Magongnaru izakaya with corkage and Okinawan black beer: Kuro Yakitori

Where is Kuro Yakitori, and its hours and parking

Kuro Yakitori is a yakitori izakaya in Magongnaru, at 21 Magokjungang 5-ro 1-gil, Unit 107, Gangseo-gu, Seoul. It's open from 17:00 to 1:00 the next day, closing at 12:00 on Sundays, and free parking is available (basement lot of officetel building n, next to the entrance by Chonggaknae Hwangso Gopchang).

Today I'm writing up my visit to Kuro Yakitori in Magongnaru. I had some errands in Gangseo-gu and stopped by because the place looked so clean and the food looked so good :)

Bar seats and outdoor tables at Kuro Yakitori

The place has both regular tables and bar seats, so you can sit wherever's comfortable! Since the weather was cool, we sat at the bar table near the window haha. There are outdoor tables too, and they looked perfect for drinking outside in weather like this.

Ordering the 29,000-won solo omakase and the corkage rules

There were so many menu items we couldn't decide, so we just ordered two of the solo omakase sets that come based on the day's ingredients haha. Kuro Yakitori also allows corkage — one bottle under 20% ABV is free, and bottles 20% ABV or higher are ₩20,000 each — so if you want to bring your own drinks, that's good to know :)

After we ordered, the owner prepared the food right in front of us haha. Watching the cooking process up close made me trust the food even more.

Okinawan draft beer and Okinawan draft black beer

Even though it was cool out, the first drink has to be beer..! They sell Okinawan draft beer, so I ordered it right at the bar haha. They also carry an Okinawan draft black beer, which isn't common around here, so if you're a black beer fan, definitely try it!

First plate of the omakase: aged sashimi platter

After we'd had a bit of beer, the aged sashimi platter came out first haha. They gave two pieces each of white fish, tuna, and salmon, and the slices were all so thick that this alone already filled us up quite a bit. True to an omakase menu, I liked that you get to taste a variety without getting tired of any one thing.

Kuro Yakitori's skewers: the order they arrive and how they taste

Cucumber salad and chicken heart skewer

They also serve a cucumber salad, which was perfect for refreshing the palate whenever I wanted haha. After the sashimi, the skewers came out one after another, starting with the heart skewer. This was the first time I'd had such a thick heart skewer, and it had a lovely soft yet savory flavor.

Why the tenderloin skewer comes less cooked

The second skewer was, I believe, the tenderloin. The inside looked slightly underdone, so I asked the owner, who explained that since they use fresh chicken, they deliberately don't overcook it! I trusted the owner and tried it, and sure enough, thanks to the good ingredients it wasn't dry at all — it was tender to chew.

Grilled chicken neck skewer and pickled chili peppers

The third skewer was grilled chicken neck meat (again, I think). It had more chew than the previous items and was seasoned just right as a drinking snack. The pickled peppers served alongside went really well with the skewer.

Green onion skewer and chicken thigh skewer

The green onion skewer that came next (this one I'm sure of) was brushed with a soy-based sauce, and personally I thought eating the green onion together with the chicken made it taste even better haha (my own little pairing).

Last was the chicken thigh skewer (also sure about this one), and thigh meat never disappoints. It was moderately fatty with a melt-in-your-mouth quality that reminded me all over again that chicken thigh really is the best part.

Mushroom and meat dish with soy-marinated egg sauce

I thought we were done, but more food came out. It was a dish with meat sandwiched between mushrooms (I can't remember the name, sorry), and eating it with the egg-sauce-like condiment underneath made it a fantastic drinking snack. The yolk inside seemed to be cured separately, since it had a chewy texture with the savory yolk flavor you get inside a marinated soy egg (gamdongran).

The finish: ramyeon with broth or without

For Koreans, dessert really means carbs — and ramyeon (instant noodles) most of all. Toward the end, they showed us several ramyeon options to choose from. We went with one broth version and one dry (no-broth) version, and by the time we finished those, we were completely full.

Is the 29,000-won omakase good value?

The solo omakase is ₩29,000, and getting this much food for that price feels like great value. If you want to try a variety of dishes, ordering the omakase menu seems like a solid choice. If you're looking for a good-atmosphere bar in Magongnaru, I'd recommend giving this place a visit.

• Used fresh chicken, which made it taste great
• Corkage is available, so bring your own drinks if you'd like to pair them