Hapjeong izakaya on a rainy day: kushikatsu & tebasaki set, Soottori

On rainy days, for some reason you crave a drink under warm lighting. A Hapjeong izakaya: Soottori.

Today I'm bringing you a story about Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong, which was even better because it was raining. Let's start! GO GO~!

What kind of izakaya is Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong?

Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong is a Hapjeong izakaya (Japanese-style pub) where you can enjoy charcoal-grilled skewers and plenty of other dishes in one place. A little while ago, on a rainy day, I visited Soottori, which matched the damp alley mood perfectly, and I was really happy with it! Skewers at an izakaya usually add up to a pricey bill, but Soottori even has a value set, a total win. I just had to introduce it, haha.

Soottori is an izakaya brand serving a variety of charcoal-grilled skewers and dishes. They say they use good ingredients and cook them with care. The menu centers on the subtle aroma and smoky flavor of charcoal, and you get a Japanese pub atmosphere, so it works for a casual drink or for a day when you want to enjoy good snacks with your alcohol.

Soottori's exterior and mood on a rainy day

The exterior of Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong has a big glowing yellow sign and warm lighting. It reminded me of an izakaya you stumble upon in an alley while traveling in Japan.

Maybe because I visited on a rainy day, the softly glowing lights and the wet street made it feel like I was in some alley in Japan rather than Seoul. The view of the interior through the big windows looked like a local Japanese pub, which made me oddly happy. I'm taking a break for the midsummer, so I was just missing a trip to Japan, lol.

Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong opening hours and info

• Opening hours: (Sun–Thu) 6pm – 4am / (Fri, Sat) 5pm – 4am
• Last order: one hour before closing
• Corkage (paid), groups welcome, takeout available
• Pets allowed, no parking

Is Soottori spacious inside, with group seating?

Inside, Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong is large, the tables are spaced comfortably, and there is separate group seating. The moment you walk in, the Japanese pub mood is everywhere~ The spacious room has Japanese-style decor here and there, and on one wall an anime plays from a projector, adding to the unusual vibe. Even the music was familiar Japanese songs, so it felt like I had teleported to Japan. Hehe.

The place is quite big, with plenty of tables and room between them, so it's comfortable for a drinking session. It was already full of customers, and the lively buzz felt just like a local spot in Japan, haha.

There's separate group seating too, so it would be good for a big gang of friends or a group gathering. We sat at the bar table where we could look out the window and fully enjoyed the rainy-day atmosphere.

Soottori menu and how to order

At Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong you can pick from the big menu board at the front of the shop or the tablet on the table. I had already gotten a rough idea from the board out front, haha. The menu is more varied than I expected, with simple dishes and main dishes too, so you could go from the first round to the last train in one spot.

The table had a tablet for easy ordering and a range of sauces. You can even switch the ordering screen to Korean, which cracked me up, lol.

There are so many kinds of menu items that the scroll goes on forever. From set menus to single skewers, main dishes, soups and light nibbles, they really have everything, haha. The signature Sootmakase set especially looked enormous, lol. Lots of food and lots of variety, so I was really curious, but there were only two of us; plus we'd been eating all day and were already full, so we decided to come back for the signature set another time with a party of friends, haha.

A receipt review event was also going on when I visited~ You can get a fruit highball or 2 pieces of spicy rump skewers.

What's in Soottori's value set, and how much is it?

Soottori's value set comes with 5 kushikatsu (breaded, deep-fried skewers), tebasaki (fried chicken wings) and 2 draft beers for ₩24,900. I was going to order à la carte, but the value set had a great lineup at a low price, so I ordered it right away, lol. ₩24,900, what a bargain!

The table setting: shrimp chips and cabbage

Even the table setting at Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong feels just like Japan, haha. You get crispy shrimp chips and cabbage. But this is Korea, right? There's no otoshi (cover charge)!!!!!!

The icy draft beer came out first! I said the basic snacks alone would carry me through a few glasses, haha. Soottori's glasses and coasters are so cute, too! My sister, who goes full shopping-mode at anything cute, even asked if they sell merchandise. Sadly, they don't ;ㅅ;

Charcoal skewers in the glass-walled kitchen

Another charm of Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong is the glass-walled kitchen. After you order, you can watch them grill the skewers over charcoal. When I asked if I could take photos, they said yes so happily, lol. They've even got details like this, so why did I only find this place now?

How were the 5 kushikatsu?

The value set's 5 kushikatsu came out first, made up of cheese, chicken tenderloin, sausage, lotus root and quail egg, and they were better than I expected, which surprised me. A proper lineup, and can you see how generous the portion is?

Still, I figured that since we came all this way we should have some yakitori too, so I added negima and heart skewers à la carte, and I have to reflect on that;; I had no idea there'd be this much food ;ㅁ;

Kushikatsu is all about crunch, and these were freshly fried, so you could practically see the crispiness. When I cut the cheese kushikatsu in half, wow~ I couldn't not take a cross-section photo. It was tastier than what I ate at Daruma in Osaka, and that says it all, and it's much cheaper too!

How many pieces of tebasaki come in the set?

The set's tebasaki came neatly arranged, a whopping 12 pieces. I was seriously shocked. This value set is amazing.

The moment it arrived, a strong black pepper aroma hit my nose~ I was stuffed, yet I kept reaching for these magical chicken wings!! So salty that it makes you call for more beer!

Negima and heart yakitori ordered à la carte

The yakitori I added à la carte were the classics, negima (chicken and leek) and heart. With the set menu already in front of us and the skewers on top, the amount was dizzying, lol. Seeing the skewers full of charcoal aroma brought my appetite right back. They were cooked just right, with a faint smoky flavor outside and juicy inside, so delicious!

Wow.. with the set menu and the skewers in front of us, it was a proper full spread, lol. A Hapjeong izakaya with this value, what can I even say;;

Sitting side by side with my sister, looking out at the rainy Hapjeong alley, chatting away and eating good food, I was so happy~ We sat there quite a long time, but in the end the two of us finished everything, lol.

Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong in one line

A romantic night sipping drinks while looking out at the rainy alley, and totally satisfied with the great-value set too!

It was an evening made even more atmospheric by the rain. Under warm lighting I got plenty of Japanese vibes, and I had a relaxed drink with charcoal-scented food. The mood was great, and the variety of menu items in reasonably priced sets made me very satisfied. If you're looking for a spot for a date or a get-together with friends, come check out the Hapjeong izakaya Soottori Hongdae Hapjeong, haha.