Gangnam Station izakaya with fiery buldak flat noodles: Odeng Osaek

Day by day, it keeps drifting along, and now a breezy autumn 🍂 has arrived. It's been getting chilly in the evenings lately. How about you all?

Whether it's chilly or not, I say a fluffy bed is the best. So why do I hate summer, you ask? Why else — it's hot. Then I turn on the AC and the electricity bill... 🥲 okay I'll stop there. Today, though — a place with that good vibe where you can enjoy a nice breeze after work and have a satisfying drink!

Where is Odeng Osaek Gangnam Station Branch and what are its hours?

Odeng Osaek Gangnam Station Branch is an izakaya located at 1F 105, 106-ho, 42 Seocho-daero 73-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It's open Sun–Thu 16:00 to 2:00 the next day, and Fri–Sat 16:00 to 4:00 the next day.

• 📍Location: 105, 106-ho, 42 Seocho-daero 73-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul
• ⏰Hours: Sun–Thu 16:00–2:00 (next day) (last order 3:00)
• ⏰Fri–Sat 16:00–4:00 (next day) (last order 1:00)

Walk a little from Gangnam Station and a pretty izakaya with Japanese vibes appears 🌸 Isn't it lovely... The cat balloon out front is so cute. I wondered if money 💵 comes in depending on which paw the cat is holding — but turns out both are held up.

Peekaboo! So cute..❤️ It even has 'Odeng Osaek' written on its belly. The little bell detail is such a nice touch..😍

Here's the reason to come here — delicious Suntory draft beer is waiting. Chicken 🍗 and beer 🍺 after work... you just can't resist. Crispy chicken, soft sauce on top, a sip of beer. The diet starts tomorrow.

Four things the owner of Odeng Osaek is proudest of

Before you even go in, the sign gives off serious oden pride. Passing along a bit of what the owner said,

• 1. The oden (fish cake) is delicious — comparable to any other oden bar out there. They carefully selected authentic handmade fish cakes from Busan, and they're confident it doesn't lose to anyone in taste.
• 2. Since each order gets a freshly poured individual broth, it's much more hygienic than a typical oden bar. They also offer a spicy broth made with Odeng Osaek's own special recipe, so both the mild and spicy versions have a rich, deep flavor rather than being bland.
• 3. Menu items like agedashi tofu (fried tofu), okonomiyaki, and Osaek-style yurinchi were all carefully developed with their own recipes — not the usual bar snacks, but dishes you can only taste at Odeng Osaek.
• 4. Highballs — you can try Odeng Osaek's own special highballs, which come in various pretty colors, making it a treat for both the eyes and the mouth.

Does Odeng Osaek have seating for group dinners?

Once you step inside Odeng Osaek Gangnam Station Branch, you'll find spacious, open seating ready for you. There are both group tables and seats for two, so it looks good for company dinners as well.

What comes in the Odeng Osaek couple set for two, plus a non-alcoholic highball

We sat down starving, so we ordered quickly. For two people, we tried the couple set along with the highball 🍻 the owner was so proud of.

After we sat down, the staff member with us carefully made us tuna crunch.. so full of love 😍 The tuna was nutty and it was great as an appetizer.

The drinks and highball arrived first. I ordered the non-alcoholic highball. Truly as pretty as the owner boasted... down to the straw detail. It genuinely felt like coming home from work in Japan 🥘

A separate pot of fish cake broth at every seat

They set up the table like this. Broth is poured individually into a hole at each seat, so hygienically prepared that it put me at ease.

Look at the amount of fish cake in the couple set.. it looks like enough for three. You could choose two handmade fish cakes, and we picked the sausage fish cake and spicy fish cake, and since we chose a spicy side dish, we went with the mild broth base.

The chicken breast salad 🥗 included in the set. I usually can't eat meat if there's any gamey smell, but there was none here, and it went well with the cold lettuce and sauce, easy to eat. While the fish cakes simmered, we munched away.

What order to eat the fish cakes in, and how to season the broth

For reference, since it takes a while for the broth to boil after adding the fish cakes, I'd recommend eating the side dishes first. The broth tastes a bit bland at first, but as it boils it gets saltier, so try it as you go and adjust with the soy sauce 🫙 on the table.

There are many kinds of fish cakes on the menu, so I'd recommend picking the ones that suit your taste.

The takoyaki that comes with the set... loaded with sauce, piled with bonito flakes.. takoyaki is love 🐙 The set itself is already so generous. But I'm not one to stop here.

Heart skewers and buldak curry flat noodles: the add-ons worth ordering

So there we were, adding heart skewers and buldak curry flat noodles on top of the couple set. It's absolutely not that the couple set wasn't enough. But when you're curious, you have to order it.. everyone, you must order the flat noodles. It's really, really spicy and intense. Add a bite of fish cake and a sip of broth on top and it's honestly the best!💕

It's genuinely on the spicy side, so be a little careful..

I'm craving it again.. it's way more intense and addictive than the fish cakes. It pairs well with cheese 🧀 too, but with the fish cakes it's a real hit. Genuinely delicious.

Fresh wasabi is also served on the side, so you can taste it in its raw form.. it's really, truly delicious, and I think the side dishes are good enough for the owner to be this proud of them. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants great bar snacks, a draft beer, and a highball after work near Gangnam Station.