Dangsan izakaya for curry nabe and chicken nanban: Snack Bar Atashi

It had been a while since we'd been on a date, and since it was our anniversary, I wanted to make it a bit special, so we visited 'Atashi,' an izakaya near Dangsan Station. There were a lot of izakayas around, but I picked the one that felt the most Japanese. Here's my review after a delicious meal - ✨

Where is Snack Bar Atashi, and what are its hours?

Snack Bar Atashi is within a 10-minute walk of Dangsan Station Exit 12. You can also reserve through Naver Reservations, so I'd recommend booking ahead for things like Friday evenings.

Mon–Thu 10:00–23:00 / Fri–Sat 10:00–24:00 / Break time 14:30–17:00 / Closed Sundays

The exterior has a strong Japanese vibe. That distinctly Japanese cozy charm plus a Friday night — my excitement was already up before we even walked in.

Counter seating that works for a date or solo drinks

Inside, Atashi is arranged with a U-shaped counter, with one table set further in and a couple more tables outside in the yard area. Since the space is fairly small, most guests were couples or pairs of friends rather than big groups, and I also saw people drinking solo. If you're coming as a group of four, I'd say booking ahead is a must!

Seasonal raw shrimp sashimi, 35,000 won

They handed us a separate menu, and for our first order we went with the seasonal raw shrimp sashimi (₩35,000). I'm not a huge shrimp person, but I'd heard fall is raw shrimp season, and after seeing everyone devouring it on Reels, I worked up the courage to order it.

Water and cutlery set out on the counter.

On the table were shichimi and chili oil. I figured the chili oil couldn't be that spicy, so I dumped a ton on — but it turned out surprisingly hot, and I panicked a bit 0_0. Oh, and they had a huge variety of highballs too! It said 'Suntory Highball House,' which sounded amazing, but I felt a weird obligation to stick to soju tonight, so I had to pass — kind of a shame.

It felt a little sad to only drink soju at an izakaya, so we ordered a draft beer to share. Kirin draft, oishii~~~~!!

The raw shrimp sashimi arrived. I'd read a blog post saying it took forever to come out after ordering, so I was worried, but ours came out fast! Plump shrimp that could give any raw fish restaurant a run for its money — visually, it passed with flying colors.

The shrimp was so plump and springy, not fishy at all, and just delicious. So this is why people eat raw shrimp (˵• ̀⩊•́˵) When it comes to sashimi, I'm usually a hardcore soy sauce person, but with the shrimp, the chojang (vinegar-chili sauce) really was the way to go. The staff recommended pairing it with their aged kimchi, but honestly, their aged kimchi wasn't really my style ,,ㅎ_ㅎ

Chicken nanban, 17,000 won: good taste, small portion

We also ordered chicken nanban (₩17,000). We both love chicken nanban and tend to order it whenever it's on the menu, and this one was delicious! The portion was a bit on the small side, though. The salad was good too, and refills are available.

We enjoyed it, but were still hungry, so we decided to order one more dish.

Curry nabe, 25,000 won: the must-order next visit

There were a lot of reviews raving about the curry, so we greedily added the curry nabe (₩25,000). I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be a proper, textbook-perfect Japanese curry loaded with toppings. A flavor that practically demands rice ✨ If you like it spicy, pouring the table chili oil in makes it even better. The chili oil was spicier than I expected, so it ended up tasting just like a real curry shop's — so good.

There's even udon noodles tucked in underneath, which is exactly my type of thing. Next time I come back, curry nabe is a definite order!!

A happy Friday ,, 💖

Is Snack Bar Atashi worth it? One downside: burnt smell from a nearby table

Snack Bar Atashi's menu is delicious across the board, and there are plenty of second-round spots nearby, making it a perfect place for drinks (we went to Hullala for round two ^^). The one small downside was that when the people next to us ordered the grilled crab shell dish, the burnt smell was pretty intense,,?! Still, with seasonal menu items and very friendly staff, I'd definitely come back. Highly recommend it as an izakaya near Dangsan Station 🍻