Gangnam cocktail bar with zodiac drinks and saju: Jusindang

How do you find Jusindang Gangnam from Gangnam Station?

Come out of Exit 11 at Gangnam Station and head up toward CGV. Go into the alley that slopes diagonally upward, and you can find it almost immediately! Just look for the earthy-colored wall that looks a little like a shrine—it has such a distinctive exterior, haha.

The way in feels like a Dragon Palace, haha. Head downstairs and you’ll find Jusindang Gangnam (주신당 강남).

It’s a popular bar, so I was worried there might not be a table today, but luckily! We had one, haha. Booking in advance through Catch Table makes the visit a little easier.

Low lighting and dazzling lights in a Dragon Palace setting

There are table seats down half a level like this, too. I thought this area would let groups focus a little more on enjoying time together. It’s a bar with low lighting and dazzling lights throughout, giving it a really hip mood, haha. Maybe because of the Dragon Palace concept, even the staff uniforms have patterns that look like the dragon robes a king would wear in a palace, hahaha.

Fun menu choices, from courses to individual dishes

Let’s open up the menu! I thought only the signature cocktails were famous, but this is also a place where you can enjoy course meals. There are lots of courses with different combinations, so if you’re coming for dinner, it could be nice to choose one here.

Of course, you can order individual dishes too~ There are several categories—bar snacks, dishes, desserts, meal items, and more—so it’s easy to choose. Personally, I looove the menu’s Korean wording, which stays so true to the concept. Calling things snack items and meal items just fits perfectly!

How do you choose a zodiac signature cocktail?

This time, let’s take a look at the drinks menu~

Jusindang Gangnam’s signature cocktails! The cocktails are prepared to match the 12 zodiac animals. It would be fun to choose the one for your own zodiac sign, or you could choose based on the listed acidity and alcohol level!

Beyond the signature cocktails, the alcohol lineup is quite varied, with classic cocktails, traditional Korean alcohol, and whisky! I had tried the signature cocktails on my last visit, so this time I picked from the classic cocktails, haha.

Trying the Rat zodiac cocktail and a New York Sour

Cheers! Our cocktails arrived! They created an effect right on the table too, so we got photogenic photos like this.

First up, the cocktail my friend chose for their own zodiac sign! It was the Rat cocktail, and its creamy, mild(?) character made it feel like a café drink, such as an Einspänner or cream latte.

This is the classic cocktail I chose, a New York Sour! I picked it solely by looking at the ingredients, hahaha. It’s a booze-plus-booze cocktail with whisky and red wine, so it was exactly my taste. Good~ If you want a cocktail that tastes satisfyingly boozy, I recommend the New York Sour, haha.

You can check your saju through the table QR code

Lastly, my friend’s signature cocktail, which came out so pretty in photos! It was fresh and light, so it seemed great for summer. Above all, it’s fun having so many different cocktails to choose from.

And while choosing the menu, ordering, and waiting, you can scan the QR code at each table to check your saju (Korean Four Pillars fortune reading)! It seemed like content that would be great for a group to chat chat about while looking at their fortunes, haha. I stopped reading mine halfway through because my talkative friend had so much to say, hahaha, but the results were interesting! I recommend giving it a try at least once, haha.

Complimentary red-bean pudding for a birthday second round

We came for a birthday party, and the notice said that booking in advance comes with miyeokguk (seaweed soup) service. We had not booked ahead, but we asked whether we could receive any service. We couldn’t get the seaweed soup, but we received red-bean pudding instead! It was neat and sweet, which was actually even better, haha. The overall atmosphere was great and I was satisfied, so Jusindang is a Gangnam bar I’d be happy to revisit next time too, haha.