Nonhyeon Station izakaya: spicy motsunabe with lemon sour at Gobusi
In short
Gobusi Nonhyeon Branch is a Japanese-style izakaya in an alley off Gangnam-daero 91-gil in Seocho, Seoul, a short walk from Nonhyeon Station. The spicy motsunabe (offal hot pot) simmers at the table so you can fish out the beef intestine, and Gobusi serves it with lemon sour at 9,000 won, a highball at 8,500 won and draft beer at 9,000 won, plus a 7-piece assorted skewer set. Ordering the skewers alongside the hot pot beat the motsunabe on its own, and the outdoor terrace seats suited the autumn weather.
Good to know
- Location
- 15 Gangnam-daero 91-gil, 1F, Seocho-gu, Seoul
- Hours
- Mon–Tue 17:00–00:50 (next day)
- Parking
- Free parking to the right of the restaurant
- Seating
- Indoor tables for 2 and 4, outdoor terrace seats
- Lemon sour
- 9,000 won
- Highball
- 8,500 won
- Draft beer
- 9,000 won
- What we ordered
- Motsunabe (spicy), assorted skewer set (7 kinds)
- Price reference
- ₩9,000 ≈ $6.5 · ₩8,500 ≈ $6.1 (2026-09-20)
as written by the visitor on Sep 20, 2026
Gobusi
What kind of bar is Gobusi Nonhyeon?
Gobusi Nonhyeon Branch is an izakaya located at 15 Gangnam-daero 91-gil, 1F, Seocho-gu, Seoul, tucked in a Nonhyeon backstreet. The Nonhyeon area has so many bars and izakayas that it's hard to decide where to go, but I heard there was a spot in the Nonhyeon alleys with real Japanese izakaya vibes, so I went to check it out. Gobusi in particular is famous for its motsunabe (offal hot pot).
Gobusi Nonhyeon location, hours and parking
- 📍 Location: 15 Gangnam-daero 91-gil, 1F, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 🕖 Hours: Mon–Tue 17:00 to 00:50 the next day
- 🅿️ Parking: Free parking available to the right of the restaurant
Inside Gobusi Nonhyeon and its outdoor terrace seats
Once you step inside Gobusi Nonhyeon, the Japanese izakaya atmosphere hits you right away. A lot of places these days dress themselves up with a few Japanese props to look the part, but Gobusi wasn't like that — the whole space genuinely felt Japanese. Indoor seating comes as 2-tops and 4-tops.
Like stumbling on a small izakaya down a random alley while traveling in Japan, this Nonhyeon bar didn't feel flashily decorated — it felt warm and homey.
There's an outdoor terrace, which is perfect for this autumn weather! Having a drink at the outdoor terrace seating.
The free side dish: soy-braised konjac
Before the food comes out, you get a basic side of soy-braised konjac. It's a sweet-savory soy braise with quail eggs and konjac — it tastes exactly like a home-cooked side dish my mom would make!! So good. It's a simple little banchan (side dish), but I kept reaching for it and honestly wanted to try making it myself.
Gobusi's signature spicy motsunabe (offal hot pot)
Motsunabe (spicy)
Gobusi's signature dish is motsunabe. The pot comes generously packed with ingredients, and there's a lot of motsu (offal) in it. It doesn't arrive fully cooked — instead it simmers away right at your table, which made it even better.
Once the pot started boiling, the vegetables wilted into the broth and the flavor deepened noticeably. What looked like a clean, light broth at first got richer with the ingredients' flavor the longer it cooked, and it looked really appetizing.
Fishing out the plump large intestine and eating it — the outside was chewy and springy while the inside was soft, with a savory flavor that came through more the longer you chewed. Eating the large intestine with the hot broth and then taking a sip of cold draft beer right after was a great combo.
What to drink with motsunabe: lemon sour 9,000 won, highball 8,500 won
Lemon sour ₩9,000 Highball ₩8,500
At Gobusi Nonhyeon, lemon sour is ₩9,000 and highball is ₩8,500. The lemon sour tasted exactly like its name — refreshing and lemony. It wasn't just a sweet sour cocktail; the tart lemon flavor cleaned my palate and went down really easily. It paired perfectly with the motsunabe. The highball was a bit cleaner and drier than the lemon sour, with a deep whiskey flavor and carbonation that matched well with the food we ordered.
The broth matters a lot in motsunabe, right? The savory flavor from the large intestine naturally blended with the vegetables, and the taste got deeper the longer it simmered. The first spoonful and the broth after it had simmered for a while tasted completely different. Especially while drinking, the warm broth in between sips really helped reset the palate.
The 7-kind skewer set, and why to order it with the motsunabe
Assorted skewer set (7 pieces)
It felt like too little to just eat motsunabe, so we also ordered the yakitori assorted skewer set. Ordering the assortment meant several different skewers arrived at once, which was great. The subtle grilled aroma and smoky char rising off the nicely browned skewers really stirred up the appetite.
Eating a bite of the broth-based motsunabe, then picking up a skewer of yakitori in between. Have a bite of skewer, then order a cold draft beer to wash it down — absolutely delicious.
The skewers were nicely browned all over on the outside and juicy on the inside. They weren't grilled so hard that they turned dry — I could enjoy them properly. The seasoning wasn't overly strong either, so sprinkling on some shichimi (Japanese seven-spice) made them even tastier.
Personally, I'd recommend ordering the assorted skewers alongside the motsunabe rather than just eating the hot pot alone.
Draft beer at 9,000 won
Draft beer ₩9,000
The draft beer was full of carbonation. A moderate amount of soft foam sat on top, and the crisp refreshing taste cut right through the greasiness of the food — after a heavy meal, one sip and that heaviness on your palate disappears completely.
Is Gobusi Nonhyeon worth a visit?
Gobusi Nonhyeon Branch was great for enjoying motsunabe and yakitori together in a space with real Japanese atmosphere. I'd recommend this izakaya, Gobusi, to anyone setting up a dinner with friends in Nonhyeon or looking for a good date-night spot.
Where it is
15 Gangnam-daero 91-gil, 1F, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 서초구 강남대로91길 15 1층
