Beomgye bar with outdoor seats and chili fish cake: Cheolgil Busanjip

Today I'm introducing a Beomgye bar that's great for a relaxed second round of drinks. I love oden bars and seek them out often, and this time I went back to Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch after a while. Warm fish cake broth, a variety of fish cakes, and the must-order beef tataki — it's the perfect spot for a drink haha.

Location and hours of Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch

Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch is at 19 Pyeongchon-daero 217beon-gil, 1F #106, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 287m from Exit 3 of Beomgye Station. It's open from 17:00 to 02:00, every day of the year.

• Amenities: no kids zone, corkage allowed (fee), groups welcome, reservations, Wi-Fi
• Parking: available (fee), ₩600 for the first 30 minutes, ₩300 per additional 10 minutes

There are outdoor bar seats set up in front of the shop. Once the weather cools down, sitting outside with fish cakes and a beer would really set the mood.

A Japanese pojangmacha-style interior

Inside, Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch really gives off that Japanese pojangmacha (street food cart) vibe. The soft lighting made it comfortable, and it seemed like a good spot for friends or even a date. If you're looking for a Beomgye bar, it's worth a visit for the atmosphere alone.

What we ordered — fish cake set for two and beef tataki

We ordered the fish cake set for two and the beef tataki. Cheolgil Busanjip is known for its oden bar, but personally I think the beef tataki is the real must-order. I order it every time I come, and this time it didn't disappoint either.

A small dish of soy sauce came with pickled radish and wasabi. Pour the soy sauce and dip the fish cake in haha.

Every table has its own pot for keeping the fish cakes warm. While waiting, I scooped up a bit of the broth first — that exact familiar taste from street food carts! Great for sipping between drinks. The broth is really the charm of an oden bar haha.

Fish cake set for two — choosing spicy fish cake and whole shrimp fish cake

You can choose 2 types of fish cake, so we picked spicy fish cake and whole shrimp fish cake.

The set for two was hearty — mul-tteok, fried tofu mochi pouch, black konjac, fish cake balls, curly fish cake, and the two fish cakes we picked.

We put the fish cakes we wanted into the pot to warm them, then dipped them lightly in soy sauce. The fish cakes were so plump and bouncy, really delicious. The whole shrimp fish cake had shrimp bits you could bite into for a nutty flavor, and the spicy fish cake had a gentle kick that cut the richness — we devoured it.

Beef tataki, ₩22,000

Looks delicious just from the visuals, right?!

Seared only on the outside, it keeps a soft texture, and the more you chew, the more the savory beef flavor spreads. Above all, the special sauce drizzled on top pairs really well. Its sweet-and-tangy umami lifts the beef's flavor even more, and eating it with the salad adds a crunchy texture too — so good ㅠㅠ. It was the perfect drinking snack, and the two of us finished it off in no time haha.

A good second-round bar in Beomgye?

Warm fish cake broth, a variety of fish cakes, and beef tataki — everything was satisfying at this Beomgye bar, Cheolgil Busanjip. It felt like a better fit for a relaxed second round than a first stop, and anyone who loves oden bars will surely be happy here! If you're looking for a good-atmosphere Beomgye bar, give Cheolgil Busanjip a try.