Sinsa Station seafood bar with razor clam and mussel soup: Ppeol

Sinsa Station bar Ppeol, a spot for tasty seasonal razor clam soup

What is Ppeol, the seafood bar near Sinsa Station?

Ppeol (뻘) is a seafood bar about a 4-minute walk from Sinsa Station, selling all kinds of seafood dishes: cockles, octopus, flatfish, king prawns, pen shell scallops and more 🎶 Today I came to Sinsa Station for drinks with a friend! I feel like I've been coming to Gangnam a lot lately :) There's just so much to do and so much good food here, I love it 🫶☺️ The name is unusual, so I went "huh?", but it seems it means the mudflat, as in tidal mud :)!

Ppeol location, opening hours and parking

• Location: 21 Gangnam-daero 154-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (basement level)
• Hours: daily 16:00-23:00, last order 22:00
• Holiday hours may differ, so check before you go
• Fresh seafood direct from the source is the main menu, so it may close early when ingredients run out
• Parking: not available; use a nearby paid lot
• No kids allowed
• Corkage available (paid); ordering alcohol is required

Is Ppeol good for a date or a second round?

The interior at Ppeol has softly dim lighting, so it works for a first round, but it was an even better vibe for a second round! Perfect for a date :) A bar should always be dim, right? That's the only way to really enjoy that drinking mood! ☺️

There were all sorts of signatures hanging on the wall! It must be a popular place..! 🫢 With a thumping, excited heart, I started agonizing over what to order 🤤

At Ppeol, if you join the review event you can get wine, a highball, even mini cup ramyeon..! That's a real bargain, isn't it?!! We were so busy drinking that we forgot to do it… 🥲

Ppeol menu and drinks list

The Ppeol menu had a huge variety of both snacks and drinks. From wine and highballs to regular soju and beer, plus Cheongha, tonic water, Iljum Jinro and so many more :)

There were lots of dishes, but maybe because we came close to closing time, the ones I wanted were sold out, which made me sad 🥹 I was craving sea urchin and pen shell scallops! Oh well, next time 🙏 Still, I ordered the eye-catching "razor clam soup" (맛조개탕).

The complimentary side dishes at Ppeol were kimchi and a fried egg. Nice for warming up the stomach 🫶

Since we were going to have a spicy clam soup, I ordered Cheongha (청하, a sake-style rice wine), which I figured would go well with it 🫶 Cheongha pairs so well with warm broths and seafood like this that it's one of my favorite drinks!

How was Ppeol's razor clam and mussel soup?

The pot for the razor clam soup at Ppeol was way bigger than I expected, which surprised me. The razor clam soup finally arrived! I was so shocked by the pot size that the owner asked me why I was so surprised 🫢 (embarrassed)

Honestly, I love seafood, so I often watch YouTube channels about it, and when razor clams are in season people go out to catch tons of them! They look unusual, but I'd heard they're amazing boiled in a soup, so I was really looking forward to it!

This is a razor clam! Cooked, it looked more like a familiar clam than I'd expected! The meat was nice and plump, with a springy bite filling my mouth. The clam's signature sweetness came through richly, and the savory umami just exploded!

Is Ppeol's razor clam soup too spicy for spice-shy eaters?

The razor clam soup at Ppeol is quite spicy on the first bite, but as you keep eating, the heat doesn't feel so strong. I can't handle spice, so I was shocked by how hot it was at first, but after a bite or two the spiciness faded and I could enjoy it to the end. My friend, who loves spicy food, said they couldn't even tell it was spicy and ate like crazy 😋

The soup also had mussels in it, which made the broth feel even more refreshing 👍 As befits the main dish, it was full of razor clams, which I loved, and the mussels played a solid supporting role 🫶

I love clams, and it's been a while since I enjoyed clams this much 🎶 It was a flavor I wanted to keep eating 🤤 I'm glad I came right in season. It was my first time trying it, and it's a total pass! At first it was so spicy I thought, what do I do?, but at some point I was slurping it down without even breathing 🫢

Does razor clam soup pair well with Cheongha?

The spicy razor clam soup and Cheongha are a perfect match…🩷 Ppeol even served it in a round, wide glass instead of a soju shot glass, which made it better.

I felt like I wanted something to dip it in, so I asked the owner and they brought out chojang (sweet-and-spicy chili vinegar sauce) 🥹 The service was friendly too, so very satisfied! We'd already had a first round and this was the second, but it was so good that we kept eating even though we were stuffed 😋

Who should visit Ppeol near Sinsa Station?

If you're looking for a bar near Sinsa Station, I recommend Ppeol! With its unusual dishes and wide range of drinks, seafood lovers who want something a bit special today will like it! Besides seafood there are also things like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and other dishes, so keep that in mind :)