Wild mackerel sashimi and clam butter stew at Mulgogijip, Daeheung

My husband and I went out for a weekend dinner date at Mulgogijip, a popular izakaya near Sogang University that specializes in dry-aged sashimi. It just so happened that wild mackerel was on the menu that day, so let me share how it went!

Who would enjoy Mulgogijip

• People who love aged sashimi
• People looking for an izakaya with good atmosphere
• People who want a spot with a nice view of Gyeongui Line Forest Trail
• People who want to pair sashimi with a variety of drinks

A 5-minute walk from Daeheung Station exit 4, right by the forest trail

Mulgogijip is a Daeheung Station izakaya located about a 5-minute walk from exit 4, right in front of Gyeongui Line Forest Trail. Being right by the trail made it easy to find. It was also selected for the 2026 Blue Ribbon Survey, so I was a little excited even before walking in. There were terrace seats too, and even though I arrived right at Sunday opening time, there were already other diners eating.

Interior with a huge window looking out onto the forest trail

The interior was done in wood tones, with both bar seats and table seats. The tables were spaced comfortably apart, so it was easy to sit and eat at ease. But what stood out most was the huge picture window that opened onto Gyeongui Line Forest Trail. We visited before sunset, so we got to see the lush green trail too, which made the atmosphere even better 💜

Mulgogijip's menu and drink lineup

Mulgogijip centers on dry-aged sashimi but also serves Japanese-style side dishes like futomaki, tempura, nabe, and yakitori. On the day we visited, the day's recommended sashimi included wild mackerel, so my eyes were glued to the menu from the start hahaha.

The drink lineup ranged from Yebisu draft beer to sake, shochu, and regular soju, so there were quite a lot of options.

They give out Maldon salt green tea ice cream if you leave a Naver receipt review.

What we ordered that day

• Today's recommended sashimi (wild mackerel) ₩49,000 *the daily recommendation changes
• Clam butter stew ₩26,000
• Yebisu draft beer, 2 glasses ₩24,000

Basic side dish and Yebisu draft beer

The basic side dish was a chicken breast oriental salad. The plain chicken breast paired with crunchy cabbage made a light bite before the main dishes. And of course, a glass of Yebisu draft beer to go with it~ Drinking it while looking out at Gyeongui Line Forest Trail through the window really nailed the weekend evening mood~

Wild mackerel sashimi, ₩49,000 — how fishy was it?

Soon after, the day's recommended wild mackerel sashimi arrived. The plate was piled high with raw mackerel, along with rice, seaweed, pickled ginger, pickled radish, and radish sprouts on the side. The neat rows of sliced fish caught my eye right away 💜

Honestly, is this visual even real? It photographed beautifully from every angle, so I lost count of how many pictures I took before eating.

Up close, the sheen on it was incredible..! While taking photos I got more and more impatient to just eat it already.

Picking up several pieces at once, the glossy shine of the raw mackerel looked even better 💜 I couldn't not take a video of it! Okay, let's actually eat now.

First I tried the raw mackerel plain, without any accompaniments. The distinct mackerel flavor was rich, but there was zero fishiness, which I'd been worried about. The flesh was soft yet had just the right chewiness, giving a clear sense that it had been aged well. The soy sauce and wasabi combo was a perfect match too~!

It's delicious on its own, but the seaweed and rice that came with it were too good to skip hahaha. I filmed a video of wrapping rice and raw mackerel in the seaweed.

I also tried adding wasabi, radish sprouts, and pickled ginger one by one to taste. When the fatty raw mackerel came together with the seaweed and rice, that combination was basically cheating, it was so good. The flavor shifted a little with each bite depending on the accompaniment, so it was fun trying different combinations.

Clam butter stew, ₩26,000 — hearty down to the pasta noodles

Next came the clam butter stew. It already included pasta noodles in the clam stew, so there was no need to order noodles separately. There looked to be quite a generous amount of noodles too.

It came out in a big bowl, generously filled, and looked pretty substantial from every angle. Even the plating was pretty haha.

Looking through the noodles, there were more clams than I expected, so I was glad I'd ordered it haha.

This was my first time trying clam butter stew, and it had a flavor that felt both familiar and unique. The buttery, savory broth was great, and the clams were plump and fresh. It was hearty and satisfying with the pasta noodles too.

Before we knew it, eating without thinking, only two pieces of mackerel sashimi were left. My husband and I finished them off, sharing one each hahaha.

From the wild mackerel sashimi to the clam butter stew, we cleaned our plates once again without fail. All that was left were the clam shells~

In summary

Mulgogijip, the popular izakaya near Sogang University, was a great place to enjoy sashimi with a drink. If you're looking for a date spot or a dinner venue near Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, it's worth stopping by.