Moran Station izakaya, aged sashimi and grilled mackerel: Robata Sobeu

I heard a stylish new izakaya opened in Moran, so I went to check it out. Besides aged sashimi, they also serve dishes you don't easily find at other izakayas, like grilled horse mackerel and grilled red snapper.

It's a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of Moran Station. Corkage is available too, just so you know. ✅ (Wine — ₩25,000/bottle / Whiskey — ₩40,000/bottle / Sake — ₩25,000/bottle)

Inside Robata Sobeu: charcoal smoke and warm lighting

Being a brand-new izakaya, Robata Sobeu had a clean look and good vibe from the outside already, so I was excited before even walking in. 🤭

With the subtle charcoal aroma drifting through, warm lighting, and a calm atmosphere, it was the perfect place to eat a meal and have a drink.

You could watch the grilling process happening right in front of you, which was fun to watch too.

It looked like something out of an anime. My anticipation was sky-high even before the food arrived. 🐟

What comes on the 35,000-won sashimi platter for two?

The first dish was Robata Sobeu's sashimi platter for two (₩35,000). It included flounder, sea bream, Spanish mackerel, squid, tuna, sweet shrimp, mackerel bo sushi (pressed sushi), and abalone. The lineup was really generous for the price, which made it even more satisfying.

The flounder had a chewy yet clean taste, and the sea bream had a subtle, refreshing sweetness. The sweet shrimp was plump and sweet — really good — and the mackerel bo sushi had zero fishy taste, with all the ingredients coming together well; small but definitely memorable. Being aged sashimi, the chewy texture really came through, and it grew on me more with each bite.

I tried putting the flounder on the vinegared rice served alongside, sushi-style, and that combo worked really well too. The Spanish mackerel especially, dipped in truffle salt with a bit of wasabi on top, was seriously mind-blowing… 🤍 With the subtle smoky aroma added in, the flavor went even deeper — personally the most memorable dish for me.

Add-ons at Robata Sobeu: ankimo 3,000 won, vinegared rice with seaweed 2,000 won

The ankimo (monkfish liver) was so good I ordered it as an extra. Ankimo add-on (+₩3,000), vinegared rice + seaweed add-on (+₩2,000). Wrapping it all up in the seaweed with the vinegared rice was the best. Isn't this basically five thousand won worth of happiness?

I happily ate my boyfriend's share of abalone too, since he can't eat it. The abalone was seriously so chewy and delicious, ugh.

Extra-large grilled horse mackerel, 24,000 won: crisp outside, juicy inside

Next up was Robata Sobeu's grilled horse mackerel (₩24,000). Price varies by size — small ₩15,000, medium ₩18,000, large ₩21,000, extra-large ₩24,000 — and on the day I visited, only the extra-large size was available. It came out grilled to a nice golden brown, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside — really delicious. There was more meat on it than I expected, so it was fun picking the flesh apart with chopsticks.

It was seasoned with a salty edge, so it was nice and clean to eat even without any extra sauce, and the crispy skin paired well with the tender flesh inside. If you don't usually eat horse mackerel much, I'd recommend trying it grilled like this.

Can you drink alone here? Drinks, corkage and visiting tips

The sashimi can be ordered for anywhere from 1 to 4 people, so it seems like a good spot for drinking alone too. The drink selection was really varied as well — traditional liquor, Japanese sake, whiskey, beer, and more.

• 1F, 28-1 Jeil-ro 63beon-gil, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• No parking available
• Pets allowed
• Closed on Mondays
• Tue–Thu 17:00–01:00 (next day)
• Fri–Sat 17:00–02:00 (next day)
• Sun 17:00–24:00

Overall, the atmosphere was great and every dish was satisfying. The assorted aged sashimi platter was really generous for the price, and everything was chewy and delicious. I especially fell for the savory, clean flavor of the grilled horse mackerel, which I was trying for the first time. 😍 If you're looking for good food near Moran Station, a bar in Moran, an izakaya in Moran, or a date spot in Moran, I highly recommend Robata Sobeu!