Jongno bar with beef sukiyaki and double egg yolks: Ilsim

Ilsim (일심), close to Jonggak Station Exit 2

I finally went out for a delicious dinner around Jonggak Station after ages! Friday night—how long has it been?! The weather was nice and cool too ✨ Off we go 🫣

If you’re looking for an izakaya near Jonggak Station, everyone, give Ilsim a try!!

It’s a one-minute walk from Jonggak Station Exit 2, on the second floor of 94 Building! Get off the elevator on the second floor and you’re right there... I didn’t even know this building existed, but it’s super clean!!

You can check the dishes sold from the banner and menu outside, plus today’s sashimi menu and the September recommendations!

Wide table spacing and group seating

Let’s look around inside! Once you walk in, the space is much bigger than you’d expect. Above all, it’s spacious, the tables are nicely spread out, and there’s group seating too. The whole look of the place ㅜㅜ It was such a great space for talking. I wonder what it’s like when it’s full...

Ordering sukiyaki and cheese okonomiyaki

Here’s the menu at Ilsim, the Jonggak Station izakaya! There’s sashimi, nabemono hot pots, sukiyaki, fried dishes, yakitori, and more... So many izakaya dishes—if you can’t decide what to order, come to Ilsim, everyone!!

I’d been craving sukiyaki for the first time in ages, and I wanted okonomiyaki for the first time in ages too, so we ordered both.

These are the complimentary edamame! They give you a generous amount too!

Generous beef belly sukiyaki with double egg yolks

The food came out quickly, and the portions were seriously huge..! At ₩39,000, I thought it was a bit pricey, but it was very generous! Lots of vegetables, lots and lots of thin-sliced beef belly, and just enough broth.

The tofu and meat looked so delicious too. I really loved how much meat there was! I love putting meat in that signature sukiyaki sauce ㅜㅜ There were different kinds of tofu too, so good..!!

The unusual part was the double egg yolks, haha. Sukiyaki needs good sauce, but with two yolks in there, you can enjoy it extra rich and nutty. I love that generous spirit .. 👍🏼👍🏼 Now it was time to dig in!!

The first bite, my friend and I were like, this place is delicious~! The broth was perfectly seasoned from the start, so we enjoyed it. It gets saltier as it cooks, so I recommend adding water midway! But sukiyaki is supposed to be salty anyway… Even without dipping it in extra sauce, it’s very well seasoned! It’s absolutely a drinking snack through and through.

It had been so long since I’d had sukiyaki, and it went down so easily. Total rice thief energy.. Should I have ordered rice? Hehe; I took the meat out early because I was worried it would get tougher the longer it simmered.

Okonomiyaki loaded with cheese and toppings

Next came the cheese okonomiyaki ✨✨ I really love okonomiyaki. And I’m very good at telling the delicious ones from the bad ones.

The cheese was so generous…❤️ And the sauce and filling inside were substantial too. It didn’t feel like a ready-made product; it felt freshly griddled at the restaurant, with a big portion and great flavor..! This one was generous too.. Two women could order this much and still make it to a second stop …

There was quite a lot of sauce, so this dish can be a little strongly seasoned too. But this is a bar.. A dish I recommend as drinking food.

There was bacon and such a lot of different toppings. Really, so much! I don’t usually like ham, but it didn’t bother me at all! The sauce is lightly sweet, a flavor that probably won’t divide opinions. It would go well with beer too, and I recommend ordering it with a brothy dish! It would have been delicious with sashimi too…🤤🤤

A great Jonggak bar for gatherings and company dinners

One bite of sukiyaki, full of rich, fatty umami, then one bite of okonomiyaki! It’s quite a nice combination, and people who love drinking would like it even more!

Every staff member was so kind. Ilsim was such a great Jonggak bar for chatting. It would be nice for a year-end gathering with friends too! The place is cool and spacious, with lots of seats. I think lots of office workers would come here, and I recommend it for company dinners too.

It was my first visit, but I ate so well that I want to go again next time!! Then I’ll try the sashimi ,, 🥢🥢🥢 What a lovely meal!!