Japanese skewer bar in Yeonje, Busan: Samajama

Going for Japanese skewers in Yeonsan

Today, I visited Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch (사마자마 연산직영점), a popular Yeonsan-dong spot specializing in Japanese skewers.

I like skewer places because it feels surprisingly easy and fitting to pull off one skewer at a time while drinking.

They had plenty besides skewers too, including sujinabe (beef tendon hot pot), fried noodles, cream cheese baguette, okonomiyaki, and pork belly rice bowls. Since it was my first visit, I decided to properly try the skewers first, haha.

Ordering the build-your-own set of six and addictive corn

We ordered the build-your-own set of six, tsukune, addictive corn, and draft beer.

There were lots of regular tables as well as bar seats, and the atmosphere was nice. It seemed good for a quiet drink for two or a visit with a larger group.

A basic dish of peas came out first, and then straight into the draft beer~ It was so refreshing that it was perfect before getting into the skewers.

We also tried the addictive corn we had ordered as a drinking snack right away, and it was delicious—I had not had it in a while. It was salty and went well with drinks, and above all, they used a really large ear of corn, so there was more than I expected. One order was plenty to share.

A skewer spread filled with different varieties

Then all the skewers we ordered arrived at once! There were chicken skin, chicken wings, chicken thigh with tare, chicken thigh with salt, chicken thigh with pollock roe, hanger steak, and tsukune. Ordering a range all at once filled up the table and looked great too.

There was also tsukune, which I was trying for the first time. I thought it was interesting that it is a chicken meatball.

The chicken wings had a nice crisp texture, while the chicken thigh was tender, which I loved. 😋

As someone who loves chicken thigh, I ordered three of them. I liked being able to have the basic salt version, tare, and pollock roe versions separately. Even with the same chicken thigh, each seasoning gave it a different feel, so it was fun choosing between them!

My companion said the chicken thigh with pollock roe was the best, while I liked the basic version most. I would recommend both. One of the sauces served alongside had a slight kick, and dipping the skewers in it made for a different experience. Skewers can start to feel similar if you keep eating them, but the sauce made it easy to switch up the flavor along the way.

The hanger steak had a pleasantly chewy texture and a charm different from the chicken skewers. Trying a variety, including chicken skin and wings, really made picking them off one by one fun. I especially love chicken thigh, so I think I would order it again on my next visit.

A time with skewers and draft beer

Having draft beer with each skewer was just the right combination for drinks. The menu was so varied that next time I would like to try something besides skewers, such as sujinabe or okonomiyaki. If you are looking for a skewer bar with a nice atmosphere in Yeonsan, or somewhere for a casual drink, give Samajama a visit. It seems especially suited to anyone who wants to choose and try small portions of many different skewers.

I thought the menu might be limited because it was a skewer place, but there were more choices than expected, so choosing different dishes next time sounds fun too. With many kinds of skewers spread across the table and eaten one at a time, it naturally felt good for chatting over drinks. From the bar seats, you can also watch the skewers being grilled up close, so I think people who want to enjoy the atmosphere while eating would like it too. If you want to enjoy Japanese skewers and draft beer together in Yeonsan, this is a good place to keep in mind, haha.

Recommended for

• Those who want to try a variety of Japanese skewers
• Those looking for a bar with a nice atmosphere in Yeonsan
• Those looking for drinking snacks that go well with draft beer
• Those who love chicken thigh skewers
• Those who want the fun of choosing from different types of skewers
• Those looking for a place with varied drinking snacks beyond skewers

I liked being able to try many types of skewers one at a time, and I especially loved the combination of tender chicken thigh and cold draft beer. If you want a drink with skewers in Yeonsan, give it a try!