# Private-booth bar in Hongdae, Seoul: kushino nabe at Kushino Kitchen - By Hyeju (https://superchart.com/en/@quiet-spoon-2/) - Written Sep 16, 2026 - Local places › Bars › Mapo, Seoul - Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@quiet-spoon-2/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@quiet-spoon-2/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/index.md) ## In short Kushino Kitchen is a private-booth izakaya on the B1 level of Donggyo-ro, near Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul. After a 10-minute wait on a weekday evening, the order was kushino nabe (hot pot), lemon cream karaage, and orange and green grape highballs — plus a second round of pasta noodles in the nabe broth. Between the partitioned seats and the long highball list, Kushino Kitchen is an easy recommendation for a date night in Hongdae. ## Good to know - **Address**: B1, 218-1 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul - **Hours**: Daily 16:00 – 00:30 (next day) - **What we ordered**: Kushino nabe, lemon cream karaage, orange highball, green grape highball - **Wait time**: About 10 minutes on a weekday evening - **Seating**: Private seats with partitions *as written by the visitor on Sep 16, 2026* I first came here right after starting university and was shocked by how good it was…!! Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite✨ ![Entrance of Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae izakaya](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-01-1cav0-900.webp) *Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite* Years have passed and it's still standing strong, still here… that's real staying power 👏 ## Location and hours Kushino Kitchen is on the basement floor at 218-1 Donggyo-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, near Hongik University Station. It's open daily from 16:00 to 00:30. ![Stairway leading down to the basement floor at Kushino Kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-02-1j194-900.webp) ![Interior of Kushino Kitchen with a Japanese izakaya feel](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-03-wo02o-900.webp) ## Private booths perfect for a date Kushino Kitchen has that small Japanese izakaya feel. The seats come with partitions, so it's great for a cozy couple's date haha ![Booth seating with partitions at Kushino Kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-04-aa5qt-900.webp) *Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite* Doesn't it have the vibe? Kind of feels like you're on a trip🎵 ![Private table where we sat at Kushino Kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-05-1a8tc-m-900.webp) *Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite* This was our table! It was a weekday evening and we waited about 10 minutes, but it was worth it 🤍 there's clearly a reason it's popular enough to have a wait. ## Menu and ordering tips What we ordered at Kushino Kitchen: kushino nabe, lemon cream karaage, orange highball, and green grape highball. ![Menu board at Kushino Kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-06-i4my5-900.webp) If you come to Kushino Kitchen, ordering the kushino nabe is a must! The nabe (hot pot) already comes with noodles, so add more if you want extra⭐️ The skewer dishes are all great too, and since they're available individually, it's nice to keep adding them as you go. ![Table spread with orange highball and lemon cream karaage](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-07-16qhx-900.webp) *Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite* ## Lemon cream karaage, my boyfriend's favorite side dish The karaage (fried chicken) and highball came out first! Look at that orange tower… the visual is overwhelming🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊 ![Plate of karaage topped with lemon cream sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-08-1p7yb-900.webp) *Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite* My boyfriend raved about the lemon cream karaage~ the sweet, fragrant lemon cream and crispy karaage went so well together — writing this is making me crave it again… so good ㅠㅠ🤤 ![Close-up of lemon cream karaage covered in sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-09-enmrn-900.webp) *Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite* It's perfect for couples like us who love bold, punchy flavors. Even with a generous amount of sauce, the batter stayed crispy and never went soggy — great texture! ![Orange highball and green grape highball at Kushino Kitchen](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-10-1e3m4-900.webp) ## Orange highball vs. green grape highball You absolutely must order a highball at Kushino Kitchen✨ The food here tastes great and looks gorgeous too, so it's fun to photograph — the lighting is great. - 🍊 The orange highball is sweet, smooth, and refreshing - 🍇 The green grape highball has lots of shine muscat and a tangy-sweet taste Bottom line: both are really good. Orange is more my style. ## Kushino nabe, the must-order dish with extra noodles ![Kushino nabe hot pot filled with skewers and mussels](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-11-1q6xv-1200.webp) *Kushino Kitchen, a Hongdae favorite* And now, the star of the show — kushino nabe…!! It had been so long, I really missed it ㅠㅠ packed full of skewers, mussels, cabbage, and noodles❤️ The broth is tomato-sauce based and so good that we added a second helping of pasta noodles. The best!! ![Tomato sauce-based broth of the kushino nabe](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-12-xki80-900.webp) ![Skewers pulled out of the kushino nabe](https://img.superchart.com/images/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date-13-t5a5-900.webp) Every single skewer was delicious, right? And so many mussels. I want to keep this Hongdae izakaya to myself, but I'll definitely be back — Kushino Kitchen🫶🏻 There's even a fire show to watch, which is a fun bonus. 🤩 ## In summary ✔️ Kushino Kitchen is a Hongdae bar with a great atmosphere and private booths, perfect for a date! With a wide range of highballs and every side dish delicious, it's a spot that'll fully satisfy anyone who loves demolishing anju (drinking snacks) haha If you're looking for a Hongdae izakaya or a Hongdae date bar, I recommend Kushino Kitchen! ## Where it is - Kushino Kitchen (쿠시노주방) - 218-1 Donggyo-ro, B1F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 마포구 동교로 218-1 지하 1층 쿠시노주방 - 37.559505, 126.9239455 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%BF%A0%EC%8B%9C%EB%85%B8%EC%A3%BC%EB%B0%A9/@37.559505,126.9239455,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@quiet-spoon-2/kushino-kitchen-hongdae-nabe-date/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt