Gunja cocktail bar with ₩12,000 jazz cover: Kick Ass Jazz Club

I heard there was a hot new jazz bar in Gunja that looked like something out of Moulin Rouge, and that on Fridays and Saturdays you could catch a proper live jazz show there too, so I slammed a Saturday evening reservation and went haha.

How far is Kick Ass Jazz Club from Gunja Station, and is there parking?

Kick Ass Jazz Club felt like it was less than 5 minutes on foot from Gunja Station. I was going to be drinking anyway so I took the subway, and being so close to the station made it great for anyone on foot. If you're driving, it looked like there was parking for about two cars right in front, but it's tight, so you'd probably want to use a public parking lot nearby. But!!! You've come to a jazz club, so having a drink is only natural, isn't it haha. If you don't have a car, I'd recommend public transit, or a taxi if you really need one.

A place that hits your taste right from the sign — Kick Ass JASS CLUB. Isn't the black cat dancing in the middle of the sign just too cute? Ha, and I realized it actually says Kick "Ass" Jazz Club — but we decided to say Kick "Azz" Jazz Club, to keep the rhyme with jazz.

Inside Kick Ass Jazz Club: red lighting just off the main road in Gunja

The moment you walk in, it's honestly a gasp-worthy space. We'd just been walking along the main street in Gunja, and stepping into Kick Ass Jazz Club felt like entering a completely different world. It genuinely felt like being abroad.

I'd booked in advance through Catch Table, and they seated us at a bar table close to the stage.

Since it was Saturday, the place was already packed, and almost every table was reserved — reserved, reserved. I watched a few groups come in and have to leave because there was no room, which confirmed for me: reservations are a must here, and yes, this really is a Gunja hotspot.

The stage is this close. The lighting is very low, but the whole interior runs on a red color theme, giving it this antique yet cozy, casual vibe that's so particular to jazz bars — I loved it.

The interior space was really gorgeous, but there were so many people I couldn't take as many photos as I wanted to, which is a shame.

The 12,000 won live show cover, welcome drink and popcorn

This is Kick Ass Jazz Club's menu. As I mentioned, Fridays and Saturdays have live jazz shows lined up, and on those nights there's a ₩12,000 cover charge per person, just so you know. But the show runs for close to an hour and a half, live and right in front of you, so ₩12,000 honestly feels like a steal.

The basic welcome drink and basic snack, popcorn.

It had a refreshing lemonade-ish feel. They served it in a cute little shot glass, so I just knocked it back in one go haha. As for the popcorn — need I say more? It seemed freshly popped, warm and crunchy, and it was so good.

Draft beer, a highball and the cat coaster at Kick Ass Jazz Club

First off, I ordered a draft beer.

My friend ordered a highball. Our tastes always split like this haha.

But seriously, isn't this coaster just too cute? As a cat owner myself, it's so adorable and unique I want to keep one for myself. Kick Ass Jazz Club's owner really should just start making and selling merch already.

The Lee Dae-won Quintet live from a bar table right by the stage

The show on the day I went was the Lee Dae-won Quintet.

• Vocal - Lee Dae-won
• Sax - Yu Myeong-han
• Piano - Kim Jin-su
• Bass - Song Hyeok-gyu
• Drum - Kim Seon

Being this close to the stage, it really felt like I was feeling the music, literally. Lee Dae-won's low, rich voice was so appealing, and saxophonist Yu Myeong-han's dazzling (and I mean truly dazzling) playing left me stunned. I genuinely sat there open-mouthed, forgetting to even drink, just taking it all in.

Pastry pizza and mac and cheese during the intermission

During intermission, we dug into some pizza haha.

The pastry dough was so crackly-crisp and genuinely delicious. I'm actually not a big fan of pepperoni, but I ended up seriously scarfing this down — Kick Ass Jazz Club's pizza was that good.

We also ordered mac and cheese.

My partner polished this one off haha. Said the gooey cheese was so good.

Is Kick Ass Jazz Club worth a second visit?

An absolutely captivating show, great food and drinks, and an atmosphere that was just insane(ly good)... I fell completely for this place and promised myself I'd definitely be back. I recommend Kick Ass Jazz Club, the cocktail bar in Gunja. Honestly I kind of want to keep it to myself, but I also hope it gets famous.