Gwangalli izakaya with mixed skewers and clam soup in Busan: Moknal

That day my sister and I had just finished an escape room — and honestly, coming all the way to Gwangalli and just heading home felt like a waste, didn't it?

My sister loves beer, so I said "I'll buy you a beer, let's go," but she said she wanted to drink while looking at the Gwangan Bridge view, and that she didn't want to be half-drunk in front of a view like that — she wanted soju instead. Haha.

Drinking with my sister, I skipped the places that seemed made for couples, skipped anything too club-like, skipped anywhere loud — and that's how we ended up at Moknal, a Gwangalli bar famous for its view. Haha.

(For reference, this is a second-round kind of pub. Even so, we left completely full from the food and drinks, haha.)

Today's post is a mood piece, so 《soju craving warning》

Where is Moknal, and what are its hours and seating like?

Moknal 191 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, 3rd floor, Suyeong-gu, Busan Mon–Fri: 17:00–5:00 the next day Sat, Sun, (holidays): 16:00–5:00 the next day A beachfront pub in Gwangalli Plenty of seats (good for groups), Phone charger available, Separate men's/women's restrooms. A moody bar that's great for drinking with close friends The owner throws in extras at their discretion.

Most buildings near the Gwangalli beachfront haven't gone through major remodeling, so you have to take the stairs up to the 3rd floor. Moknal is on the 3rd floor.

Are the window seats free on a weeknight at Moknal?

There were 4 window tables right in front of Gwangan Bridge, and when we arrived at 8pm on a weeknight, all but one were full. We visited on a sponsored basis, so we didn't get a window table. Still, every seat in the place has a Gwangan Bridge view.

Moknal's menu and set menu prices

I took photos of the whole menu board! Below is the food menu. Since we'd be drinking a lot anyway, I'd recommend the set menus — they seem to be at least ₩5,000 cheaper than ordering several individual dishes.

We had originally planned to just have the mixed skewers with one bottle of soju and leave, but we ended up ordering more food and more drinks. Haha.

Here's the drinks selection! I really love Chamisul Fresh, but they didn't have it, so I drank Jinro instead as a substitute. Jinro is sugar-free, so it seems to leave you feeling cleaner the next day.

Food prices here are on the higher side. Drink prices, on the other hand, were about the same as other bars.

Mixed skewers for 30,000 won: the sausage that calls for soju

We ordered the mixed skewers (₩30,000)! The sausage was genuinely delicious. Delicious enough to make you ask, "where's this sausage from?"

With the very first bite of sausage, I thought — "wait, isn't this exactly the moment to pour some soju?!"

After chewing the sausage about five times, down went the soju — clink!

Eating along, feeling a little tipsy, I'd look up and there it was — Gwangan Bridge, right in front of me. If it looks this good on a weeknight, this place must be completely packed during the fireworks festival or drone shows.

The shrimp gives off a lot of water. Even so, everyone said it was delicious, so if you go with your partner, maybe let the guy peel it, or just save it for last and peel it with chopsticks at the end. Haha.

A second bottle of soju, plus free cherry tomatoes

We split one bottle of soju evenly, and when I looked at my sister's eyes, she was already... well, youth can't outlast experience. I called for one more bottle! (And right on cue, they gave us some cherry tomatoes on the house, haha.)

A little buzzed, I lifted my head and looked around — wait, is Moknal (목날) actually short for 'Thursday' (목요일날)? But today is Wednesday? And it feels this good on a Wednesday?

By around 9pm, the window seats facing Gwangan Bridge were completely full. Even on a Wednesday night, the romance of youth is alive and well.

Finishing the night with clam soup at Moknal

Already tipsy. A quiet but just-right level of noise around us. Not ready to go home. As an excuse — half a bottle of soju still left. So we ordered clam soup.

Usually finishing with clam soup sobers you up completely by the time you leave, but this time — was it the lights, was it the bridge, was it the smugness of being able to enjoy this on a weeknight, or the confidence that I've still got it — either way, I stood up buzzed from just one bottle.

By the time we left, everything was a blur. The romance in front of Gwangan Bridge flickered by. It was that in-between moment — summer not quite gone, autumn just beginning.