Sadang bar in Seoul for a third round: Cheonjan's champon hot pot

You know those nights in Sadang where you tell yourself you'll stop after two rounds, but somehow a third round just happens? This was exactly that kind of night. We were already pretty full, but it felt too soon to say goodbye, and we wanted to sit a bit longer, talk, and have one more drink, so

we headed to Cheonjan, a bar near Sadang Station, for round three.

Why Cheonjan for a third round near Sadang Station?

When you're drinking in Sadang, you usually do round one at a barbecue place or a pojangmacha (street tent bar), then round two somewhere similar — and by round three, atmosphere matters way more than food. You're not looking for a place to fill up anymore, you want somewhere comfortable to sit, talk, and have a drink. Cheonjan fit that mood well.

It was good for a group of friends, but with its overall izakaya vibe, I think it'd also work well for anyone looking for a Sadang date spot or somewhere for a light drink after a date.

Cheonjan's nagasaki jjamppong-tang, 26,900 won

What we ordered that night was the nagasaki champon soup. Price: ₩26,900. Honestly, by round three, heavy dishes like fried food or meat can feel like a bit much. That's when a hot broth-based dish is always the first thing that comes to mind.

Setting one hot pot of nagasaki champon soup in the middle of the table and each spooning a bit into our own small plates — it felt like the right choice for round three. At a certain point in drinking, that hot broth really becomes something to look forward to.

The nagasaki champon soup had that classic milky broth look that screamed drinking snack from the start. Having already had quite a bit to drink, one spoonful of the hot broth felt like it instantly settled my stomach.

For a round-three order, you don't want something that fills you up completely — you want a dish you can pick at a couple of bites at a time, over a long stretch, alongside your drinks. In that sense, the nagasaki champon soup worked really well. A sip of broth, a sip of soju, back to talking, then another sip. That rhythm was easy to keep going.

Does the broth still go down when you're already full?

Izakayas around Sadang Station have plenty of options — skewers, sashimi, fried dishes — but personally, the longer a drinking session runs, the more I reach for a broth-based snack. Something like nagasaki champon soup is also great for sharing among a group, letting everyone scoop broth and toppings into their own plate at their own pace — a good match for late-night drinking.

We were honestly pretty full already that night, but the broth just kept going down, haha. I guess round three really is all about the soup.

Cheonjan's atmosphere: good for keeping the conversation going?

By round three, atmosphere matters just as much as the menu. Too loud and it's hard to talk; too quiet and it can feel a bit much for a group of friends drinking together. Cheonjan had that izakaya feel that made it easy to keep a drink and a conversation going.

It's a good place to think of when you've already had plenty at rounds one and two and someone says "one more drink?" It works well for friends, but it also seems like the kind of place with the right mood for a couple who's not quite ready to say goodbye after a date. So it's worth recommending to anyone looking for a Sadang date spot or a bar near Sadang Station.

Is Cheonjan worth a third-round stop in Sadang?

Since we'd already eaten plenty before this, we didn't order a bunch of dishes — just one nagasaki champon soup, enjoyed slowly alongside our drinks. It was a hot broth-based snack that went down easy even when we were full, and the atmosphere fit perfectly for a third-round visit with friends, talking a bit longer over drinks.

If you're looking for somewhere to keep a drinking session going in Sadang, or searching for an izakaya or bar near Sadang Station, Cheonjan is worth adding to your list.

Recommended especially for round two or three, where drinks and conversation matter more than a full meal, or for anyone wanting one more atmospheric drink after a Sadang date. If you're already full like we were, ordering just one nagasaki champon soup and pairing the broth with a drink is a solid combination too.