Thick salmon sashimi and shrimp fondue in Bangi-dong: Sangkai Izakaya

If you're looking for somewhere to have a proper drink in Bangi-dong, Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch was pretty good. This time I ordered the salmon sashimi and shrimp fondue, and both were really satisfying! The salmon especially was exactly my style.

Not thin, small slices of salmon — each piece was big, wide and thick. Almost no fishy smell either, and the salmon itself was so good I'd want to order it again next time.

Where is Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch?

Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch / Address: 30 Olympic-ro 32-gil, 2nd-3rd fl., Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea

It's a great spot when you're looking for a bar or izakaya in the Bangi-dong food alley. The store spans the 2nd and 3rd floors, so it has plenty of space, which looked good for visiting with a bigger group too.

Salmon sashimi, ₩35,000

The salmon sashimi is 35,000 won. I liked the size of the salmon from the moment it arrived.

Each piece was big and wide, plus thick. As someone who loves salmon, I much prefer it served this thick rather than sliced thin. You could really feel the soft texture unique to salmon when you bit into it, and there was no fishy smell, so I ate it very happily.

Thick salmon with no fishy smell

It wasn't just big-looking in photos — each piece of salmon was actually quite large when I ate it. I'm particularly sensitive to fishy smell when eating salmon, but this time there was none of that, and I ate it very cleanly. And the cucumber served alongside — why was it so good, haha. Eating a piece of cucumber between bites of salmon cleansed my palate, so the combo was great.

Even the basic side dishes were good

Even what came out as basic sides before the main dishes was delicious. It looked like cucumber, pickled radish and octopus mixed together, and I kept reaching for it.

Usually at izakayas, you eat the basic sides a few times and then stop reaching for them, but here I kept picking at it even before the mains arrived. When even the little things taste good, it definitely improves the first impression.

Shrimp fondue, ₩25,500 — recommended if you love cheese

The second thing I ordered was the shrimp fondue. Price: 25,500 won. This was really good too. Especially recommended if you're a cheese lover!

Shrimp and cheese is a combo that's hard to make bad, and the sauce was delicious too, so eating it together was a great pairing. Having salmon then shrimp fondue, I felt like I'd nailed my menu choices.

For two people, this combo, ₩60,500 total

If I go with one other person, I think I'd order this same combo again.

• Salmon sashimi ₩35,000
• Shrimp fondue ₩25,500

The two dishes together came to 60,500 won.

One was fresh, clean salmon sashimi; the other was cheesy, rich-sauced shrimp fondue, and it was nice that the flavors didn't overlap. Eating a piece of salmon, then shrimp fondue, then salmon again — it was a good combo for drinks too.

Also looks good for company dinners or group gatherings

Since Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch uses both the 2nd and 3rd floors, it's fairly spacious, so it seemed good not just for two people having a casual drink but for a larger group visit too.

If you're looking for a spot for a company dinner or group gathering around Jamsil in the Bangi-dong food alley, this is worth checking too. There's info about group bookings, so if you have a large group, call ahead.

If I go again, salmon for sure

If I had to pick just one thing to order again from this visit, it's the salmon sashimi. The salmon was big, wide and thick, which I really loved, and above all it was delicious with no fishy smell.

But the shrimp fondue is hard to give up too. The cheese was good and even the sauce was to my taste, so I think I'll end up ordering both again next time, haha.

If you're looking for a bar or izakaya in Bangi-dong and you love salmon, try the salmon sashimi at Sangkai Izakaya Bangi Branch. From the salmon to the cucumber served with it, the basic sides, and the shrimp fondue, I came away overall satisfied.