Habokdae bar in Cheongju: kelp-aged sashimi course at Sinbakkase

Today I want to introduce Sinbakkase, a bar I loved in Hapokdae!

Sinbakkase Mon–Thu 5pm–11pm Fri–Sat 5pm–11pm Closed Sundays Parking available, private booking available

It's a place where you can enjoy omakase made with fresh ingredients, apparently. Getting to try so many dishes at once made me even more excited going in!

Where Sinbakkase is in Habokdae, and what the building looks like

Sinbakkase is a newly opened Japanese-style izakaya at 100 Jinjae-ro, 2nd floor, Unit 202, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, in the Hapokdae area. Being brand new, the exterior was clean and sharp, and the name Sinbakkase stood out too.

Curious about what food would come out, I went in with anticipation.

Inside Sinbakkase: seating and atmosphere

Inside, the space was clean with an overall calm mood. Tables were spaced generously, making it comfortable to eat.

It's newly opened but already popular — by the time we left, the place was packed with customers!

How ordering works at Sinbakkase: one set course plus add-ons

Sinbakkase runs on a single set course with the option to add whatever dishes you want. From aged sashimi to seafood, beef, and chicken, the course lineup was more varied than I expected.

Getting to taste a little of many dishes is great if you like course meals, and the best part was being able to add more if you're still hungry!

The Sinbakkase course, dish by dish

Katsuo sesame salad

First up, the katsuo koma salad gently woke up the appetite — cucumber and tomato piled high with peanut sauce and bonito flakes.

Crisp vegetables plus a nutty sauce made for a light, easy opener. I wanted to try making this at home too, haha!

Abalone sashimi

Next came the abalone sashimi! Pre-sliced into bite-sized pieces, it was easy to pick up one by one. The signature chewy texture of abalone was intact, making it a clean, satisfying dish.

Abalone innard soup

Next was the abalone innard soup — one spoonful and it felt like familiar abalone porridge turned into a soup! The nutty flavor of abalone porridge was there, but the texture was much smoother, easy to slurp down.

Monkfish jiri soup, simmered for 5 minutes

Next, monkfish jiri soup made with fresh raw monkfish! The monkfish meat was plump and chewy, so picking it off the bone was genuinely satisfying. The soup isn't eaten right away — it needs to be boiled first. Bring it to a rolling boil for about 5 minutes until the meat is cooked through.

Seasonal steamed seafood

Next came the seasonal steamed seafood, featuring two kinds of in-season seafood. Prawns and surf clams, steamed moist and tender.

It wasn't heavily seasoned, so the natural flavor of the seafood really came through. The color of the prawns was gorgeous — that stuck with me.

Doesn't everything make you want to dip it in the jiri soup? Hahaha. While the monkfish soup kept simmering, we worked through the other dishes one by one.

Beef sirloin yukjeon (pan-fried battered beef)

While we were still on seafood, the beef strip loin yukjeon (pan-fried beef) arrived! The yukjeon itself was savory and delicious, and it paired amazingly with the chili peppers served alongside.

Eating a chili pepper with each bite cut the richness perfectly — such a good match.

Plump, chewy raw monkfish and a clean, refreshing broth

We also tried the monkfish jiri soup that had been quietly simmering all this time — once fully boiled, the broth was refreshing and the flavor of the monkfish had come through nicely.

Eating the plump, chewy monkfish meat on top made it a very satisfying dish. There's minari (water dropwort) in there too, adding a refreshing, fragrant note — perfect as a drinking snack.

Stir-fried chicken tenderloin

Next up, stir-fried chicken tenderloin! After a run of mild dishes, this one brought in a strong spicy kick.

Tender chicken tenderloin with spicy seasoning was a great palate switch midway through.

Kelp-aged sashimi, the best dish of the course

The dish I enjoyed most in the Sinbakkase course was the kelp-aged sashimi. Aged sashimi is delicious on its own, but you can also turn it into sushi.

The sashimi was genuinely so good that I regret not ordering more, ㅠㅠㅠ. Next time I definitely want to order extra!

We tried placing the aged sashimi on top of rice, making it into instant sushi—

—and even though it's the same sashimi, eating it with rice gave it a totally different, delicious feel!!! Sashimi and sushi are always love... 🩵

Dipping this in the sesame oil sauce doubled the nutty flavor and it was just bursting with oil — so, so good!!

At the end, a hongcho (red vinegar) ade also comes out, but we didn't have time to drink it, haha. We scraped the plates clean and headed out.

Verdict on Sinbakkase in one line

A great spot in Hapokdae for a drink with fresh, varied side dishes

We ate quickly and left, but next time I'd love to definitely add more aged sashimi and have a relaxed drink here with friends.