Oncheonjang izakaya, 7-skewer set and grilled cod roe: Oneul-ui Tokyo

A review of the 7-skewer set, grilled cod roe, and Kirin draft beer at Oneul-ui Tokyo Oncheonjang.

There are days after work when you just want to shake off the fatigue with good food and a cold beer. That's how I ended up at Oneul-ui Tokyo in Oncheonjang, looking for somewhere to have a relaxed drink with good snacks.

I was looking forward to enjoying skewers and beer in that cozy izakaya atmosphere Japanese places have, and once I actually visited, both the food and the mood of the place turned out to be comfortable enough for a leisurely evening.

How to walk to Oneul-ui Tokyo Oncheonjang from Oncheonjang Station

Oneul-ui Tokyo Oncheonjang was easy to find, about a 2-minute walk from Exits 1 and 5 of Oncheonjang Station.

There was a train-themed café right in front of the store.

Stepping inside, warm lighting and a wood-tone interior caught my eye.

Rather than loud and crowded, the mood felt cozy and calm — good for chatting over drinks.

With the open kitchen, I could watch the skewers being grilled up close. Watching them cook over charcoal naturally got my appetite going.

It looked like a good spot for solo drinking too, but also worked well for a casual drinking session with friends.

What's on the menu at Oneul-ui Tokyo Oncheonjang

The 7-skewer charcoal yakitori set

The first thing we ordered after sitting down was the 7-skewer set.

I liked that you could try several different skewers at once. Since they're grilled over charcoal right after you order, they came out nice and warm.

The charcoal-grilled skewers carried a subtle smoky char, so the flavor was strong from the very first bite.

The outside was grilled to a nicely browned finish while the inside stayed moist, so the juices kept coming through with every bite.

Trying a little of several different cuts instead of just one was more fun than sticking to a single kind.

Best of all, picking up a skewer and taking a sip of Kirin draft in between was such a good combo. This is exactly the kind of dish you'd crave for a casual after-work drink.

Grilled cod roe with Kirin draft beer

Alongside the skewers, we also ordered the grilled cod roe. The cod roe was grilled to a nice golden brown and looked appetizing. It had a salty, savory flavor, and eating it together with the mayonnaise and cucumber served alongside made for a really good combination.

The cod roe tasted noticeably different eaten plain versus dipped lightly in mayonnaise. The salty roe, soft mayonnaise, and crisp cucumber balanced out really well in the mouth. Add a sip of the ice-cold Kirin draft and it was the perfect drinking snack.

The grilled cod roe in particular was more fun eaten little by little between sips of beer rather than all at once. Of everything we had that night, it stood out as the snack that went best with beer.

An evening in the izakaya's wood-toned dining room

Good food matters, but for a bar, having a comfortable atmosphere to settle into matters just as much. Oneul-ui Tokyo Oncheonjang's warm lighting combined with its Japanese izakaya-style interior made it a great place to spend a late evening.

Watching the skewers grill made the wait fun, and pairing them with beer the moment they came off the fire made the fatigue of the day slowly melt away.

Enjoying a range of flavors with the 7-skewer set plus the grilled cod roe made for a satisfying snack lineup. If you're looking for an izakaya near Oncheonjang where you can enjoy skewers with draft beer, this feels like a place worth a visit.

Next time, I'm planning to try some of the other skewer and snack menu items I didn't get to this time. On a day when you're craving good food and a cold draft beer after work, and want a Japanese-style drinking session in a comfortable setting, Oneul-ui Tokyo Oncheonjang is the place that comes to mind.