Yeongdeungpo izakaya butter garlic shrimp and ramyeon risotto: Nani

On a day I wanted a simple dinner out in Yeongdeungpo, I went to Nani Byeolgwan.

It's near Times Square so it's pretty accessible, and the mood, drinks, and food are all good, so it's a place I go to fairly often.

But this time I found out for the first time that there's such a pretty second-floor space here.

The rafters are left fully exposed, so it's a pretty wooden building with a lot of Korean character.

There's a room on the second floor too, so I'm definitely going to try that next time.

The food I had that day was genuinely more delicious than I expected, and it's still stuck in my memory.

Where is Nani Byeolgwan Yeongdeungpo Branch, and where do you park?

Nani Byeolgwan Yeongdeungpo Branch is about a 2-minute walk from Times Square. It's a great stop for a meal and a drink after shopping or a date at Times Square.

It's about a 10-minute walk from Yeongdeungpo Station and about 12 minutes from Munnae Station. If you need parking, it's better to use the public parking lot within a 2-minute walk rather than right in front of the restaurant.

Inside Nani Byeolgwan: warm wood downstairs, a hidden 2F room

One of the reasons I like Nani Byeolgwan is exactly this warm, cozy vibe. The wood-toned interior and the warm, calm-colored lighting go together so well that it's just pretty.

The 1st floor's booth seats and hall tables are well separated, and the 2nd floor's main hall and room are also well divided, so you can relax comfortably the whole time you're there.

I especially loved how this 2nd floor space felt like some kind of hidden secret room.

It also gave off a vibe like visiting a well-decorated mountain lodge.

The view down onto the 1st floor hall from the 2nd floor was really striking too — honestly, I fell completely for Nani Byeolgwan that day.

Ordering butter garlic king shrimp and Shin Ramyun risotto

That day, I had the butter garlic king shrimp and the shin ramyeon risotto.

I ordered them thinking they'd be a light side dish, but the portions were bigger than expected, and more than anything, the taste exceeded expectations.

Butter garlic king shrimp with pickled green chilies

The butter garlic king shrimp comes with butter garlic sauce drizzled over king shrimp.

I just ordered it because I like shrimp, but the butter garlic sauce genuinely added way more savory depth than I expected.

On top of that, the pickled mountain chili (sangochu-jeori) is spicy and tangy, and it really cuts through the shrimp's clean flavor and the butter's richness, so you absolutely have to eat them together.

If you're someone who eats the shell as is, you could probably just crunch through the butter garlic shrimp shell and all, but I always peel mine off, so I worked hard at it with the tongs.

There's a slit cut along the back, and since the shrimp came out freshly hot, the shell separated really easily.

I prefer to set everything up first and then eat comfortably afterward, so I peeled all the shrimp shells off to make them easy to eat.

These aren't small cocktail shrimp — they're king shrimp, so the meat is plump. It was genuinely chewy and delicious, and the butter garlic king shrimp is total drinking-food material. If you like shrimp, you'll definitely love this menu item.

Shin Ramyun risotto: how spicy and how rich is it?

I just wanted something with rice in it, so I ordered the shin ramyeon risotto, and this too was way more delicious than expected!

It turns out this place is surprisingly great with sauces. The risotto sauce is on the thin side, so I kept spooning it up like soup.

The rich, thick sauce, the delicious rice, and the noodles that were somehow both crisp and soft all went together really well.

I like risotto, but it seems to be surprisingly hard to make well, since the quality varies wildly from restaurant to restaurant. So it feels like a gamble and I personally don't order it that often — but Nani Byeolgwan totally nailed it.

And on top of that, the butter garlic king shrimp and the shin ramyeon risotto went really well together.

You really should order these two menu items together every time.

I really went there planning to eat light, but contrary to expectations, I came out completely stuffed.

It's perfect for solo drinking, a date, or a group gathering, so if you're scouting locations in Yeongdeungpo, head to Nani Byeolgwan Yeongdeungpo Branch!