe, beef tataki and yakisoba as mains, plus highball and draft beer, order done, hehe. They say the beer machine is washed every day, and since the cream draft beer is the signature, I was curious!!

Is Anju Gongbang's cream draft beer really that smooth?

Anju Gongbang's signature cream draft beer (₩5,000) was creamy and smooth enough to surprise even people who don't enjoy beer. This beer's look is something you can't skip when talking about Anju Gongbang!! 🤍 I watched a staff member pour the signature cream draft beer right next to us, and the foam was already a showstopper just to look at, ugh.

The creaminess is insane!! Honestly, I don't usually drink beer because of that bitter beer taste, you know? But Anju Gongbang's cream draft beer was hands down the smoothest, creamiest beer I've ever had, and I was shocked, hahaha. It goes down so smoothly that it felt less like beer and more like drinking fresh cream?! 🤍

If you're a light drinker, try the Saeksaek Highball

Anju Gongbang's Saeksaek Highball (₩7,000) is a strong recommendation for anyone who doesn't drink much or wants something light!! It has a refreshing, tangy base with a faint sweetness, so good that it barely feels like alcohol, hehe.

Even people who don't like the smell of alcohol should be able to enjoy the Saeksaek Highball!!

How do the beef tataki, grilled meroe and yakisoba taste?

Of the three main dishes at Anju Gongbang, the beef tataki was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the grilled meroe had a firm texture and a great sauce, and the yakisoba had a salty-savory depth that stood out. The mains were finally set on the table, and they looked insane!! As expected, Anju Gongbang is the izakaya to visit near Mokdong Station... 🤍

Beef tataki (₩21,000)

The first thing I tried was the beef tataki, and I was amazed at how tender the meat was; it melted the moment it hit my mouth! No wonder it's the signature. It's so good you can't help saying "insanely delicious"!!

Grilled meroe (₩28,000)

The grilled meroe had really firm, chewy flesh, so it was properly satisfying to bite into. The sauce served with it was crazy good, and with every bite I thought, this isn't just a drinking place, it's somewhere you come for the food, hahaha. I fully acknowledge it as a top izakaya near Mokdong Station, hehe.

Yakisoba (₩16,000)

The yakisoba came out last, and my boyfriend raved that it was the best yakisoba he'd ever had!! The salty-savory flavor clung to every bite, and paired with that smooth cream beer from earlier it was amazing 🤍 Magic anju that makes the drinks slide right down, hehe.

If you're looking for a Mokdong date spot or a great izakaya in Mokdong, I totally recommend Anju Gongbang 🤍