Aged sashimi platter and sukiyaki at Yurak, a Bupyeong izakaya

Where is Yurak near Bupyeong Station?

Yurak is a second-floor aged-sashimi izakaya right in the busiest part of Bupyeong Station's Theme Street. The address is 16 Gyeongwondae-ro 1403beon-gil, 2nd floor, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, and it's open Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 2am, Friday and Saturday until 3am, closed every Sunday.

Today I'm bringing you a story from a proper night of drinking in Bupyeong after a while haha. Bupyeong has so many bars and good restaurants that I always end up agonizing over where to go, but on days I'm craving sashimi or seafood, there's one place that quietly comes to mind more often than not. That's Yurak, the aged-sashimi spot in Bupyeong!

Yurak, well known as an aged-sashimi spot near Bupyeong Station, sits right in the liveliest part of Theme Street. This wasn't actually my first visit — I've been here so many times I've lost count — but coming back after a while, it was just as satisfying, so this time I finally decided to write a proper post about it.

Yurak's atmosphere: drinks with friends or a date?

Yurak is an izakaya near Bupyeong Station that anyone who likes aged sashimi or seasonal seafood has probably heard of. Whenever I want sashimi in Bupyeong, I end up searching around and, more often than not, coming back to Yurak.

One reason I personally like this place is that it's not just about the sashimi — the atmosphere for a proper drink is well set up too. It's not too bright or chaotic, has just the right mood, and works well for talking at the table, so it's good for drinks with friends and also fine for a date or a casual chat over drinks.

What comes with Yurak's assorted aged sashimi platter?

This time there was no hesitation — I ordered the assorted aged sashimi platter. Since we came for sashimi, you've got to start strong with the main dish haha. There's plenty of seafood variety beyond the platter itself, and the whole menu leans toward drinking snacks, which sets the mood perfectly for a few drinks!

Another thing I think is a strength of Yurak is the menu composition — the assorted aged sashimi platter comes with sukiyaki and braised fish too, so ordering one menu felt like getting several different snacks. Especially when you're drinking, it's nice to have a warm dish come in every so often instead of just eating sashimi the whole time. That's why having sukiyaki alongside was great — you could eat sashimi, then have something with broth, then pick at the braised fish, and enjoy a bit of everything.

Three bottles of soju on a second round: how was the aged sashimi?

And of course, soju is essential at a sashimi place — I was actually worried since we were dropping in for a second round that night, but I didn't need to be, because the snacks were so good the soju just went down smoothly. Sashimi and soju really is a dangerous combination. Yurak's atmosphere in particular makes you feel less like you're rushing to drink and more like you're slowly eating and chatting, and before you know it, another empty bottle has appeared haha.

When I eat sashimi, taste matters, but I also personally care quite a bit about clean plating, and Yurak was satisfying on that front too. There's also that distinctly chewy yet soft texture of aged sashimi, which made it perfect as a drinking snack.

One piece of sashimi, one shot of soju, then another piece of sashimi — eating like that, the soju really did just go down smoothly...

In the end, even though it was our second round that night, we neatly finished three bottles of soju. Even I was thinking 'am I drinking a lot today?' as I went, but with good snacks in front of me, the soju kept going in haha. By the end I think I was a bit tipsy too...

Next time I'm craving aged sashimi or seasonal seafood in Bupyeong, I'll probably end up back at Yurak again. Already an N-th visit, and still satisfying every time! If you're looking for an aged-sashimi or seasonal-seafood spot in Bupyeong, give Yurak a try!!