Busanjin bar for beef tendon fish cake soup: Yuumangju

Looking for a newly opened bar in Seomyeon

These days, when I meet friends, I find I prefer spending time over a drink—ordering one delicious bar snack and chatting about this and that—rather than just having a meal and parting ways. Seomyeon has so many bars that choosing where to go can be a surprisingly tricky decision, too.

Rather than a bar that is too loud or has the usual sort of atmosphere, I tend to look for somewhere with decent food and a neat space where we can sit comfortably and talk. This time, while looking for a newly opened bar in Seomyeon, I visited Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch.

Maybe because it had only just opened, the overall impression was very tidy. Its modern atmosphere was a little different from the bar you might usually picture, so it caught my eye from the moment I walked in. I think it is worth keeping in mind, especially for anyone who puts importance on bar food.

Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch is on the second floor above Thursday Party No. 2. When you look for bars in Seomyeon, many are tucked away in side streets, and finding a place on a first visit can be harder than expected. But Yuumangju was easy enough to find once I checked the building location and headed upstairs.

A modern, tidy interior

Above all, the venue itself had the clean atmosphere you would expect from a newly opened bar. There are plenty of Seomyeon bars with similar interiors these days, but Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch felt like a space that was modern at its core while still being enjoyable to look around.

Rather than simply being a place to drink, it felt like somewhere with little details to discover around the room, if that makes sense. The lighting and interior were not overly heavy, so it did not feel intimidating to visit with friends. If you enjoy newly opened places, I thought it would be worth a visit at least once. If you are looking for a new bar in Seomyeon these days, it would be a fine one to add to your list.

Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch did not feel overly serious, which made it seem like a nice place to visit with friends. When planning a get-together in Seomyeon, there are times when it is hard to decide whether to eat or drink, but somewhere like this would work well for taking care of both dinner and drinks with good bar food at the center.

Those who love checking out new bars will probably also be interested in the fact that it has just opened. The atmosphere was modern, so it was also pleasant for taking photos or spending time in light conversation. For people like me, who consider the atmosphere of the space as well as the food when choosing a bar, that could be another deciding point. If you are looking for somewhere new in Seomyeon rather than a familiar spot, it was worth trying.

No matter how tasty the food is, it can be hard to stay long if a place is too crowded or hectic. But Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch, which I visited that day, made a good first impression with its overall modern and tidy atmosphere. As a newly opened venue, the whole space felt organized, and it did not feel daunting to walk into on a whim.

A drinks spot for both first and second rounds

It looked good for visiting as a first stop with friends, or for going for another drink as a second stop after already having a meal. Seomyeon has such a wide range of bars that there are lots of options, but once you meet up, there is always that moment of, “Where should we go tonight?”

At times like that, if you want somewhere to chat over one tasty bar snack instead of having an overly heavy meal, Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch felt like a good option.

Beef tendon fish cake soup and toasted baguette

When looking for a Seomyeon spot with good bar food, I think it is important not only that there are lots of choices, but also that one signature menu item is genuinely good.

Before the main dish arrived, warm toasted baguette came out first. I personally really like little touches like this. At bars, the complimentary snack is often quite simple, but the warm toasted baguette was nice to pick at while waiting for the main dish.

Eating what felt like freshly baked, warm baguette first also meant the wait for the food was not boring. Being able to enjoy even a small snack like this added to the fun of spending time at a bar.

The main dish we ordered that day was beef tendon fish cake soup. I tend to think a soupy bar snack is almost essential, so I chose something warm. No matter the weather, though, soup dishes always seem to be the ones I reach for with drinks. The beef tendon fish cake soup included Korean beef tendon along with fish cakes.

Beef tendon is popular with many people for its distinctive chewy texture, and having fish cakes in it too made it nice to enjoy more variety than just one ingredient. Above all, a soupy bar snack is great eaten as soon as it arrives, but its real advantage is being able to keep it warm at the table and enjoy it slowly, right?

As we picked out the beef tendon and fish cakes, spooned up the broth now and then, and talked, it suited the mood of our drinks perfectly. Rather than the feeling of quickly finishing one strongly seasoned snack, it was a dish made for slowly having a drink while pairing various bites with warm broth. So if you like soupy bar snacks, I think the beef tendon fish cake soup is worth considering when you look for good bar food in Seomyeon.

The only dish I tried this time was the beef tendon fish cake soup, but I liked that I could take my time enjoying a representative soupy bar snack. With Korean beef tendon and fish cakes together, it offered different textures, and as a warm broth dish, it was easy to pair with drinks without feeling too heavy.

With warm soup at the center of the table

Above all, at a bar, snacks that are too heavy or strongly seasoned can become tiring quickly. Personally, I find it more comfortable to place a soup dish like this in the middle and eat while talking. So if you are looking for a place to have drinks with friends in Seomyeon, Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch is worth remembering as a spot for good bar food.

It was fun to seek out somewhere newly opened, and it was a good place to enjoy a drink with warm beef tendon fish cake soup in a modern space.

Seomyeon has so many bars that you can end up visiting the same sorts of places every time. When that happens, I think a newly opened bar like this is a nice option if you want to find somewhere new. It would suit you even better if, like me, you enjoy ordering one tasty bar snack and relaxing over drinks while chatting.

The next time I have plans in Seomyeon and look for a new bar, this is somewhere I think I will remember again. If you are looking for a light drink with friends in Seomyeon, or you consider both the atmosphere and the bar food, take Yuumangju Seomyeon Branch into account. It was a good place to visit when you want to enjoy a cheerful drink with tasty food in a newly opened modern space.