Sadang izakaya for sashimi newbies: scallop-uni trio, Bunko Dining

Bunko Dining Sadang: location, hours and parking

Bunko Dining Sadang is a Japanese-style pub 261m from Sadang Station Exit 11, at 26 Bangbaecheon-ro 4an-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd floor. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 17:00–23:00, and for parking you can use the public lot nearby at Bangbae-dong 493-3. If you're looking for a place with a good mood in Sadang, save this one! It covers wedding invitation get-togethers, blind dates and regular dates. I went, thought "let's come back next time," so I'll be honest about it!

• Location: 26 Bangbaecheon-ro 4an-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor
• Hours: Tue–Sun 17:00–23:00
• Parking: Bangbae-dong 493-3 public lot — ₩250 for the first 5 minutes, ₩250 per additional 5 minutes, max ₩15,000
• Nearest station: 261m from Sadang Station Exit 11

Why a sashimi newbie came for the aged sashimi

I'd heard Bunko Dining is famous for aged sashimi in Sadang, so I went with my boyfriend. I wanted to eat something properly good in Sadang. Honestly, I like live-fish sashimi too, so I never felt much difference from aged sashimi. (I'm a sashimi lover who knows nothing about sashimi...) I went expecting just "it'll probably be tasty," but after eating, my mind was completely changed! I like aged sashimi!!!

Bunko Dining's mood: good for blind dates and wedding invitation get-togethers?

The lighting at Bunko Dining Sadang is neither too bright nor too dim, so it's just right for a blind date, st.. you know, meeting somewhere too bright makes it more awkward, haha.. It's the kind of mood where even people meeting for the first time can talk comfortably. Oh, and there's large-group seating too, so I think it's also a good spot near Sadang Station for a wedding invitation get-together (we call these 청모)!

We sat at the counter seats, and you can see right into the kitchen, so watching the food being made was fun. But thanks to that, extra orders happened.. haha The smell was just so good..

Complimentary side: vegetable sticks + ssamjang (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

When you sit down at Bunko Dining, you get vegetable sticks and ssamjang as a free side, and this isn't just any ssamjang. It's like a seasoned ssamjang but there's something chewy in it...? I couldn't tell if it was meat or shiitake, but the texture was so good I thought it'd be delicious mixed into rice. The problem: it was so good that I finished all the vegetable sticks before the main sashimi even arrived.. hahaha

Bunko Dining's assorted sashimi: how was aged sashimi different from live fish?

The assorted sashimi looked insane from the first glance. Okra cut into star shapes, tomato for red accents, even flowers on top, so pretty. It was almost too nice to eat, but I was the one who ate even the decorative tomato and okra ^^

Aren't the okra shapes so pretty...

My boyfriend ordered soju, I ordered beer, cheers! We ate in order starting with the white fish, and I, who never noticed much difference between aged and live sashimi, clearly felt it for the first time at Bunko Dining.

Even though the aged sashimi is sliced thick, it's very tender, and each type of fish keeps its own flavor. It was amazing to feel both firm and tender at the same time. The savory depth (umami) was clearly deeper than the live-fish sashimi I'd had before. Ah, looking at the photos I want to eat it again...

My boyfriend's recommended combo: the trio (scallop + sweet shrimp + sea urchin roe) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Please eat the assorted sashimi as a trio, scallop + sweet shrimp + sea urchin roe in one bite. My boyfriend is a huge sea urchin roe fan and told me to try it, so I followed, and this combo is seriously crazy good... The umami is insane, so please try it this way...

Abalone innards pasta that won me over from the counter with its smell

The abalone innards pasta is the dish we ordered extra even though the sashimi had already filled us up. Sitting at the counter, I saw the next table order the abalone innards pasta, and the smell was so good. I was already pretty full from the sashimi, but I ordered it anyway..

The abalone wasn't tough at all, just chewy, the seasoning was spot on and the cooking was perfect. You know that kind of taste you keep eating even when you're full? This was that. At other restaurants, abalone dishes were often tough or tasted like just sea snail..? but Bunko Dining in Sadang was different.. If they sold something like abalone jang (soy-marinated abalone) here, I'd want to buy it..

What was good and what was disappointing at Bunko Dining Sadang

What was good

• Soft lighting and the fun of watching the kitchen from the counter — the mood itself is so good
• Quality ingredients even in the basic ssamjang (you can feel the detail)
• Assorted sashimi plating is really pretty — even the flower and okra decorations
• The aging level is high, so it's tender even when sliced thick
• The abalone innards pasta was perfect in both seasoning and texture

What was disappointing

• At the counter, be ready to order extra because of the smells, haha (be careful if you have weak willpower..)

Who it's for

Bunko Dining is perfect for occasions where mood matters, like blind dates, dates and wedding invitation get-togethers. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to try aged sashimi for the first time too!

Tips before visiting Bunko Dining

• The counter is a bit brighter than the tables, so for a blind date I'd recommend the darker ^^ table seats..
• Definitely try the trio (scallop + sweet shrimp + sea urchin roe)..
• Naver Reservation is available, so it should work well for a wedding invitation get-together too!!

If you've been looking for a Sadang pub with a good mood, a great restaurant, or just a place for a meal!! I highly recommend Bunko Dining. (It really does all three..) It was the place where I first felt what aged sashimi is all about. 😊