Dodam-dong izakaya in Sejong with a tuna set and ankimo sauce: Honma

I was looking for an izakaya (Japanese pub) with a good mood in Sejong and ended up at Izakaya Honma (이자카야 혼마) in the Dodam-dong eating alley. Honma has held the same spot for 8 years, and it already has a word-of-mouth following for fresh bluefin tuna and a wide range of Japanese dishes. I was especially curious about the tuna, sweet shrimp and uni set, which is said to be the popular pick. Having been, I was very happy with it: the food quality is great and the service is generous too. If you are looking for a Sejong izakaya or a good eat in Dodam-dong, have a look at this post!

Where is Honma in Dodam-dong, and what are the hours and parking?

Izakaya Honma is at 8-12 Bodeum 3-ro, Room 123, 1st floor, Sejong, South Korea, in the Dodam-dong eating alley. It is open daily from 17:00 to 01:00 (last order 23:30). You can use the building's underground parking.

• Address: 8-12 Bodeum 3-ro, Room 123, 1st floor, Sejong, South Korea
• Hours: daily 17:00-01:00 / last order 23:30
• Parking: building underground parking available
• How to find it: orange sign to the right of Wanmi Jokbal (pork trotters restaurant), in the Dodam-dong eating alley facing the shop building, not on the big main road

You can park in the building's underground lot. Parking is easy in most of Sejong, which is so convenient.

What is the atmosphere inside Honma like?

The inside has a warm, cozy Japanese-style interior with bamboo blinds at every table, so it suits dates, get-togethers with friends and company dinners alike.

The cozy interior and even the little props bring in Japanese details, so I felt like I had popped over to Japan for a bit! Bamboo blinds hang over each table, adding that typical izakaya feel and naturally blocking sightlines, so we could eat in a relaxed mood. It works well for dates, and also for friend get-togethers or company dinners.

Honma menu and nomihodai price

Honma focuses on bluefin tuna sashimi and set menus, and the most popular item is the set with tuna, sweet shrimp and uni. The 90-minute all-you-can-drink (nomihodai) of highballs and sake is ₩14,900 per person.

Honma sells a variety of sashimi and set menus built around bluefin tuna. The set with tuna, sweet shrimp and uni was the most popular, and there were also mixed skewers plus a range of snacks and drinks, so it is a good lineup for a drink or two. The tablet has detailed descriptions of each menu item, which made ordering easy.

Besides raw fish there are also karaage (Japanese fried chicken), fried dishes and soups, so you can enjoy a lot of variety. Nomihodai with 90 minutes of highballs and sake is ₩14,900 per person! Great value, right? A treat for anyone who loves a drink!!

Service events at Honma

Izakaya Honma runs several events, so we got to eat even more generously. For the receipt review event we got one Terra draft beer or highball, and following on Naver got us a mini fish cake soup as a freebie. Honma is so generous!

Honma tuna, sweet shrimp and uni set for two plus anki sauce: what was the bill?

Two of us ordered the tuna, sweet shrimp and uni set for two (₩55,000) plus anki (monkfish liver) sauce (₩4,000), for a total of ₩59,000. The mini fish cake soup and Terra draft beer came as event freebies.

• Tuna, sweet shrimp and uni set for two ₩55,000
• Anki sauce add-on ₩4,000
• Mini fish cake soup freebie for following on Naver
• Terra draft beer freebie for a photo receipt review
• Total ₩59,000

The basic side dishes were cabbage, sauce and yuzu pickled radish. The fresh yuzu radish especially got my appetite going.

Does the set come with vinegared rice and gamtae?

Yes, Honma's set comes with vinegared rice and gamtae (seaweed) as standard. Soon the main set arrived, and it was really satisfying from the looks alone. Vividly colored bluefin tuna, sweet shrimp and uni were plated beautifully, and with the vinegared rice and gamtae alongside, we could eat in whatever combination we wanted. I didn't know the vinegared rice was included and ordered extra, but a staff member explained it comes as standard, so I cancelled the extra order. The staff were really kind!

What a hearty spread~ What I ordered was the set for two, and the mini fish cake soup and Terra draft beer were freebies.

How do Honma's tuna, sweet shrimp and uni taste?

Honma's tuna was cut thick and melted softly, the sweet shrimp was plump and sweet, and the uni was rich with no fishy taste. I tried the tuna first: thick slices with a great texture, and each cut kept its savory flavor. The way it melted softly in my mouth was really satisfying. The sweet shrimp was plump with a sweet umami, and the uni was also rich without any fishiness, so eating it with tuna, wasabi and gamtae was the best combination.

Is the anki sauce add-on (₩4,000) worth it?

For me, adding Honma's anki sauce was the best decision. With it the richness and umami came up another notch, and the tuna flavor felt even deeper. If you usually like anki, definitely add it!

How was the freebie mini fish cake soup?

Honma's mini fish cake soup, a freebie for following on Naver, was mini in name only. It had plenty of napa cabbage and fish cake, and the broth was refreshing, so it was perfect for a spoonful between bites of tuna. It went well as a drinking snack too and lifted the overall satisfaction.

Is Izakaya Honma in Dodam-dong worth going back to?

If I lived in Sejong instead of just visiting, I would definitely become a regular. If you are looking for a bar with a good mood in Dodam-dong or a Sejong izakaya, I can happily recommend it for dates, friend get-togethers and company dinners. Next time I plan to go back for other cuts of tuna and the skewers.