Aged sashimi platter (9 kinds) at Irow, a Gwangjin-gu izakaya

Irow, an izakaya near Gunja Station busy even on a Sunday evening

Irow 📍 17 Myeonmok-ro, 1st floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul ⏰ Daily 17:00–02:00 ✔️ Naver Reservations available ⭕

Last weekend, a last-minute plan came up and I ended up at Irow, an izakaya near Gunja Station.

It was around 6pm on a Sunday, and despite that, there were quite a lot of customers. It's an izakaya, but the bright, cozy atmosphere felt more like an Instagram-worthy wine bar in Seochon ✨

What we ordered — the sashimi platter and Hanmac draft beer

The menu at Irow, near Gunja Station, is divided into sashimi, fried dishes, soups, stir-fries, and sides! We were craving something fresh, so first we ordered the signature sashimi platter, one Hanmac draft beer, and one bottle of Saero 🤘

Vinegar-chili sauce, soy sauce, and pickled radish arrived for dipping the sashimi

Hanmac draft beer ₩6,000 Saero ₩5,000 Our dry throats got their draft beer and soju. We only ordered one draft beer to share since we wanted just one round of somaek (soju-beer mix) each — and honestly, that Hanmac draft was tasty?🍺

Sashimi Platter ₩39,000 — how many kinds of aged sashimi do you get?

Sashimi Platter (assorted sashimi) ₩39,000

Order the assorted sashimi and you get 7–9 kinds of aged sashimi, with the lineup changing by season.

That day it was nine kinds — salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp, flounder, mackerel, octopus and more — served with pickled ginger, fresh wasabi, and radish sprouts (no pickled kimuchi radish ❌). We started with the mildest white fish first!

Each fish had a different texture, flavor, and preparation, so it was fun eating through them one by one!

In particular, the flounder sashimi — the classic aged fish — was so chewy and really delicious 🤤

Fried Tofu (complimentary)

While we were eating the aged sashimi, the staff brought around complimentary fried tofu for every table. It was a different style of fried tofu topped with a Japanese-style sauce and bonito flakes — tasty enough that I wanted to order more, but it wasn't even on the menu 😓

Beef Brisket Bean Sprout Stir-fry ₩23,000 — what happened when we tried to order yakisoba

Beef brisket bean sprout stir-fry ₩23,000

After finishing the sashimi, our appetite picked up and we wanted something cooked, so we ordered the beef brisket bean sprout stir-fry. The fried tofu sauce had been so good that I figured a similarly styled stir-fry dish would be tasty too, and tried to order the yakisoba — but ended up accidentally ordering the bean sprout stir-fry pictured above the yakisoba on the menu. Oh well, no weight gain, so it's a win anyway~ I told myself, and dug in. Woohoo!

Generous portion, tasty sauce, light but filling — a great drinking snack.

Potato Salad Crackers (complimentary)

While we were eating the bean sprout stir-fry, the staff suddenly brought out another complimentary dish — potato salad crackers. One dish ordered, one freebie given — do they even make a profit..?💌 (I love you) The potato salad crackers were also incredibly delicious. As someone who loves potato salad bread, this was a flavor I wanted to shovel in by the handful. Just as good with crackers as it is with bread!

Would I go back? Final verdict

Great atmosphere, great service, and super friendly staff made Irow, a snack-and-drinks spot near Gunja Station, a place I want to visit again. I meant to keep it light with simple snacks, but the delicious food and freebies made it hard to hold back on either the drinks or the food... Someday I want to come back here for a date..♥️