Jeonpo izakaya in Busan for tuna futomaki and sake: 12.24 Seomyeon

What kind of izakaya is 12.24 Seomyeon Branch in Jeonpo?

The place I'm introducing today is an izakaya made by an owner who used to work at the Swissôtel Osaka, serving delicious side dishes. It's about 5 minutes from Jeonpo Station, and you can get kushikatsu (skewered fried skewers), nabe (hot pot), and various types of sashimi. The vibe is great too, so it's good for dates as well as coming to drink solo.

• 12.24 Seomyeon Branch
• 225 Jeonpo-daero, 1st floor, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Daily 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM
• No parking
• Reservations available via Naver, corkage allowed

Jeonpo izakaya 12.24 looked like it had a great atmosphere even from outside, so I thought it would be good for couples to visit together. There were even chairs set up outside for waiting.

It's located near Jeonpo Station so it's easy to access, and you can reserve ahead through Naver. There are lots of side dishes that are easy to eat as a second round, and it's great value, so you can try several menu items without worrying about the bill.

Counter seats and group tables: drinking alone or on a date

12.24 Seomyeon Branch has counter seats, so it's comfortable to come enjoy a solo drink, and there are also seats for groups if you come with friends or for a gathering. The atmosphere is nice enough that it seemed like a great spot for a date, even for anniversaries. The store was also kept clean and tidy.

Receipt reviews, Instagram events and kiosk ordering

You can also join a receipt review event — you can get a coupon for chicken karaage through Naver by participating. There's also an Instagram follow and story-share event, so you can join in and try the no-miss side dish draw.

There's a kiosk at every table so you can order whatever you want right away. At Jeonpo bar izakaya 12.24, you can get all kinds of menu items — sashimi, soup dishes, kushikatsu, yukhoe (beef tartare), and more.

The atmosphere is cozy and comfortable, and the basic side dishes that come out are sweet potato tempura, corn salad, and cabbage salad.

Assorted kushikatsu set of 11 for 19,000 won

While we were eating the basic side dishes, our main order came out too — we ordered the assorted kushikatsu 11-piece set for ₩19,000, a great-value way to try a bunch of different kushikatsu.

They make it fresh as soon as you order, so you get to try the katsu warm. The oil was well drained, and the portion size and pieces were generous for the price, so it seems like it'd be great for a group to share a variety of side dishes.

The kushikatsu menu included fried mozzarella cheese, chicken thigh, shrimp, squid, fish cake, sweet potato, garlic stem, zucchini, quail egg, mushroom, and sweet pumpkin. It's a menu item that lets you try many of 12.24's kushikatsu, so it's one of my recommended picks.

Sake by the tokkuri flask with the skewers

The katsu is crispy, well-drained of oil, and you can taste right away that the ingredients are fresh. It's light and clean, and we ordered a tokkuri of sake — it paired so well with this side dish that the drinks just kept going down.

The fried items are crispy, and since there's such a variety, it's a charming menu that you don't get tired of.

Tuna futomaki, 15,000 won: too big for one bite

For another dish, we ordered the tuna futomaki (thick sushi roll) for ₩15,000, which comes as 5 pieces, and they were really so big it was hard to eat them in one bite.

The tuna was fresh and the pieces were so large that it felt like the sea had come into my mouth. Every ingredient was packed in without a gap, so I think anyone would love it. The owner is friendly, and every side dish is great value with generous portions, making 12.24 a Busan bar in Seomyeon or Jeonpo that's good for dates, solo drinking, or coming with a group.