Seoul Forest date night izakaya with plum highballs: Jindoken Seongsu

The weather's been so nice and cool lately that I keep ending up in Seoul Forest! Whenever I'm planning a Seoul Forest date or looking for something to do in Seongsu, there are SO many restaurants around that I always end up stuck choosing. But I found a place I really want to recommend to anyone craving Japanese food, so here's the review!!

Aged sashimi, sure, but they even smoke sashimi over rice straw! Some menu items here honestly feel like you can't get them anywhere else. And best of all — they serve mackerel pressed sushi, so I rushed right over haha. Today I'm writing up my review of Jindoken Seongsu Branch, a Seongsu-dong favorite :) Let's get into it~~~

Jindoken Seongsu Branch: location, hours, and do you need a reservation?

Jindoken Seongsu Branch is a Japanese izakaya on the 2nd floor at 3 Wangsimni-ro 4ga-gil, Seongdong-gu — 7 to 10 minutes on foot from Exit 6 of Ttukseom Station. It's also an easy walk from Seoul Forest Station! Hours are 17:00 to 1am the next day, there's no parking, and reservations are possible.

• 🏠 Jindoken Seongsu Branch
• 📌 3 Wangsimni-ro 4ga-gil, 2nd floor, Seongdong-gu
• ⏰ 17:00 – 01:00 (next day)
• 🚗 No parking
• 💳 Reservations available

I got there around 5:30 on a Saturday, and by around 6:30 the place was completely full?! If you're visiting after 6pm, I'd recommend booking ahead.

I checked the Naver reviews first and the rating was 4.92! Super high?! So I went in with high expectations. Seongsu isn't really known for great sashimi spots, so that made me even more curious! I hear there's a Sinsa branch too as part of a chain, but the Seongsu location gets great reviews as well.

Inside Jindoken Seongsu Branch: the entrance and the straw-smoking booth

The entrance at Jindoken Seongsu is honestly such a unique design. That automatic door has real presence hahaha. Walk in and there's a smoking booth right in front of you!

The interior is on the spacious side, so it seems like a good spot for group gatherings or even a blind date. Since it's an izakaya, there's a nice, moody atmosphere too.

There's a highball-making station, a smoking area, and even a restroom inside — very convenient. The tall bar seats even had blankets ready for you!

Once you're seated, they bring out a cabbage salad — with bonito flakes on top?! So good!!! It's such a simple dish, but it makes a perfect starter. Why does it never taste this good when I make it at home? Hahaha.

What we ordered at Jindoken Seongsu Branch: aged sashimi and mackerel pressed sushi

I looked over the menu! The regular sashimi looked delicious, but this place surprisingly also sells aged sashimi with a rice-straw aroma?! I was curious, but I ended up leaning toward the cleaner-tasting sashimi instead — saving that one for next time haha.

Honestly, the whole reason I came here was the mackerel pressed sushi!! So I ordered regular sashimi, mackerel pressed sushi, plus a yuzu highball and a plum highball hahaha. (There were so many items marked as 'signature' that I agonized over the choices for a while haha.)

When the food arrived, doesn't it just look amazing?! The aged sashimi had absolutely no dried-out feeling — it was soft, with what felt like deeper, richer flavor! I'm normally a live-fish sashimi person, but Jindoken's sashimi had such depth of flavor that it was genuinely delicious?! I used to think good aged sashimi was hard to find, but Jindoken really nailed it!

How does the mackerel pressed sushi taste?

The mackerel pressed sushi I'd been waiting and waiting for!! The mackerel's signature savory flavor balanced perfectly with the tangy rice, and I finished every last piece without leaving anything haha. My friend, who isn't usually a huge fan of sashimi, was eating it happily too and said it was delicious?! Not a hint of fishiness — just clean and light.

Yuzu highball or plum highball: which one to order at Jindoken Seongsu?

I took a photo of the highballs we ordered together too haha. We got both the yuzu and plum flavors, and the plum had just the right amount of sweetness and tasted great, so I'd recommend the plum!

Is Jindoken Seongsu Branch a good stop on a Seoul Forest date?

I'd like to recommend this to anyone looking for aged sashimi around Seongsu or Seoul Forest! Or if you're planning a full Seoul Forest date course — a walk in the park, a café, and a meal — Jindoken makes a great restaurant choice thanks to how close it is to Seoul Forest!