Euljiro 3-ga pub for a Cass vs Red Rock draft tasting: Eulsam Hof

What is Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch like?

Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch is a draft beer pub carrying on the heritage of Eulsam Golbaengi (Eulsam whelk restaurant), which started in Euljiro in 1962, and it's newly opened in Euljiro 3-ga. I was hunting for a good Euljiro 3-ga pub, had already finished a first round with a friend, and was craving a draft beer, so we came here for round two.

For the record, this day I really did just race through beer with no snacks at all, haha. But honestly, it felt like it made me enjoy Eulsam Hof even more?? We tried a bit of everything!

What's the atmosphere at Eulsam Hof?

Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch isn't an elegant tasting room, it's a loud, lively Euljiro hof (Korean-style pub). There are tables and a bar area, so solo drinkers, groups and pairs or trios are all mixed together, with two or three people being the most common.

Whoa. So many people.. It's not a tasting room where you gracefully savor the aroma of beer, everybody's just loud, lol. People keep talking, beer keeps coming out, and well, this is the taste of Euljiro.

Pompom, Sulsul, Tok Tok and Tak Tak pours: what's the difference?

At Eulsam Hof the same beer is poured in different ways, and each pour changes the ratio of foam to carbonation, so the texture going down and the first impression differ. It's fun to find out a glass of draft beer isn't just a glass of draft beer.

• Pompom beer: the glass is filled almost entirely with foam
• Sulsul beer: the coarse foam is skimmed off, leaving dense foam so the beer and foam are balanced
• Tok Tok beer: poured so beer and foam mix quickly, maximizing the fizzy feel
• Tak Tak beer: just beer to the brim, no foam

You can choose any of these pours with either Cass or Red Rock. So if you go with a friend, you can order the same beer in different pours and compare, which is quite a lot of fun.

A note about QR ordering at Eulsam Hof

Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch uses a QR code at each table, so you can order right away. Though, oddly, at my seat the camera kept recognizing the code and the menu kept disappearing when I tried to tap, which gave me some trouble.

First glass: how do Cass Sulsul and Eulsam Hof taste?

We started with a Cass Sulsul and an Eulsam Hof. The glasses clearly aren't big, so it's easy to try several styles without getting full.

The Cass Sulsul has dense foam on top and cool, light beer underneath, so Cass's crisp, clean, light taste hits you quite lightly and quickly.

Eulsam Hof was the one my friend and I both went "wooow" over. The barley aroma, wow.. it doesn't just end as plain beer, a nutty malt flavor stays quite clearly, and it isn't heavy. If you like lagers but want a beer with richer flavor too, definitely order this. It was really good.

How were the Red Rock Pompom and Lemon Hof?

For the second round we ordered the Red Rock Pompom and Lemon Hof I'd been so curious about. I wondered whether the Pompom might be like Czech mlíko beer (milk-style, foam-heavy pour), since the pouring method seemed very similar, so I ordered it.

Wow haha. All I could see was foam. It's like a glass of beer packed full of beer cloud. A lesson for you: take one quick photo and drink the Pompom as soon as it arrives, lol. Blogger's fate, I snapped away because it looked pretty, and by the time I drank it.. that pretty first-sip taste was gone.

The Red Rock Pompom's foam felt a bit rougher than I expected rather than silky smooth, though that may be because I didn't drink it right away while taking photos. Next time I'll try a Pompom with Cass, which is lighter.

And the Lemon Hof.. any woman will absolutely love this taste. Very tasty. Nothing more to say.

Cass Sulsul vs Red Rock Sulsul: what's the difference?

Eulsam Hof's Red Rock Sulsul is clearly different from the Cass Sulsul. If Cass Sulsul is a "ahh, refreshing" kind of beer, Red Rock's distinctive flavor lets you taste more of the bitter hops.

Personally I liked the Red Rock Sulsul a bit more than Cass! Even up to here we'd been running along with no snacks at all, haha. Can't help it. It was so fascinating that the taste changes depending on the foam.

Why the signature Eulsam Hof keeps coming to mind

But then we ordered Eulsam Hof and Lemon Hof once more.

I mean.. Eulsam Hof just keeps coming to mind. It keeps going down. I wish they had a bigger glass, lol.

The Lemon Hof is refreshing, like a mid-session reset. Not that we were at the midpoint. It's also sweet, and tasted a bit stronger than the first Lemon Hof, and wasn't there fruit pulp visible earlier too?

Can you go without snacks?

When the two of us were drinking only beer like crazy at Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch, they gave us peanuts partway through, and they were tasty, haha. There are also plenty of light snacks and they're good value, so if your mouth gets restless, order some.

For the very, very last glass, my friend and I both had an Eulsam Hof. We drank it at the start, in the middle, and in the end we both ordered Eulsam Hof again. Personally, my friend and I thought Eulsam Hof was the best. Tastes differ, of course! But there's probably a reason it's the signature, right? Haha.

Is Eulsam Hof a good second-round pub in Euljiro 3-ga?

If you're looking for a second-round pub in Euljiro 3-ga, Eulsam Hof Euljiro Main Branch is just right, and I strongly recommend it for a second or third round rather than the first. From the outside it has an old-style sign, but the beer side feels quite modern.

It's the same draft beer, but with Pompom, Sulsul, Tok Tok and Tak Tak pours made into menu items, you get to decide whether you want fizz or foam, haha. Comparing preferences is quite fun. If you're fairly full but looking for a pub in Euljiro 3-ga, go here. It's fun because you can play around with the beer itself as you drink it.