After-work izakaya in Guro, Seoul: grilled Chilean sea bass, Sodam

After-work drinks in Guro Digital Complex: how about Robatayaki Sodam?

Robatayaki Sodam Guro Digital Complex Branch is an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) with a great mood and grilled rockfish you simply have to try. I was looking for somewhere to grab drinks with a friend after work, and we ended up at Robatayaki Sodam in Guro Digital Complex!

Conclusion first: the atmosphere is great, and the grilled rockfish is a must-eat. Haha!

It has a properly Japanese feel, so it's good for a date and just as good for drinks with friends.

• Address: 2F, 97-3 Dijiteol-ro 32-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul
• About 3–4 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Guro Digital Complex Station
• Hours: daily 17:00–01:30
• Group gatherings possible
• Counter seats for solo drinking
• Restroom inside

Atmosphere and seating at Robatayaki Sodam Guro Digital Complex Branch

Sodam is on the 2nd floor, and with its soft lighting and wooden menu boards it feels like a Japanese tavern. The moment you walk in, it's like you've arrived in Japan! Heading up to the 2nd floor and stepping inside, the mood was seriously good~!

The soft lighting really nails the Japanese tavern look, and there are wooden menu boards hanging on the walls too, so the Japanese vibe is amazing, lol!

There were plenty of table seats, plus counter seats, so coming alone wouldn't feel awkward at all, haha.

The mood was really good for a company dinner, a date, or drinks with friends!

Is the Robatayaki Sodam menu just skewers?

The menu goes beyond skewers: grilled rockfish, sashimi, oden nabe (fish cake hot pot), tempura-style fried dishes and seafood. If it's your first visit, I recommend ordering a set menu. I thought they only sold skewers at first, but nope.

• Grilled skewers
• Grilled rockfish
• Sashimi
• Oden nabe
• Fried dishes
• Seafood such as abalone and scallops

There were so many options that choosing was hard. The set menus are well put together too, so I'd recommend a set on your first visit~!

By the way, the restroom and a smoking room are inside, down the hallway.

We ordered grilled rockfish and Set No. 5 for two

My friend and I ordered Sodam's signature dishes: grilled rockfish and Set No. 5 (small sashimi + assorted skewers + oden nabe). I ordered them because they're the signature items, and it turned out to be a really good call!!

• Grilled rockfish
• Set No. 5 (small sashimi + assorted skewers + oden nabe)

Free starter: griddled egg

Sodam's free starter is a griddled egg, and what a nice starter it is! Shortly after we ordered, the griddled egg came out first. Popping the yolk and eating it was so rich and soft! Even for a free starter the quality was good, so we were in a good mood from the very start.

Oden nabe: rich, spicy broth

The first thing out from Set No. 5 was the oden nabe, and the broth was much richer and spicier than I expected. It's the kind of broth you keep spooning up while you drink, lol. It was packed with oden too, so it was plenty for two.

Please, please order the grilled rockfish!

My top pick of everything we ate that day at Sodam is definitely the grilled rockfish!! It's grilled golden on the outside but really moist and tender inside, haha. It melts in your mouth, there's no fishy taste at all, and the savory flavor is crazy good!! I understood right away why it's the signature dish, lol. If I come again, I'll definitely order the rockfish again~

Assorted skewers: plenty of variety and quantity

The assorted skewers in Set No. 5 had a real variety: chicken, heart, bacon-wrapped, mushroom and garlic. They came out evenly, so it was fun to eat them one by one. There was a faint charcoal aroma, and the portion was big, so the two of us got really full. As drinking snacks, they were the best.

The sashimi was fresh too~

The small sashimi in Set No. 5 came with a mix of salmon, flatfish and more, all cut thick, so the texture was great and it tasted really fresh. There was almost no fishiness, and it went so well with alcohol. The photos came out really pretty too, so it was fun to shoot!

Is Robatayaki Sodam Guro Digital Complex Branch worth going back to?

Robatayaki Sodam Guro Digital Complex Branch feels like the first izakaya in a while that I was really satisfied with. The mood was good, every dish was good quality, and the staff were kind! The grilled rockfish especially, highly recommended!!

If you're looking for a pub or izakaya in Guro Digital Complex, it's worth a visit at least once! Next time, I'll definitely order the grilled rockfish and assorted skewers again~!! 😄