Dog-friendly Seoul izakaya, crab roe pasta and aged sashimi: Tenjo

On days when I want a drink, I always end up craving a good izakaya with a nice atmosphere. I especially love the combo of sashimi with sake and finishing off with a delicious pasta. This time, while searching for an izakaya in Eunpyeong-gu, I remembered Simyasikdang Tenjo.

Actually, this wasn't my first visit. I've been coming here on and off for a whopping four years now, and there's one menu item I always think of whenever I go — the crab guts pasta! This time I also ordered aged sashimi and warm tokkuri sake, so I got to enjoy the place properly again after a while 🍶

Where is Simyasikdang Tenjo and when is it open?

Simyasikdang Tenjo is located at 71 Geobukgol-ro 20-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea, on the 1st floor. It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 16:00 to 02:00, and closed every Monday.

• 📍 Location: 71 Geobukgol-ro 20-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 1st floor
• ⏰ Hours: Tue–Sun 16:00–02:00
• 🚫 Closed: Every Monday
• ⭐ Other info: Dogs welcome

What seating does Simyasikdang Tenjo have inside?

Going deeper into Tenjo, you'll find everything from bar seating to tables. It's a good spot for a light solo drink and also fine for a night out with friends.

Group bookings are possible too — there's group seating listed that fits a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 people.

Can you bring a dog to Tenjo?

Tenjo's biggest perk!! Dogs are welcome here 🐶🤍 I actually visited this time with my own dog. If you'd like to enjoy a meal or drinks with your pet, I'd recommend checking with the restaurant beforehand about available seating and conditions for pets.

What's on the menu at Simyasikdang Tenjo

Tenjo has quite a diverse menu. From sashimi to yakitori, nabe (hot pot), pasta, and fried dishes, there's a wide range of good drinking snacks.

What Ppotang ordered at Tenjo

The today's assorted sashimi in particular is noted to change depending on which fish come in from the early morning market. So you might get a slightly different lineup every time you visit — that's part of the fun of ordering the aged sashimi. Since you never know which fish will show up that day, there's more enjoyment in hearing the explanation and tasting it than just picking from a menu.

Once you sit down, a basic side dish comes out first. To me it looked close to a corn salad, but it had a lighter, more textured style than the usual mayo-based corn salad.

Warm sake in a tokkuri: pick your own cup

When I ordered the warm tokkuri, I found out you get to choose your own cup. I love picking things like this, haha.

After some deliberation I went with the raccoon dog cup. But seriously, why is the cup so cute?? 🦝 With a bottle of tokkuri paired with such a cute cup, it made for fun photos too. Little touches like this made the drinking atmosphere even more enjoyable.

Blue crab roe pasta, the dish I've ordered for four years

The dish I personally look forward to most whenever I come to Tenjo — the crab guts pasta 🦀🍝 I've been eating this since four years ago, and I'm always so relieved to see it's still on the menu every time I visit.

The sauce is very rich and coats the noodles thickly, giving it a hearty, thick texture. Rather than the fishy taste of crab guts, it leans more toward rich and savory, which is why I like it. It works great as a drinking snack, but if you're someone who genuinely loves pasta, it's good enough to enjoy as a full meal too.

What's in Tenjo's today's assorted aged sashimi

One plate was packed with so many different kinds of fish and seafood that I was glad we'd ordered the version for 3.

From what I remember, there was gizzard shad, herring, squid, mackerel, sweet shrimp, flounder, sea bream, baby octopus, salmon, tuna, and more.

Since the today's assortment can change depending on which fish come in that day, what I had on my visit may be different from what you'll find on yours.

Picking up a piece of aged sashimi, dipping it lightly in soy sauce, and pouring a cup from the tokkuri — it was so good, you have no idea.

Especially with rich-flavored fish like mackerel or herring, pairing them with warm sake really brought out the fish's savory quality even more.

Is Simyasikdang Tenjo worth it? Final verdict

Visiting Simyasikdang Tenjo after a while, the thing I was personally happiest about was that the crab guts pasta I've been eating since four years ago is still on the menu. Also, since the sashimi lineup changes with whatever fish comes in that day, you get to enjoy slightly different flavors each time you visit — which makes it fun.

Above all, having both bar seating and tables meant it worked well for a casual solo drink and for chatting with friends. Being able to bring my dog along was another big plus for me 🐶🤍

If you're near Bukgajwa-dong or Jeungsan Station looking for a place to have aged sashimi with a drink, or craving that rich crab guts pasta, this is worth a visit. Next time I go, I'll probably order the crab guts pasta first again, too.