Hongdae sashimi bar for a soju night with friends: Eosa Chulto

I met up with friends in Hongdae for a drink after work, and for some reason I wasn't in the mood for meat — I was craving raw fish with soju instead. A piece of sashimi, a shot of soju, and finishing with hot spicy fish stew sounded perfect, so I headed to Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch.

To cut to the chase, we really drank that night haha. We kept ordering one bottle after another while eating the sashimi, and by the end it was 8 bottles of soju total... It had been a while since I properly drank with friends, and since the food kept coming, the drinks just kept flowing right along with it.

Where is Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch, and what is the room like?

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is a Hongdae raw fish restaurant located at 8 Donggyo-ro 27-gil, Hoseong Building 1F, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's an easy walk from Hongik University Station, which made it convenient to go drinking without needing a car. Especially on a night like this when we were planning to really drink, having a Hongdae raw fish restaurant you can walk to from the station is definitely convenient haha.

There's a fish tank out front, and once you step inside, it has the comfortable vibe of a typical raw fish restaurant, good for having a drink. There are tables too, so it's fine for visiting with friends, and it seemed like it would work well as a Hongdae get-together spot for groups wanting sashimi and drinks.

Check the Naver coupons before you go

Be sure to check the Naver coupons before you go

If you're planning to visit Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch, be sure to check the Naver coupons before heading over. When I checked, there were more benefits available than I expected — a free bottle of soju, complimentary seafood ramen, meal-related coupons, and more. Especially if you're going for sashimi and soju like we were, the free bottle of soju coupon is really something you shouldn't miss haha.

We ended up drinking 8 bottles of soju that night on top of the sashimi and spicy fish stew, so grabbing these coupons beforehand can help you enjoy it a little more affordably. The coupon types and conditions may change, so I'd recommend checking the Naver page for Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch for currently available coupons before you visit ♥

What is on the menu at Eosa Chulto?

Looking at the menu at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch, there was quite a variety — from flounder and rockfish sashimi to seasonal assorted sashimi and various seafood dishes. Besides sashimi, there are meal-and-drinking dishes like spicy fish stew and seafood ramen, making it a decent lineup for filling up while drinking as a first stop of the night.

Instead of adding a bunch of other menu items, we went with the course of eating sashimi and then finishing properly with spicy fish stew. Honestly, when you're drinking soju with sashimi, that combo alone is enough haha.

Thick-cut sashimi with a glass of soju

The sashimi we'd been waiting for arrived, and we ordered soju right away. The fish was sliced thick, so when I picked up a piece, I could really feel the chewy texture — it's delicious on its own, but of course even more delicious with soju. Sometimes I dipped it lightly in soy sauce, sometimes I topped it with ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) and garlic, mixing it up according to mood so it never got boring.

When sashimi is cut too thin, you can eat several pieces and still feel unsatisfied, but here each piece had real substance to it, which I loved. At first I thought I'd only have a few light drinks, but between one piece of sashimi and one shot of soju, then another piece and another shot... at some point the empty bottles just kept piling up haha.

In the end, we drank 8 bottles of soju that night. What's scary about sashimi as a drinking snack is that it doesn't really fill you up too much, but your hand keeps reaching for more, and the soju keeps flowing right along with it. So if you're looking for a Hongdae raw fish restaurant and drinking spot to really have a proper drink with friends, this kind of place is exactly right.

Finishing with spicy fish stew (maeuntang)

After eating a good amount of sashimi, we finished off with hot spicy fish stew (maeuntang). Personally, I feel like at a raw fish restaurant, the sashimi matters, but the final spicy fish stew has to be good for the meal to feel truly complete. After eating cold sashimi for a while, taking a sip of the bubbling, boiling stew broth felt like it reset my whole palate.

With the spicy, hot broth, there was also the fun of picking apart the fish meat, and even though we'd already had quite a bit to drink, once the stew arrived I found myself wanting more soju again haha. This is why you can never skip the spicy fish stew when you go out for sashimi... If the sashimi handled the first half of the soju, the spicy fish stew basically handled almost the entire second half. In the end, even with the stew in front of us, we kept refilling our glasses and chatting with friends until we neatly wrapped up at 8 bottles of soju.

Who will enjoy Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch?

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is great for a light drink with sashimi in Hongdae, but it also worked really well for a night like ours when we wanted to properly go all out with friends. Especially if you love the sashimi → soju → spicy fish stew → soju again cycle, this is a combination you'll be satisfied with haha.

If you're looking for a great raw fish spot in Hongdae, a Hongdae raw fish restaurant and drinking spot, or a get-together place for restaurants in Hongdae Seoul near Hongik University Station, Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is worth a visit. That night I thoroughly enjoyed the sashimi and spicy fish stew and properly drank my way through 8 bottles of soju haha. Next time I'm craving sashimi and drinks in Hongdae, I'd love to come back here with friends again ♥