Gwangjin bar for yuzu makgeolli and bone grill: Saechamjip

Saechamjip for a second round near Gunja Station

I was looking for a good bar to go to for a second round with friends I had not seen in ages. I found Saechamjip, a bar with tons of reviews—most saying they were completely satisfied—so we decided to check it out.

Saechamjip is just five minutes from Gunja Station!! Parking is not easy around Gunja Station in general, but there is a parking area in front of the venue. If you would like to park, they say to contact them in advance before bringing your car. It is on the second floor of a commercial building, so just take the elevator up.

Private room-style spaces and hall tables

Here is the inside of Saechamjip. There were private, room-like spaces as well as open hall tables, so you can be shown to whichever kind of seat you prefer. Even though I visited on a weekday evening, we got the very last available table—definitely a seriously popular bar.

A wide menu, from makgeolli to traditional liquor

This is Saechamjip's menu. I was surprised by how many options they had. Along with all kinds of food, there was makgeolli, bokbunja wine, highballs, and traditional liquors too!! With such a varied drinks menu, I thought it would be especially popular with younger people. I usually drink soju, actually, but I suddenly wanted makgeolli for the first time in ages, so my friends and I decided to order some.

After we ordered, the thoughtful owner even gave each of us a hutgae stick as a freebie... Maybe that is why it has become such a hot-spot bar that people visit even on weekdays.

They also served two basic bar snacks, and said we could comfortably ask for refills if needed. Muk-sabal (acorn jelly in chilled broth), which I love!! It had been a while since I last had it, so it tasted even better. They said the sauce is provided only to guests who order the stone-plate bone grill.

48-hour boiled baekmuk-eunji stone-plate bone grill

48-hour boiled baekmuk-eunji stone-plate bone grill (₩25,900). This stone-plate bone grill came with a cute little flag stuck in it. There were five large pieces of bone on the piping-hot stone plate. It was bubbling away, so it tasted great and looked incredible too.

As the venue's signature dish, it is said to be one of its most popular items, and you can adjust the spice level. I think people who love spicy food would really enjoy it too. Since I cannot handle spicy food very well, I ordered the standard level.

It looked like dol-jjajang, which I love, so I think I enjoyed it even more. They sell bowls of rice too; if this had been our first stop, I could probably have managed two bowls.

Yuzu and blueberry signature makgeolli

House-blended signature yuzu/blueberry makgeolli (₩12,900 each). These are Saechamjip's signature house-blended makgeolli. There were five flavors in total, and I ordered the yuzu and blueberry to try. Yuzu was the most popular signature makgeolli flavor, and it was definitely more enjoyable than the blueberry. It felt more like having a slushie than alcohol, so I think it would be even better in summer.

Injeolmi shredded-thread patbingsu for dessert

Injeolmi shredded-thread patbingsu (₩14,900). We even finished ordering a bingsu (shaved-ice dessert) that was perfect for dessert!! One bone grill felt a little lacking, so this was an extra bar snack we ordered. I did not have huge expectations, but it was so much better than expected that it felt like something from a specialty bingsu café. Even the friend who said they did not like injeolmi ended up eating it very enthusiastically because it tasted so good.

Saechamjip, the hot-spot bar I visited for the first time during my recent trip back to Gunja!! I was completely satisfied even though it was my first visit. There were still so many dishes I had not tried, so I would like to come back again and enjoy more of the menu.