Locals' weekend izakaya in Gunja, Seoul: free fried tofu at Irow

A Gunja Station bar where the handsome owner gave us a freebie... This time I'm bringing you a Gunja Station bar worth knowing! I was shocked at how good it was the moment it landed on the table! I should tell you, I've actually lived around Gunja Station for 5 years, a real Gunja-dong resident hehehe. So I've tried pretty much every good place nearby, and this is the one among the newer spots I'm most hooked on! Irow (이로우), the izakaya that was a hot spot in Seongsu, has landed in Gunja.

• Moved to Gunja in a bigger space after 8 years on Seongsu's Yeonmujang-gil
• Everything is delicious, from aged sashimi to nabe (hot pot)
• The staff are all kind, and even handsome

What's the atmosphere at Irow like, according to a Gunja local?

Irow is right next to the Gunja-dong community center, and when we went on a weekend evening it was already packed. It's super close to our home, so my husband and I just strolled over.

The half-open window seats have an outdoor-street-stall feel, and the soft lighting made the mood so pretty. It felt like all the twenty-somethings wandering around Gunja Station had gathered here.

In 5 years of living here, this is the first bar with this kind of vibe in the neighborhood, so I get why people now call it "Gunridan-gil" heh heh. Luckily we didn't wait long and got a seat toward the back.

Irow Gunja location, reservations and parking

Irow (이로우) Gunja is at 17 Myeonmok-ro, Ieonjae Building, Unit 102, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea, next to the Gunja-dong community center. Reservations and takeout are available. There's no parking, so I recommend walking from Gunja Station.

I heard Irow means "comfort." After 8 years on Seongsu's Yeonmujang-gil, it expanded and moved to Gunja for a fresh start. As a local, I was so happy that a hot spot like this came to us.

Irow's signature dishes and prices

Irow's signature dishes include the sashimi platter at ₩39,000, black chicken karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken) at ₩18,000 and beef brisket tantan nabe at ₩26,000. We ordered these three, and my husband had a draft beer too.

• Sashimi platter ₩39,000 – 7–9 kinds of aged sashimi, for 2 people
• Black (black sesame) chicken karaage ₩18,000 – signature fried chicken with a nutty house-made black sesame sauce
• Beef brisket tantan nabe ₩26,000 – Irow's signature hot pot with a sesame-based broth
• Mackerel bar sushi (sababozushi) ₩25,000
• Low-salt grilled pollock roe ₩20,000

There's also yakitori (grilled skewers), stir-fried dishes and even desserts, so the menu is seriously varied and I agonized over what to order for ages hehe.

An honest review from a Gunja local

Irow's interior is clean, done in white tones with wooden furniture.

The Suntory Premium draft beer my husband ordered arrived first. The foam was perfect, and my mouth watered at first sight.

What comes on the sashimi platter?

Irow's sashimi platter had a nice variety of aged sashimi: salmon, tuna and flounder, plus octopus and shrimp. And finally the platter arrived! The look of it is no joke, right?? Maybe because it's aged sashimi, the color was glossy and shiny from the start.

Every piece was so soft and melted away, so my husband and I had a chopstick war heh heh. It comes with two sauces, soy sauce and chogochujang (sweet-sour chili sauce), and the octopus dipped in the chili sauce was chewy and honestly heavenly. Eating it with cold draft beer, this is paradise ><

How does the beef brisket tantan nabe taste?

The beef brisket tantan nabe, Irow's signature, is a hot pot of rich sesame broth loaded with thin-sliced brisket, bean sprouts and tofu. I ordered it without big expectations and was surprised at how good it was. The nutty sesame broth was so deep that my spoon wouldn't stop.

Packed with brisket, bean sprouts and tofu, it made a hearty side dish for drinks.

I scooped some onto my small plate and ate it blowing on each bite. The bean sprouts were crunchy and the brisket was rich and nutty. If you like soupy dishes, this is the one, seriously.

What does the black chicken karaage taste like?

Irow's black chicken karaage is fried chicken coated in black sesame sauce.

At first a tangy sourness hit me and I went "huh?", but it grew on me the more I ate.

Crispy outside and juicy inside, it went perfectly with beer.

Free fried tofu from the owner

And now the highlight!! Irow's young owner suddenly gave us a free fried tofu that looked like takoyaki (octopus balls). It was so good I was truly shocked ㅠㅠ! Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) dancing on top, crispy outside and soft inside, just perfect. It's too good to be given away as a freebie.

Who should go to Irow near Gunja Station?

The staff at Irow are all handsome, and so kind and sweet that I left in a great mood. The food and service comfort your heart too. You can see we cleaned our plates in the end, right hehe.

If you're looking for a spot in Gunja for drinks on a date or with friends, definitely visit Irow, which has atmosphere, taste and kindness all covered ♥️