Gyeongju izakaya with tsukune and chicken gomtang: Yakitori Sogi

Today I'm bringing you a jackpot find from my Gyeongju trip — a spot that got me twice over, first with the vibe and then with the flavor 😍 Everyone heads to Hwangridan-gil when they visit Gyeongju, right? I wanted somewhere with great atmosphere that also served proper Gyeongju-style yakitori, so I did my research and hunting until I found Yakitori Sogi 🙌💖 Dim lighting, the smell of skewers grilling over charcoal... I fell for it the second I walked in, haha ☺️✨

Where is Yakitori Sogi? Hours and parking in Gyeongju

Yakitori Sogi is at Ba-dong 1st floor units 73-74, 12 Poseok-ro 1068beon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, tucked into a Hwangridan-gil alley. Monday to Thursday it's open 18:00-24:00 (last order 23:00), Friday to Sunday 17:00-01:00 the next day (last order 00:00), and it's closed every Tuesday.

• 📍 Address: Ba-dong 1st floor units 73-74, 12 Poseok-ro 1068beon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Mon-Thu 18:00-24:00 (last order 23:00) / Fri-Sun 17:00-01:00 next day (last order 00:00)
• 🗓 Closed every Tuesday
• 🅿️ Parking: no dedicated lot (use nearby public parking or the alley)

Yakitori Sogi's exterior and mood on the Hwangridan-gil alley

Walk slowly through the Hwangridan-gil back alleys and the exterior of Yakitori Sogi just appears out of nowhere 🌿✨ A cozy, mood-filled entrance.

It's got that distinct hanok (traditional Korean house) feel that Hwangridan-gil is known for, mixed with modern Japanese style — the atmosphere is great from the moment you step in 💕

What is the seating like: dachi counter or tables?

Inside Yakitori Sogi it's mostly dachi bar seats, with separate table seating toward the back for two or larger groups. The moment you walk in, the upscale, cozy atmosphere hits you hard...✨

It's mainly decked out in dachi bar seats, cleanly designed, and it's perfect for couples on a date or friends catching up over drinks 🍸💖

You can watch the skewers being carefully grilled right in front of the bar too, which was fun to watch 💯

It's not just dachi seats — there are tables in the back for two or more, so groups can definitely come here too!

The menu and ordering: Course A (full) for two, 66,000 won

Yakitori Sogi's menu ranges from courses to various à la carte skewers, sides, and dessert drinks, and you order via QR code. I went with Course A (full) for two at ₩66,000, haha.

Here's Yakitori Sogi's carefully put-together menu 📖✨ Beer and soju of course, but also highball, wine, sake, cheongju, and even whiskey 🙌

Tasting the course: from chicken breast salad to charcoal skewers

Yakitori Sogi's Course A opens with a sous-vide chicken breast salad and cheese tofu. The sous-vide chicken breast salad that came out first as a starter was really fresh and delicious — great!

Next up was the cheese tofu — isn't it just adorable? Almost too cute to eat, haha. I took a bite and it was sweet with a delicate, tender texture — really delicious.

With an atmosphere this good you can't skip drinks, right? I had two Kirin draft beers. The owner must take great care of the tap because the beer tasted really good too. Getting drunk on the vibe here >.<

Finally the skewers arrive. This is the thigh meat yakitori! Really tender and delicious.

The skewers finally came out!! First up was chicken tenderloin, grilled over charcoal and served straight off the fire — really light and clean-tasting with a great smoky note ㅠㅠ

Next they brought out chicken karaage, crispy outside and juicy inside — so good ㅠㅠ It's served over potatoes, which paired really well with it. The owner clearly knows food.

This is chicken neck meat topped with whole grain mustard steeped in whiskey. The neck meat, carrying that charcoal aroma, was so savory and chewy! Great texture, great flavor, and the sauce pairing was perfect!!

This one's the chicken wing meat skewer. I usually love the softer parts near the wing, so this really suited my taste +.+

Next up was a nicely browned heart skewer 🍢 Heart usually risks a gamey smell or a tough texture if grilled wrong, but the charcoal fire here was strong enough that there was zero gamey taste — nicely browned outside and chewy-moist inside 💖

Next is the glossy, shiny chicken skin skewer (kawa). Thanks to the charcoal rendering out all the fat, there's zero greasiness — crispy outside, chewy inside, that classic crispy-tender combo, and it kept demanding more beer, haha.

I was pretty surprised mushrooms could be this hearty! Delicate texture but surprisingly meaty to chew on.

Next is the pork belly-scallion skewer, an absolute visual showstopper 🥓 Thick, savory pork belly wrapped tightly around crisp, fragrant scallions packed inside — mouthwatering just to look at 🤤

Finally, the classic staple of yakitori — thigh meat skewer 🍗 Thick, generous chicken thigh grilled carefully over charcoal until nicely browned outside, packed with juice inside — the moisture level is no joke 💖 The moment you bite in, that tender-chewy signature thigh texture bursts, and the subtle charcoal aroma pairs beautifully. Clean and light in flavor — impossible for anyone not to love 🔥

Ending the course with tsukune, tomato marinade and chicken gomtang

The back half of Yakitori Sogi's course moves through tsukune (grilled chicken meatball), tomato marinade, chicken soup, and shiso sorbet. The tsukune is grilled minced chicken and vegetables, served with a special egg yolk sauce — I popped the yolk and dipped generously, and the rich, smooth yolk flavor melded perfectly with the sweet-savory tare sauce, melting in my mouth.

Then comes the tomato marinade, a clean, fresh little palate cleanser that cuts right through the richness of all the meat before it, haha.

To finish the meal, chicken soup — after eating nothing but meat, mixing rice into the warm soup for a bite felt just like finishing a Korean meal with nurungji (scorched rice) 🤤👍

The shiso sorbet wrapped up dinner on a clean, refreshing note. Thank you for the meal, I'm so full >.<

Final verdict: who should book Yakitori Sogi?

Yakitori Sogi: an incredible yakitori spot down a Hwangridan-gil alley where hanok charm meets Japanese izakaya style 🌿🍸

Between the atmospheric dachi bar seats and the tables suited for groups, this place is well set up for either an intimate date or catching up with friends over a variety of drinks — hard to beat 💖

If you go with Course A like we did, you get to try everything from the salad to handmade grilled skewers — definitely worth a visit if you're traveling to Gyeongju 🙌🔥