Seoul izakaya in Yeouido: shoyu beef tendon and strong highballs, Nani

Continuing from last time, here's part two of catching up with a friend over drinks in Yeouido. Surely we weren't the type to fill up on just one pot of shellfish hot pot, haha. We headed straight to round two, this time to a spot with great atmosphere where the main road of Yeouido stretched out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows — protein-packed food and a strong highball to properly soak it all up.

From the vibe to the food to the drinks, it was exactly what a second round should be. Let me introduce this Yeouido Station restaurant, Yeouido Station bar, Yeouido Station izakaya!

Nani Yeouido Branch hours, location and parking

Nani Yeouido Branch is open Monday to Saturday from 17:00 to 02:00 the next day, with last order at 01:00, and closed every Sunday. It's located right in front of Yeouido Station Exit 3, and if you use the underground parking lot, you can park on B2–B3.

What does Nani Yeouido Branch look like inside and out?

It has that feel of a Yeouido izakaya you'd only stumble on tucked away in some back alley in Japan. The exterior alone looks like it could win first place in Yeouido for draft beer visuals. Of course, we stuck strictly to highballs, and to cut to the chase — they were poured with a generous amount of whiskey, which was extremely satisfying.

A floor-to-ceiling window view of Yeouido's main road. Already known as a great-atmosphere Yeouido spot and a popular pick for Yeouido blind dates, there were plenty of people around us there for dates, not just company dinners.

What's on the menu at Nani Yeouido Branch?

Here's the menu. Besides seafood Japanese dishes, there were also meat options like lamb shoulder rack.

Pasta, braised beef tendon, steak, tataki, and various other dishes, plus a section of fried items.

And stir-fried hot plate dishes and soups. There's currently a review event with a complimentary yogurt ice cream, so if you need something sweet for dessert, don't skip it.

We started with highballs. We meant to keep it light with just one each, but in the end we each drank 3-4. Highballs are whiskey plus soda water, so no weight gain guilt here.

Three-piece lamb shoulder rack: does it work as izakaya food?

Lamb at an izakaya? I was skeptical at first, but since it was one of the recommended dishes, we ordered the lamb shoulder rack. Three pieces of shoulder rack, cumin sauce, and a green sauce that tasted a bit like mint jelly, maybe basil?? Not entirely sure, but it had a mysteriously addictive flavor.

Thanks to careful seasoning before grilling, there was no gamey lamb smell at all, and there was a good amount of meat on the bone too.

I wasn't expecting much, but the meat texture was surprisingly tender and cooked just right, with plenty of juicy flavor in every bite. I thought of it as just casual bar food, but the quality was much better than expected — very satisfying.

Shoyu-braised beef tendon (suji): how does it pair with a highball?

Feeling like we needed a bit more, we ordered the shoyu-braised beef tendon. It's beef tendon slow-braised in a sweet soy sauce, served alongside carrots, scallions, and mushrooms.

Braised for a long time, the tendon had no toughness at all, with a soft, chewy texture. The sweet soy sauce soaked all the way through, giving a savory, salty depth with every bite. The sauce itself was rich but finished clean, not heavy or overly sweet, so it was easy to keep picking at alongside the highball even after we were full.

Is Nani Yeouido Branch worth it for a second-round bar?

We went in planning for a light drink for round two, but ended up going all out with highballs and food at Nani Yeouido Branch. The atmosphere was great with Yeouido's main road stretching out beyond the windows, and I noticed plenty of people there not just for company dinners but for Yeouido dates too.

Above all, the lamb shoulder rack, which I wasn't expecting much from at an izakaya, turned out to be tender, gamey-smell-free, and full of juice — quite satisfying. And with the slow-braised, soft and chewy shoyu beef tendon paired with a strongly poured whiskey highball, the food-and-drink combo was excellent. That's it for Nani Yeouido Branch, a great Yeouido izakaya perfect for a Yeouido date!