Sashimi and 6 skewers at Haru, an izakaya near Konkuk University

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I had a drink around Konkuk, so I went out for one haha. I've visited this place a few times before, and somehow whenever I'm looking for a bar in Konkuk I keep ending up back here lol.

Today's spot is Haru Konkuk Branch 🍶. From sashimi to skewers to all kinds of sake, the menu is so varied it's great for having a few drinks and trying different things!

Where is Haru Konkuk Branch? A 2nd-floor izakaya by Exit 1

Haru, the Konkuk bar, is a 2nd-floor izakaya near Konkuk University Station. It's really close to Exit 1, so it's convenient to set as a meeting spot haha.

Inside Haru: table seats, tachi counter and window seats

On the way up to the 2nd floor there's a row of sake bottles on display, and seeing that kind of thing makes me stop and look around haha. There's quite a variety of sake, so if you like Japanese liquor you'll probably end up browsing on the way up just like I did!

The tables aren't crammed too close together, so there's some breathing room and it didn't feel stuffy sitting there. There's also a big window, so even indoors it feels a bit open instead of closed in. The lighting isn't too bright or too dim either, which made it nice for talking over drinks in the evening?! It'd also be a great pick if you're looking for a date spot in Konkuk haha.

And on one side there's a tachi bar counter like this! I went with someone, but this seat looked perfect for drinking solo too. Ordering one sashimi plate for yourself with a sake or highball — that's exactly the Japanese izakaya vibe 🍶

Sake bottles are displayed all around the place like this. There's a wide variety of bottle types, so sake fans might want to browse here before even opening the menu lol. I usually stick to highballs or draft beer, but seeing this kind of display makes me curious about sake too... haha.

The window seats looked great too. Thanks to the big window, even sitting further inside didn't feel cramped, and it was a good spot for two people to eat and chat!

Haru's Naver review event: a free highball

There was a QR code like this on the table! They're running a Naver photo review event — write a photo review and get one free Haru highball. No limit on how many tables can use it, which is such a great deal...?!

Haru Konkuk Branch menu: sashimi, charcoal skewers, nabe and sake

Looking at the menu, there are more options than expected, so choosing gets hard lol. From sashimi to charcoal skewers to nabe to fried dishes, there's quite a range of side dishes, and the drinks go from highball and draft beer to several kinds of sake!

After going back and forth, we ordered the Haru Sashimi plus 6 recommended skewers. Wanted sashimi, wanted skewers too, so ended up getting both haha.

The complimentary side dish at Haru

While we waited after ordering, the complimentary side dish that came out was green peas! 🫛

What comes on the Haru Sashimi plate? Mackerel, sweet shrimp, abalone, tuna, salmon

We also ordered a Suntory highball and a draft beer together.

Finally, the Haru Sashimi arrived! One plate comes with quite a variety. This time it came with mackerel, sweet shrimp, abalone, tuna, salmon, and more, all together haha.

Comparing this Haru Sashimi to the one I had here before, the fish varieties were slightly different?! Apparently Haru Sashimi is made from several types of fish aged that same day, so the specific lineup can vary depending on when you visit! So the sashimi types aren't exactly the same every time haha. It's kind of fun that ordering the same menu again can still show you a slightly different combination!

What are the 6 recommended skewers at Haru?

And then the skewers we'd been waiting for showed up! This time it was 6 kinds: bacon-wrapped rice cake, bacon-wrapped cherry tomato, chicken breast, chicken leg, cartilage, and heart.

With so much variety it was nice to share one at a time — eat sashimi, then a skewer, then sashimi again, then another skewer... repeating that loop, I ended up more full than expected lol.

Haru's restroom: pads, hair ties and mouthwash

One thing I really, really loved: the women's restroom is inside the shop, while the men's is out the door and up the stairs, and the women's restroom had sanitary pads stocked like this..!! It's genuinely rare to see this at a bar ㅠㅠ

There were also hair ties, shower cologne, and hand cream provided

Mouthwash and hand wash were both stocked too...!! You could really feel how thoughtful the owner is with a place like this ㅠㅠ It was already great that the restroom is inside the shop, but having all these little items stocked too — isn't that amazing?

Is Haru Konkuk Branch worth a visit?

• Close to Konkuk University Station
• Both table seats and a tachi bar counter
• Wide variety of sashimi and charcoal skewer dishes
• Good range of sake options too
• Works for solo drinking or a date for two

Above all, the fact that I keep coming back here even though I already visit occasionally is kind of the point lol. Konkuk has so many bars that a lot of places are one-and-done, but this one comes to mind whenever I want sashimi, whenever I want skewers, or just whenever I'm looking for a decent-vibe izakaya in Konkuk haha.

This time I had sashimi and skewers together, so next time I'll have to try something else 🍢 Haru Konkuk Branch is a great pick for a day when you're looking for dinner and drinks in Konkuk~