Yeouido izakaya spicy braised beef tendon shared by three: Nani

My cousin came to visit Seoul and wanted something good to eat, so we went to Nani, an izakaya in Yeouido. Everything I ordered was delicious, and the tables felt nicely separated from each other, which made it a great bar for catching up after not seeing each other in a while.

Nani Yeouido Branch

Where is Nani Yeouido Branch, and how close is it to Yeouido Station?

It's an izakaya in Yeouido located on the 3rd floor of the S-TRENUE Building, right in front of Exit 3 of Yeouido Station. Being that close to the subway made it super convenient to get to, and the clean building and storefront gave a good first impression.

Seating at Nani Yeouido Branch: curtained booths to window seats

Some of the seats have curtains, which give you a good amount of privacy. Not every seat is like this — there's a mix of open seating and curtained seating, so you can pick based on why you're visiting the izakaya.

There's also a space walled in on three sides, good for a dark, serious drinking mood.

And there are window seats with a wide-open view of Yeouido. The view alone is a good reason to recommend this place — it seems like it'd be great for friend gatherings, blind dates, or dates in general.

Sake and the menu lineup at Nani Yeouido Branch

The sake and liquor selection is also really varied!

Specialty dishes, grilled items, stir-fries, fried items, nabe (hot pot), rice dishes — the menu is evenly spread out instead of leaning one way. Nani has so much variety on the menu that there's plenty to choose from, and pretty much anyone could find something they'd want to eat, so if you're looking for an izakaya in Yeouido, I'd recommend this place. I ordered the spicy braised beef tendon, perilla oil octopus pasta, and lamb shoulder rack (3 pieces) 🖤

They're running a yogurt ice cream giveaway for review event participants right now. When you're drinking, you naturally start craving something cold, and in this summer heat, that's perfect.

Fried hardtack coated in cinnamon and sugar, plus refreshing seaweed stem, come out as the basic side dishes.

Little cousin, pour me a glass

How spicy is the level-3 braised beef tendon?

First up: the beef tendon braise marked with three spice icons. There was also a regular (non-spicy) tendon dish, but somehow the spicy one seemed like it'd be tastier, haha, so all three of us unanimously went for the spicy option.

It arrives looking gorgeous — chewy, tender tendon braised together with carrots, mushrooms and various other vegetables in the sauce. Since this is the spiciest dish at Nani Yeouido Branch, I was a little worried it might be too much when we ordered. Thankfully, the heat wasn't overwhelming at all — just comfortably spicy, perfect for pairing with drinks. And of course the tender, tender tendon was delicious, no need to even say it.

Perilla oil octopus pasta and its chewy capellini noodles

The perilla oil octopus pasta was on the recommended menu at this Yeouido izakaya. Thin, somyeon-like capellini noodles come tossed with seasoned octopus, perilla leaf, and a generous drizzle of perilla oil, giving off a really nutty aroma. Unlike regular noodles, capellini doesn't get soggy as easily, so it works well for dishes like cold pasta or mixed cold noodles that get rinsed in cold water to keep their chewy texture.

It doesn't mix together perfectly, but we mixed it hard anyway

Aside from the fermented octopus, there's no other strong seasoning, so you get the fragrant perilla leaf and the nutty flavor of the perilla oil filling your whole mouth. Eaten together with the octopus, the noodles' slightly plain texture gets a boost of chewiness, making it fun to chew, and the seasoning coating the octopus adds extra savoriness. Never knew fermented seafood could be used like this.

3-piece lamb shoulder rack served on a hot plate

The lamb shoulder rack we tried at Nani, this Yeouido izakaya. Who would've thought a place that isn't even a lamb specialty restaurant would have shoulder rack? Since it's an izakaya but not stuck to only Japanese food, you get to try all sorts of other dishes too, which I really like. It comes out on a sizzling hot plate, and the sizzling sound and smell when they bring it to the table gets your mouth watering instantly. Rich in fat and flavor, and even chewier in texture — that shoulder rack 👍🏻

The dipping sauces that come with it are mint jelly and a cumin + rosemary mix. Dipping a little in both sauces together lets you taste the lamb's aroma and richness even better. The refreshing, sweet jam-like mint jelly cuts through the fattiness while cleaning up the aftertaste, making it — just like the cumin — an essential sauce for lamb!

Is Nani Yeouido Branch worth a visit? Final thoughts

I'd recommend everything we ordered at Nani, this Yeouido izakaya. Great atmosphere, great food, and close to the subway on top of it. There are just so many good reasons to recommend this place. (Make sure you try the perilla oil octopus pasta!)