Sangam DMC izakaya with wagyu tataki set and cold sake: Hanamato

On a day I had a dinner plan in Sangam, I went looking for a place with good side dishes and good vibes, and thanks to a nice opportunity I ended up at izakaya Hanamato.

An izakaya is all about ordering one good side dish and having a relaxed chat over drinks, right? haha The menu I tried this time turned out to be way better than expected, so today I'll honestly walk you through the food and the atmosphere at Hanamato :)

Where is Hanamato Sangam DMC, and what are its hours?

Hanamato Sangam DMC is at 16 Worldcup-buk-ro 44-gil, Sangam-dong 19-12, Mapo-gu, Seoul. Hours are Monday–Saturday 17:00–03:00, closed on Sundays.

🍶 Store notes: a Japanese-style izakaya in Sangam DMC where you can enjoy yakitori, oden, sashimi and other side dishes with a highball or a drink.

📌 Note: hours and closed days may change depending on the store, so it's worth checking before you visit.

Izakaya mood from the door: the back table on Hanamato's first floor

Hanamato has that izakaya feel right from the entrance. haha The weather was still nice, so they had the side window open. We took a seat further inside.

True to an izakaya, there was a whole sake menu sitting on the table. The dokuri (sake flask) was so cheap that we decided to share one casually and started exploring the menu.

What we ordered at Hanamato Sangam DMC

• Set wagyu tataki
• Chicken karaage
• Five kinds of oden
• Cold sake dokuri
• +extra sake dokuri
• Terra beer

While picking the menu we also spotted a fun-looking game. Might be a good time if I come back with friends someday haha haha hahaha

The cold sake dokuri comes out first

Sake showed up first! A cute dokuri flask and cups. Turns out the friend I went with had never had sake before. Watching her sip it happily made me kind of proud — tmi, I know. I can't drink soju, but I've covered pretty much every other kind of alcohol. I. love. sake.

While sipping lightly with the basic shrimp chips and checking out the promotion, the dishes started coming out one by one. Since we went for dinner plus drinks, we ordered the varied set all at once, and they brought everything out sequentially with no waiting.

Five kinds of oden and the texture of hanpen fish cake

Anyone else love hanpen fish cake? I really love that fluffy, soft, slightly chewy texture. I don't usually eat much side food, so my friend was touched that I liked this one and kept pushing more my way — I happily munched away.

Chicken karaage with a bottle of Terra beer

Karaage is karaage. You can't skip fried food! And ordering a bottle of beer while eating karaage — that's not just us, right?

Last to arrive: the wagyu tataki set

Finally, the tataki arrived. And apparently this was her first tataki too. Come, join me. I'll show you a whole new world.

Alright, now that everything's out, the real eating (drinking) begins. Sangam doesn't really have many bars open late, but when you want a relaxed drink in the neighborhood, here's your easy izakaya! Hanamato!

Hanamato's first floor or second floor: which seat is better?

Hanamato's second floor has a casual vibe of its own too. The restroom is up there too, so you'll end up going up anyway, and personally, since I prefer privacy and quiet, I liked the second-floor seat I sat at on my last visit a bit more // same store, different vibe. Having options is always nice, isn't it.

And there's a cute dog named Tori too... Boss, I'm going upstairs next time.... so cute....

One more shot because it's too cute....

Free highball if you arrive before 6pm

If you visit with two or more people before 6pm, they say a highball is served on the house!

Overall, Hanamato had a comfortable atmosphere and good side dishes to drink to. If you're looking for a spot for a dinner plan or a casual drink in Sangam, it's worth stopping by once :) Next time I visit, I want to try the menu items I missed this time haha. If you've been looking for a good-vibe izakaya in Sangam-dong, check out Hanamato!