Cheese tofu and Course A at Yakitori Sogi, a Gyeongju yakitori bar

My ten-year friend and I had a really fun trip to Gyeongju — we're both the type who love drinks plus good snacks, so we went hunting for an atmospheric Gyeongju izakaya and found this place: Yakitori Sogi.

It's hidden in the Hwangnam Market alley just off Hwangridan-gil, and it's a spot where you can enjoy a seriously well-made yakitori course omakase-style at a reasonable price. I have such good memories of eating here — this is the place where my friend kept hitting my shoulder about five hundred million times going on about how good it was, haha.

Where is Yakitori Sogi? The Hwangnam Market alley inside Hwangridan-gil

Yakitori Sogi is a yakitori-focused izakaya tucked in the Hwangnam Market alley just inside Hwangridan-gil, Gyeongju. It sits right where the quiet hanok streets of Hwangridan-gil meet the vintage market atmosphere of Hwangnam Market.

Inside Yakitori Sogi: open kitchen and dachi counter seats

Inside, the space centers on dachi (counter) seats wrapped around an open kitchen. Walk through the door and it's straight-up late-night Japanese izakaya energy.

The counter seats, where you can watch the skewers being grilled over charcoal right in front of you, make for the best Gyeongju date spot. The table next to us was actually on a date.

The speaker!! Isn't that cool? And the music selection was really my style. A Gyeongju izakaya where mellow songs play beautifully in the background.

Honest review of Course A at Yakitori Sogi

1. Sous vide chicken breast salad

The first course was a sous vide chicken breast salad — fresh vegetables and a light dressing made it refreshing. A perfect starter feel.

2. Cheese tofu, the dish to order

This cheese tofu is a real signature — you should absolutely add it on even if ordering solo!

Chewy like mochi tofu but with a soft cream cheese flavor spreading through your mouth, and topped with a bit of sharp fresh wasabi on the sweet, savory cheese tofu — that umami explosion was totally my style.

3. Six yakitori skewers: tenderloin, oyster thigh, gizzard, leg, neck, chicken skin

For the main event, the grilled skewers, they really nailed the grilling to bring out the best of each cut. Started with a Kirin draft beer first.

(1) Tenderloin — lightly seared on the outside to keep the soft texture, it melted in my mouth.

Dipped in shichimi, it was really delicious.

(2) Sot-l'y-laisse (hip joint meat)

True to its reputation as a premium specialty cut that only comes in tiny amounts per chicken, the springy, chewy texture and concentrated juiciness were excellent.

(3) Gizzard — no gamey smell, with a distinctive crunchy-yet-chewy texture that was really appealing.

(4) Whole thigh meat — the rich fat bursting out of the thick meat balanced beautifully with sweet scallions. The pairing with wasabi was also excellent.

(5) Neck meat — this one stood out especially. On top of the fatty, savory grilled neck meat, they add whisky-marinated whole grain mustard, and that sauce was the real kick. Sharp yet deep, it cleaned up all the chicken fat perfectly.

(6) Chicken skin

The chicken skin with sansho pepper powder was really tasty.

(7) Tsukune (grilled chicken meatball skewer)

This is a dish I order at every izakaya, no matter where — and it was seriously, seriously delicious. I nearly slurped up every last drop of the soy sauce.

4. Grilled shiitake and marinated tomato

The grilled shiitake burst with mushroom juice the moment I bit in, with a flavor rivaling meat, while the sweet-and-sour marinated tomato cut through the lingering fat and refreshed the palate.

5. Chicken karaage

Crispy fried chicken comes with a soft potato salad on the side. My friend fell completely in love with this one, haha. Crispy outside, moist inside — freshly fried karaage piled with cold, savory potato salad, and eating them together... honestly, so good.

Crunchy and soft at the same time — the kind of flavor that just makes you sigh in admiration.

6. Chicken gomtang, the best soju pairing of the night

The chicken gomtang served as the closing dish drew a gasp from the very first sip of broth.

Slow-simmered chicken bones made for a milky, deep broth — spicy-ish yet light, and totally filling.

Drinking it felt like it was curing my hangover in real time, so my friend and I each polished off a bottle of soju. A broth that magically calls for drinks — I fully admit it!

7. Shiso sherbet

For the final dessert, the shiso sherbet was refreshment distilled. The fragrance of the distinctly Japanese shiso leaf paired beautifully with the cool sherbet texture.

Is Course A worth 30,000 won at Yakitori Sogi in Gyeongju?

If you want a proper Japanese-style skewer experience in Gyeongju, Yakitori Sogi is a hot spot worth recommending. At a price that's almost hard to believe, in the 30,000-won range, it covers everything from appetizers to premium specialty skewers, a side of fried chicken, a hearty soup, and dessert — and it was genuinely great.

A Hwangridan-gil restaurant-bar and a Gyeongju izakaya full of atmosphere — I'm recommending Yakitori Sogi with real affection!