Budget izakaya in Yeouido on a Friday: Set 1 and cheese oden, Sodam

Where is Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch, and do you need to book?

Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch (로바다야끼소담 여의도점) is at 17 Yeouidaebang-ro 65an-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 1F (Units 113, 114, 115), and is open Monday to Sunday from 17:00 to 01:30 (last order 00:30). Naver reservations are available, and groups are welcome.

This is a great-value izakaya (Japanese-style pub) between Yeouido Station and Saetgang Station. Pretty much every office worker in Yeouido knows it (?), a famous drinking spot for both Yeouido and Saetgang Station!! It's popular, so if you're coming after work, I really recommend reserving. I went on a Friday after work and it was almost full, ugh;;

Robadayakki Sodam, near the KBS Annex in Yeouido, is said to be a place where you can experience the real essence of a Japanese izakaya.

What are the atmosphere and seating like at Robadayakki Sodam?

The interior is wood-toned and a bit dim, so it feels cozy and nice! You can feel a traditional Japanese vibe.

Sodam has a collaboration with Iljum Jinro (soju brand). Maybe that's why? Iljum Jinro is super cheap here!! Just like Sodam (which means "modest" in Korean)~

It feels like being in Japan, and the drink selection is really wide, which I loved.

Partitioned tables and curtained rooms: good for a company dinner?

All the tables inside are divided by partitions! You can eat in private. There are also rooms at the back, so it's perfect for an office company dinner haha. You can't close a door, but the spaces are separated by cloth.

Bar counter seats with a view of the skewer grill

There's a bar counter too. You can watch the staff grill skewers right in front of you! Also recommended as a date spot in Yeouido haha

Having the food made right in front of you makes it feel even more trustworthy! It seems like they take hygiene seriously.

How long do grilled dishes take at Robadayakki Sodam?

The grilled dishes at Sodam apparently take about 20 minutes, so order quickly haha.

Skewers that look delicious just sitting there >_< Since the name has "robatayaki" in it, it seemed like most people ordered grilled dishes.

What is robatayaki? It refers to a cooking style where ingredients are grilled on the spot in front of a hearth (charcoal fire). (Source: National Institute of Korean Language)

Skewers sizzling away over the charcoal hahaha. Don't they look amazing? If you visit Sodam, I recommend ordering at least one grilled dish.

Robadayakki Sodam menu and prices: what we ordered

This Friday after work I ordered grilled mackerel (₩19,000) and Set 1 (₩43,000 → ₩40,000). Set 1 came with mixed skewers, 11 kinds in 13 pieces (₩24,000), and Kansai oden soup (₩19,000). Sodam has a really wide menu, and prices are cheap for Yeouido, so it's known as a great-value bar in Yeouido haha. There are set menus too, so you get even better value!

• Grilled mackerel ₩19,000
• Set 1 ₩43,000 → ₩40,000
• Mixed skewers, 11 kinds, 13 pieces ₩24,000
• Kansai oden soup ₩19,000

Draft beer and a free fried egg on the side

It was so hot out that I ordered draft beer lol. Sodam's draft beer comes in glasses only, no pitchers~

The basic side dish at Sodam is, believe it or not, a fried egg! You get one per person >_< You can load up on protein before you start drinking.

Charcoal-grilled mackerel for 19,000 won: how does it taste?

Sodam's grilled mackerel is ₩19,000 and you get one big whole mackerel. They'd said it takes a while so I braced myself, but it came out faster than expected!

Gently grilled over charcoal, it was glossy and the flesh looked moist even to the naked eye, wow.

It's already salted, but dipping it in the soy sauce on the table makes it even better~

What's in the 24,000 won mixed skewers, 11 kinds in 13 pieces?

Next, the mixed skewers arrive!! Sodam's mixed skewers come in 11 kinds, 13 pieces in total, for ₩24,000.

Great variety and really generous, and I was surprised at how cheap it was lol

The skewers are brushed with Sodam's own special sauce! That sweet-and-salty sauce is really appealing.

The cuts were all tasty, so I was very satisfied with this mixed skewer set! At a place like this you absolutely have to get skewers. The flavor is just different lol

• 2 ginkgo nut skewers, garlic skewer, king oyster mushroom skewer
• Heart, pork neck, tenderloin, chicken thigh (?)
• Chicken skin, bacon tomato, bacon cheese rice cake
• 2 shrimp skewers

This bacon cheese rice cake is so delicious!!

There are 2 shrimp skewers too.

Kansai oden soup for 19,000 won: portion size and oden types

Last to arrive was Sodam's Kansai oden soup (₩19,000), which was included in the set. So hearty, so hearty. You can't boil it at the table, though!

At ₩19,000 it's on the cheap side, yet it's packed with oden, so the value is really good.

So many kinds of oden, right? I asked for scissors and tongs and cut it into bite-size pieces, and it was delicious haha. The broth is on the salty side, so the soju goes down so easily! Recommended if you like oden soup with soju~

There's glass noodle oden, stick oden, cheese oden, curly oden and more, and the portion is big!! There are quite a few vegetables in the soup too, which I liked.

The cheese oden was the best....! It has mozzarella inside and tastes mild. There was also stick oden with vegetables inside and glass noodle oden dotted with noodles! The oden quality was good and I enjoyed it!

Is Robadayakki Sodam a good-value izakaya for company dinners and dates?

Food of this quality at this price in Yeouido.. no wonder it's the go-to bar for Saetgang Station and Yeouido Station!! Sodam has private seating, so it's good for a group company dinner in Yeouido, and with the bar seats I also recommend it as a Yeouido date spot.