Beef brisket nabe and udon at a Yeongdeungpo izakaya: Nani Byeolgwan

When real life gets exhausting, alcohol is basically mandatory, right...? I met up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while and we went to Nani Byeolgwan, an izakaya in Yeongdeungpo!! It doesn't have the buzzy Yeongdeungpo vibe so much as a Munnae-dong feel — quiet, and great for actually talking.

Where is Nani Byeolgwan Yeongdeungpo Branch, and what are the hours?

It's an 8-minute walk from Yeongdeungpo Station, near Times Square, and best of all it's not on a loud, busy alley — the surroundings are quiet, which I loved :)

• 183 Munnae-ro, 1F, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Sat 18:00–02:00 (last order 01:00)
• Closed every Sunday

Hanok-style exterior, sleek interior: what are the seats like?

I loved this Yeongdeungpo izakaya from the outside already! The exterior has a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, but the inside is a sleek izakaya atmosphere.

There was a really wide variety of seating. There are bar seats, group seating if you go up to the 2nd floor, and table seats once you're inside — very convenient :)

There were quite a lot of foreign customers..? How do they all find this place!?

Since we were there to have a drink and catch up, we were seated further inside! Genuinely quiet and the atmosphere was really lovely.

QR code ordering and menu prices at Nani Byeolgwan

At Nani Byeolgwan Yeongdeungpo Branch, you check the menu via QR code and press a bell to order. Being able to browse the menu on your phone was so convenient.

As you'd expect from an izakaya, it feels like they've gathered just the core menu — skewers, sashimi, nabe — and prices are in the ₩10,000–30,000 range, so it looks great for a casual second-round spot. And best of all, there's soup-based food on the menu... love that. We ordered chicken skewers and the beef brisket nabe!!

There was a wide range of drinks too, and it was so--- hot that day, we couldn't resist and ordered two glasses of Asahi draft. Gah (it's really been unbearably hot lately).

The lighting and interior next to us felt like a fancy high-end izakaya — put me in such a good mood~~

With the wood-tone interior and that soft yellow lighting, even though it's a bit dim inside it actually makes the atmosphere even better! There are seats on the 2nd floor too, so it'd be great for groups.

Beef brisket nabe: a mountain of bean sprouts and how the broth tastes

After about a 10-minute wait, the beef brisket nabe (hot pot) arrived! The bean sprouts were piled up like a mountain — instant guaranteed deliciousness. They said if it cools down while we eat, they'll swap in a fresh burner — such a thoughtful touch. The staff were genuinely so kind.

Whoa... so much meat, and on top of that so many bean sprouts packed in — my friend and I basically inhaled it like a full meal lol. The broth wasn't heavy on MSG at all, it tasted like it was seasoned from the natural flavor of the ingredients, and it was so good we never got tired of it. This is the kind of broth where you absolutely have to eat it with rice or udon noodles!!

Once your stomach's full, it's time to fill up on alcohol. A cold draft beer at this cool Yeongdeungpo izakaya, Nani Byeolgwan... ahh, that's real healing.

Chicken thigh skewers dipped in mayo

The second dish to arrive: chicken skewers! They seem to use 100% chicken thigh meat here — big pieces, and so tender, juicy, and soft. Dipped in the mayonnaise they gave us, it's savory, and the skewers themselves have a smoky char, genuinely the kind of flavor where you want to inhale like 10 skewers...

I've been to plenty of izakayas, but I really liked that the food here felt substantial, like an actual meal (izakaya food usually leaves you wanting more, right~~).

Hahaha, on a hot day like this, a draft beer combo with my favorite friend is so satisfying ❤️ On top of that, the food was seriously delicious too!

Round two: adding udon noodles and more bean sprouts to the nabe

Not adding noodles to this broth would basically be a crime, so we ordered some, and I asked if we could get a bit more bean sprouts — the owner happily said yes... so kind. Please let us pay extra for the bean sprouts, seriously, I feel bad...

Okay, they switched us back to the burner and round two begins. Throw in the udon noodles and bean sprouts, let it bubble away, and it's basically like starting the meal all over again.

The udon noodles were cooked just right, chewy, and once boiled it honestly outclassed any convenience-store kimchi udon — such a satisfying meal.

If you're trying to decide where to go for izakaya in Yeongdeungpo, how about Nani Byeolgwan :) I highly recommend the beef brisket nabe~~