Early-opening Balsan pub, bone-in chicken stew: Yeonnam Jumak 1987

I finally had a drinks date with my friends after ages! We were meeting early in Balsan, so I looked for a pub that works as a first round and can carry on into a second, and ended up at Yeonnam Jumak 1987 Balsan branch (연남주막1987 발산점). It's a Korean pub, so we could have a proper filling meal, and I liked the light snacks and the wide lineup of traditional liquors too.

Where is Yeonnam Jumak 1987 Balsan branch, and is there parking?

Yeonnam Jumak 1987 Balsan branch is just a 3-minute walk from Balsan Station Exit 9. Being so close to the subway makes it easy to pick as a meeting spot, and getting home after drinking is no hassle. If you drive, the Magnum 797 basement car park gives you up to 2 hours of free parking, so that's easy too.

The exterior suits a Korean pub: a red brick look topped with traditional roof tiles, which gives it a distinctive feel. There's also a big tiger doll out front, so it was easy to spot.

Is there a seat at this Balsan pub right when it opens?

We went right at the weekday opening time of 4pm, and I was surprised that more than half the seats were already taken. You can tell it's a famous hot spot among Balsan pubs, so I'd guess there's a wait around 6pm on Fridays or weekends.

Interior and seating

Inside, you get that warm, cozy Korean pub atmosphere, and the size is just right, neither small nor huge. Most seats are tables for 4, but there's also a table for 6, and some small groups were there when we visited.

Opening hours: why it works for both first and second rounds

Yeonnam Jumak 1987 Balsan branch opens early, at 4pm on weekdays and 2pm on weekends, and stays open until 2:30am. The separated tables for 4 give you some privacy, which was great for a get-together with close friends. Because it opens early, it's perfect when you're hunting for a Balsan pub for a first round, and because it closes late, you needn't worry about a second round either. The convenience is just unbeatable, honestly.

The menu is wide too, from hearty meals to light snacks, and all three friends I came with liked this Balsan pub.

Why is the dakdori-tang the signature dish at Yeonnam Jumak 1987?

We got there around 4pm and were hungry, so the first thing we ordered was the dakdori-tang (Korean spicy chicken stew). It's a signature dish along with the gopdori-tang and kkotdori-tang, and after one taste I understood right away why it's the star.

You can choose boneless or bone-in, and we went with bone-in. It arrives already cooked in a big pot, so you can start eating straight away, which was handy. The smell of the simmering broth was already great, and the chicken was tender, neither tough nor dry. The seasoning was just right: sweet, spicy and salty all at once.

We ended up adding fried rice and finishing every last spoonful of the sauce. Highly recommended!

How were the makgeolli and jeon pairings?

Another plus at Yeonnam Jumak 1987 Balsan branch is the lineup of different makgeolli (milky rice wine) and traditional liquors, so trying them one by one is fun. We started with the standard Jipyeong makgeolli, then tried the chestnut makgeolli too. It was nutty and rich, and went really well with the Korean dishes.

When we were fairly full, we ordered the seafood chive jeon (savory Korean pancake) as our second dish. It came out grilled just right, crispy yet moist, and went so well with the makgeolli. There are 8 kinds of jeon, so if you come for a second round, I think it'd be nice to pick one jeon and enjoy it lightly with sips of makgeolli.

Why I'd come back to this Balsan pub

On the way out they give you a mini yakgwa (honey cookie) as dessert, so we finished on a happy note. It suits both a first round with a real meal and a light second round. The atmosphere is good, and the generous hours, opening early and closing late, make it a place I'll remember whenever I'm looking for a Balsan pub :)