Mapo-gu Office Station sashimi restaurant with rockfish: Mapo Bamdada

Enjoying in-season squid sashimi near Mapo-gu Office Station ~

It's gochujang (red chili paste) o'clock :) I'm currently dieting and have lost 5kg so far. Even when I do drink, I tend to avoid carbs or greasy anju (drinking snacks), and I genuinely love sashimi!! Craving chewy squid sashimi with a shot of soju, I headed to Mapo Bamdada on a weekend evening — here's the review!

This is a great sashimi restaurant to visit near Mapo-gu Office Station whenever you're craving sashimi or seafood. From large flounder and amberjack to omakase assorted sashimi and sashimi rice bowls, the menu covers everything from lunch to an evening drinking session. It's also very reasonably priced, so it's easy to drop by without worrying — this time too, I finished off live squid sashimi with a refreshing round of somaek :)

Where is Mapo Bamdada, and what are its parking and hours?

Mapo Bamdada is a 3-minute walk from Mapo-gu Office Station, so it's easy to reach by public transport.

There's no break time, so this is a great spot for a proper daytime drinking session too. Hours are 12:00–01:00. They also say that customers celebrating their birthday that month get gold-flake soju as a treat ^^ If you need parking, they ask that you contact the restaurant before your visit :)

Inside Mapo Bamdada: does it work for work dinners and big groups?

The interior of Mapo Bamdada is more spacious than expected, mostly laid out with tables, making it a good spot for a drink with friends.

I'd also recommend it to anyone looking for a good sashimi restaurant near Mapo-gu Office Station for a work dinner. In fact, Mapo Bamdada is known for company dinners, group gatherings, and lunch specials. We visited on a weekend and settled in comfortably for a relaxed meal with soju.

Mapo Bamdada menu and prices

Mapo Bamdada has quite a varied menu. The omakase assorted sashimi is ₩58,000, and live squid sashimi is priced at market rate.

With a wide variety of sashimi as well as seafood dishes, mulhoe, and sashimi rice bowls, there's plenty to pick from depending on your mood. We actually considered ordering the omakase assorted sashimi at first. But that day we really wanted chewy squid sashimi with a shot of soju! So in the end we ordered squid sashimi together with rockfish.

What comes with the live squid sashimi spread?

Not long after ordering, a generous spread arrived at the table. This is what's colloquially called sukidashi (complimentary side dishes) here. A place like this is bound to have a lot of regulars.

It wasn't just the sashimi that arrived — a whole lineup of side dishes came too, so the table filled up fast. There was a refreshing salad, seasoned chamnamul (wild aster greens), mulhoe, braised kodari, clam soup, kkosiraegi (seaweed noodles) and more. Personally, I think this kind of basic side dish lineup really matters at a sashimi restaurant, and I loved how varied it was here.

Especially good was taking a sip of the tangy mulhoe between bites of sashimi — it completely reset my palate! There was so much food that I actually had trouble deciding what to pick up with my chopsticks next, which made me pretty happy :)

How the live squid sashimi tastes at Mapo Bamdada

The squid sashimi already won me over with its thinly sliced look, and taking a bite confirmed it — chewy and springy, with a lively texture that was a perfect match for soju. There was also that distinctive sweetness of squid, and dipping it lightly in chojang (vinegared chili paste) made the soju go down just a little too smoothly.

Personally, I prefer squid sashimi sliced on the thinner side rather than too thick, so the chewy texture here was exactly my taste :) Honestly, the rockfish we ordered alongside was also excellent, but there was so much food that we actually left a little behind, haha.

If you're looking for a sashimi restaurant near Mapo-gu Office Station in Mapo, definitely give Mapo Bamdada a try! Mission accomplished — in-season squid sashimi enjoyed at Mapo Bamdada, a Mapo-gu Office Station favorite!!