Izakaya near Kyung Hee for soju and beer drinkers alike: Hamaru Hoegi

Hamaru Hoegi: a Kyung Hee bar for both soju and beer drinkers

Hamaru Hoegi is a Kyung Hee izakaya that can satisfy both soju people and beer people. You know those days when you just want a good drink with friends? Everyone has them, right?

Especially on the day you meet a high school friend you haven't seen in ages, you want good atmosphere and good food. So we visited Hamaru Hoegi, near Hoegi Station and Kyung Hee University. It sits right on the main street of the Kyung Hee food alley, so access was excellent.

Where Hamaru Hoegi is, and its outdoor tables for dinner and a first round

Right in the middle of the Kyung Hee food alley, Hamaru Hoegi was a great place to stop for dinner and a first round. That's how we used it that day. There are plenty of other places around, so it was easy to eat well and then move on somewhere else. What caught my eye from the outside was the outdoor tables.

With the cool breeze that comes in the evenings these days, it seems like a lovely place to enjoy a moody open-air drinking session (yajang). I heard it's the place near Hoegi Station whose lights stay on the latest, so you can visit without worrying about time.

What's the inside of Hamaru Hoegi like?

I was surprised that the inside of Hamaru Hoegi was cozier and tidier than I expected. The interior was stylish and comfortable for a drink. The heat of the iron griddle and the faint scent of charcoal gave it its own appealing atmosphere. I think it would suit a date or a solo drink too. While ordering, I looked over the information on display.

Hamaru Hoegi is an izakaya where you can enjoy teppanyaki and yakitori (grilled skewers) together in one place, which is an uncommon style around Hoegi Station. And they apparently cook everything by hand rather than using ready-made food, so my expectations shot up before I'd even eaten.

What we ordered: seafood okonomiyaki, 5-skewer yakitori omakase, Nagasaki champon

That day at Hamaru Hoegi we ordered handmade-batter seafood okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake), a 5-skewer yakitori omakase (chef's choice), and Nagasaki champon (spicy-free seafood noodle soup) as a soup dish, for dinner with drinks. And here come the dishes at last!

Seafood okonomiyaki with handmade batter

First out was the seafood okonomiyaki. The handmade batter is said to be made with the cabbage texture in mind, and it really was nicely crisp outside and moist inside. It was also generously loaded with fresh seafood like squid and shrimp, so it was a great, chewy side dish for drinking. Next came the 5-skewer yakitori omakase.

5-skewer yakitori omakase grilled over binchotan charcoal

The 5-skewer yakitori omakase at Hamaru Hoegi is grilled over top-grade binchotan (white charcoal), and a faint smoky aroma brushed past my nose. They use a special tare sauce aged 15 years, and the sweet-salty seasoning had soaked in deeply, so I kept eating without getting tired of it. They say they prepare and sell on the same day, and the skewers did look clearly fresh.

I also thought the popular skewers would probably sell out quickly if you come late.

Nagasaki champon, the soup dish

This is the Nagasaki champon, whose broth looks deep and rich just from the sight of it. Actually, my friend usually drinks soju, while I mostly drink beer for that cool, refreshing fizz.

Food that suited both the soju drinker and the beer drinker

Hamaru's dishes pair perfectly with both soju and beer, so neither of us had to compromise and it was a very satisfying meal. The rich champon broth was the perfect partner for my soju-drinking friend, while the crispy okonomiyaki and yakitori were the best match for me, the beer person. The drinks lineup is also very varied, from sake to trendy highballs and Japanese soju, so I think it's a comfortable place even for people who don't drink much.

Is Hamaru Hoegi worth going back to?

Overall the quality and taste of the menu were better than I expected, and I could fully feel the charm of real cooking finished over fire. The portions were generous, and above all the prices felt quite reasonable for a university-district area, so it's the kind of bar you'd naturally become a regular at. Personally, I was really satisfied to have a relaxed drink with a dear high school friend I hadn't seen in a long time, over tasty handmade food.

If you live or work near Hoegi Station, or you're looking for a place with good atmosphere for a date or company dinner near Kyung Hee, I'd gently suggest trying Hamaru Hoegi this evening.