Daechi-dong date izakaya with a sunlit room: monkfish liver, Momiji

What is Momiji Seolleung Branch like?

Momiji Seolleung Branch is a Japanese izakaya (pub) on the 3rd floor of a building on Samseong-ro 85-gil in Daechi-dong. It serves a wide range of Japanese dishes built on fresh ingredients, and it has private rooms that are just right for a date! Every room even has its own air conditioner, so you can enjoy a full spread of drinks and food in cool comfort. Let me show you one by one.

Location and opening hours

• Address: 43 Samseong-ro 85-gil, 3rd floor, Unit 1, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
• Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:20–24:00
• Break time: 14:00–17:00
• Last order: 13:00, 23:00
• Closed on Sundays
• Reservations can be made by phone

Is the private room comfortable for two?

The private rooms at Momiji Seolleung Branch come neatly set for four, and the air conditioning in each room is powerful, so even two people don't feel cramped. It felt like our own little space. Press the bell and someone comes right away! Ordering and getting food were both quick, so nothing bothered us the whole meal.

What are the menu and prices at Momiji Seolleung Branch?

The sashimi menu has a special assorted sashimi and a seasonal assorted sashimi (large and small). The standard seasonal assorted sashimi is ₩55,000. Sweet shrimp with uni (sea urchin) is ₩58,000, and charcoal-grilled eel is ₩39,000, though the eel takes 20 minutes or more.

Besides sashimi, Momiji Seolleung Branch has all the usual izakaya side dishes too.

• Brisket tantan nabe (spicy sesame hot pot) ₩29,000
• Mentaiko motsunabe (pollock roe and beef tripe hot pot) ₩32,000

What fish come in the seasonal sashimi platter?

The star of the night: the sashimi!

The seasonal assorted sashimi at Momiji Seolleung Branch came with red sea bream, flounder, tuna, Spanish mackerel, boiled octopus, salmon, sea bass and sweet shrimp, plus monkfish liver on the side of the plate. Doesn't it look incredibly moist, with that gleaming color, and so delicious? It was arranged so beautifully that I didn't know where to start!

The staff explain everything carefully each time a dish comes out! Starting with the moist sea bream, picking and trying one piece after another is really fun.

How do the monkfish liver and tuna taste?

The monkfish liver served with the sashimi was so rich and creamy that every single piece melted in my mouth.

For the tuna, tuck a bit of wasabi in with some radish sprouts, and the nutty, fatty flavor bursts out! It's perfect with drinks.

Is the ₩32,000 mentaiko motsunabe worth ordering?

The mentaiko motsunabe at Momiji Seolleung Branch is the dish I was really glad we ordered. The roe is salty, the motsu (beef tripe) is chewy and rich, and the deep, full-bodied broth on top of that made it perfect with drinks. Nothing was too strong or salty, and the balance of savory umami was so good.

The motsu especially was so fresh and chewy! It comes already pre-grilled, and boiling it once more made it feel even softer. Plump and springy, with a rush of nuttiness in every bite. I really thought this was a dish made for drinking.

The drinks just slide right down!

The roe inside the motsunabe! Its presence is huge. After the deep, nutty richness of the tripe, a bite of the roe gives a salty umami with every chew. There's no time to feel greasy, because the roe, the motsu and the nabe broth keep things in a neat strong-light, strong-light rhythm. A fantastic dish for drinking.

The broth went wonderfully with the richness of the tripe, and with plenty of bean sprouts and other vegetables in it, there was no greasy, oil-slicked taste at all. It was clean and easy to spoon up, like a vegetable stock.

How was Momiji Seolleung Branch for an early-evening date?

Visiting Momiji Seolleung Branch in the early evening was perfect for a date: great atmosphere, a view of the scenery outside, and plenty of sunlight coming in. I'd recommend it twice, three times over.