Sejong izakaya seafood platter and highballs: Yaki Naseong

A gorgeous combination of 100% bluefin tuna, uni, and sweet shrimp! I went to Yaki, an izakaya in Naseong-dong, Sejong, for a private seafood platter and highballs.

Have you ever come back from a trip to Japan and found yourself thinking about the seafood you had there—tuna, uni, sweet shrimp, and more?

Today, I visited Yaki Naseong Branch (야키 나성점), an izakaya in Sejong tucked away like a hidden gem on the second floor of the Twosome Place building at the entrance to Naseong-dong Rodeo Street. 🍣

With spaces set up like rooms, it is designed so you can avoid being too exposed and simply enjoy delicious time with the person across from you—so I was excited even before stepping inside! I tried everything from a premium platter loaded with top-grade tuna and seafood to a spicy sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) earthenware pot. 🍃

Curtained rooms and an open-kitchen atmosphere

Once inside, the soft, slightly dim lighting added to the tranquil mood unique to a Japanese-style izakaya. 💡 A neat open kitchen that inspired confidence caught my eye on one side. They are not sealed rooms that block all noise, but each area is separated with tidy partitions and curtains, making it really nice for private conversation!

It felt like an ideal space for an intimate date, a small gathering with friends, or even a wedding-invitation gathering. Since it is such a popular restaurant in Naseong-dong, I recommend making a reservation before visiting. ✨

Cabbage snack and a green apple highball

After settling in, we first ordered Asahi draft beer and a green apple highball to set the mood. 🍸

Crisp cabbage, a standard snack often served at Japanese restaurants, came with our drinks, and it paired wonderfully with the sweet, refreshing green apple highball!

One sip of Asahi draft beer with its wonderfully soft, creamy foam felt like it washed away the day's fatigue, so I was already in a great mood before the mains arrived. 🍺 (Toriaezu nama!! Haha.) Maybe because we did an opening run on a weekend evening, we were the first customers. The mains that followed came quickly too—such a lovely start to the evening. Haha.

A seafood platter loaded with tuna, uni, and sweet shrimp

When the main dish finally arrived—the premium seafood platter + unlimited gamtae set—my jaw dropped at the sight of it. 🌊 They serve only carefully selected premium cuts of rich yet clean-tasting bluefin tuna, and its quality stood out as among the best I have seen at tuna specialty restaurants in Sejong.

It also came generously piled with Hokkaido salmon roe (ikura), fresh uni, sweet shrimp, and rich ankimo (monkfish liver). Just looking at it made me happy.

My favorite seafood-platter combinations

For a little tip on how to enjoy it, pile plenty of wasabi onto the nicely marbled tuna belly. The sharp kick of wasabi cuts through the richness beautifully, leaving it very clean-tasting.

Also, having tuna, uni, and salmon roe together lets the roe pop in your mouth and adds a deep flavor with no fishiness at all!

Another special combination was layering unlimited-refill gamtae (sweet seaweed) with gim (roasted seaweed), dipping it lightly in sesame oil sauce, and wrapping it around the seafood. The generously served ankimo was deliciously nutty atop the crisp biscuits that came with it—it felt like eating a refined dish. 😋

Finishing with a spicy seafood sujebi pot

The next side dish was the seafood sujebi earthenware pot, ordered as a finishing meal after all that lovely seafood. 🍲

It does not contain soft tofu, but its peppery heat and spice made it feel like a fiery sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew)! It was packed with clams, mussels, and thin-sliced pork belly for a deeply flavored broth, while the ribbons of egg softened the heat and made it feel wonderfully restorative. I was so satisfied that I scraped up every last drop of broth with the chewy sujebi. 👍

I scraped the pot clean all the way to the bottom, thinking I should try making it at home as a drinking snack someday, haha.

Yaki visitor information and tips

When looking for a cozy, upscale izakaya in Naseong-dong

From the spectacular seafood combination of carefully selected top-grade bluefin tuna, uni, and sweet shrimp to the private curtained rooms and the open kitchen where you can watch the cooking, it was such a cheerful, satisfying time that coming here was completely worthwhile.

If you want to have a drink with excellent food while quietly talking with your partner, or need a spot for a small get-together or wedding-invitation gathering with friends, I think you can make some happy memories here.

This is an honest review based on my personal experience. 😊