Dongnae izakaya bar for solo drinks and skewers: Oneul-ui Tokyo

A bar-style izakaya near Oncheonjang Station

Today, I’m sharing my visit to Oneul-ui Tokyo (오늘의도쿄), a bar-style izakaya near Oncheonjang Station where you can enjoy a solo drink.

I’d kept my eye on this place while going back and forth to my sibling’s house. After having a drink with a friend, I still wanted a little more before heading home, so we stopped in. The atmosphere is just perfect for drinking alone in Oncheonjang—it’s crazy good~

It’s close to Oncheonjang Station, so it’s easy to find. It’s already well known, so it tends to be full around 8 PM. I visited at 10 PM, though, and there were seats at both the counter and tables.

Skewers and sake at the counter

The prices are reasonable, so it’s great for ordering lots of different things. It would also be nice for a light second stop. We settled in, ordered skewers, and got ready to enjoy ourselves. They drizzled sauce over crisp cabbage, and the cabbage’s own sweetness really got my appetite going.

I sat at the counter and watched them grill the skewers. I was keeping an eye on whether they were grilling them deliciously or not 👀

Even looking at the ingredients before grilling, they seemed fresh. I’ve often seen notices saying ingredients had sold out, so I trusted the freshness of the skewers.

Ahh, all of that is what I ordered. I got a glass of sake before the skewers came out! I’ve quietly become addicted to sake, one of Japan’s signature liquors, lately. I’m even going to buy loads of sake when I travel to Tsushima next week.

Five-skewer set (₩15,000)

They were called negima, hatsu, nankotsu, and seseri… I don’t really know, haha. Chicken skin, breast, gingko nuts, hearts… hehe. Anyway, it’s four kinds of chicken plus grilled garlic or gingko nuts. Ahh, charcoal-grilled skewers over an open flame that go down one after another without getting tiresome. There’s nothing better for a solo drink. They’re good to share, but I like eating them alone even more 😁

The chicken was grilled without any off smell and, as I mentioned earlier, was fresh. I highly recommend it as an Oncheonjang izakaya for solo drinks.

The chicken breast had a soft, cartilage-like bit of bone to chew on, and I loved that texture. They were out of chicken neck that day, so this was substituted instead, and it was a genius move. I’d happily order it on its own next time 🤣 Chicken hearts—not gizzards—were really delicious too.

The chewy, nutty chicken hearts were such a perfect drinking snack too. Since these are seriously tasty bar bites, I recommend visiting before it fills up if you’re looking for an izakaya nearby for a solo drink or a gathering.

The salty, pleasantly bitter grilled gingko nuts were good good, too.

Every skewer was cooked just right, so yes, this really is a great izakaya near Oncheonjang Station. Highly recommend it as a bar near Heosimcheong.

Plump grilled mentaiko with cucumber

Grilled mentaiko (₩11,000)

I was craving something salty too, so I ordered grilled mentaiko (seasoned pollock roe). I was surprised when they served such plump roe. If you love mentaiko, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by the portion. Mayonnaise, wasabi, mentaiko, and cucumber—one plate full of things that work beautifully together. Is it just me, or could you easily finish a bottle of soju with this alone?

Eating the crisp, cool cucumber with the salty mentaiko is ridiculously delicious. A sophisticated grown-up drinking snack 😋

Eggplant tsukune worth returning for

Eggplant tsukune (₩4,500)

Between the tsukune and eggplant tsukune, I chose the eggplant. When I first saw it being grilled, the cut surface of the eggplant was so neat that I wondered whether there was actually no meat inside.

But… wow! It was an incredibly delicious, satisfying skewer. They served a raw egg alongside it, and dipping it in for that nutty richness was such a treat—I think I need to come back just for this. They hollow out a round piece of eggplant and fill it with minced meat, so you get the nuttiness and the eggplant’s softness all at once.

It was pure luxury. I absolutely recommend ordering it.

The tender chicken bursts with juices. And just like that, I ate it all.

I definitely cleaned up every last skewer. It felt wasteful to leave the egg yolk, so I considered ordering more tsukune, but I was already completely full for only around ₩40,000, so I’ll retreat here hahaha. I’ll be back 🤣