Beomgye izakaya with beef tendon whelk salad and Juksim: Cheolgil

What is Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch like?

Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch (철길부산집 범계점) is a handmade fish cake oden bar and izakaya (Japanese-style pub) right by Beomgye Station. It's open daily 17:00–02:00 and closes only on Chuseok day. It works for a Beomgye Station date, and it's an atmospheric spot for drinking solo, too.

If you come by car, use the public roadside parking near the shop. It's ₩600 for the first 30 minutes and ₩300 per 10 minutes up to one hour, and after that the rate goes up.

Today I had a get-together at Beomgye Station. We'd already eaten a lot of dakdoritang (Korean braised chicken stew) and drunk plenty at round one, but I wanted one more light drink, so off we went to round two! That's how we ended up at Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch. The name alone gives off a retro vibe, and once inside, the atmosphere was way better than I expected.

It's both an oden bar and an izakaya, and a really good place to come drink alone.

It felt like a scene from a Japanese movie.

Atmosphere, taste, value, it has it all. Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch is a warm place where a good meal and a drink suit you whether you come alone or in a group.

Counter seats for solo visits and the free oden broth

Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch has dacchi (bar counter) seats with individual hot-water warmers, so you don't have to feel awkward eating alone. Once you sit down, oden broth comes out first as a basic.

The oden broth that comes by default is quietly a highlight. It's hot and refreshing, great for settling your stomach before drinking, and you keep reaching for it. It's clean rather than harsh, so waiting for the food was never boring.

Busanjip aged salmon sashimi: is it worth ₩29,000?

The Busanjip aged salmon sashimi, a recommended menu item at Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch, costs ₩29,000 and is said to be cured in a coffee bean and yuzu salmon marinade. Ordered as a second-round snack, it was soft, clean and not fishy at all, and I was plenty satisfied.

We ordered the salmon sashimi. The look alone is pretty great. The color is vivid and glossy, so you can tell it's fresh right away.

Dab on a little soy sauce or wasabi and no explanation is needed. This is more than enough for a second-round snack.

One bite and the texture is soft. It definitely melts in your mouth. It's clean with no fishy taste, and the thickness is just right.

Honestly, photos taken here have the feel of shots from a digital camera at an izakaya on a trip to Japan, which makes it even more atmospheric. I'd absolutely recommend it as a Beomgye Station date course.

What does sujigolbaeng taste like?

The sujigolbaeng (beef tendon and sea whelk salad) at Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch is ₩18,000, a chewy, spicy-and-tangy snack. You can add somyeon (thin wheat noodles) for ₩2,000.

Whelk salad with beef tendon in it? They go together really well. I'm a meat person who feels let down without meat, and this dish let me have both whelk and meat.

It was great as a second-round snack, because it was sweet, tangy and fresh. It isn't heavy, and it felt like it pushed down everything we'd eaten before? Haha.

A fresh, tasty dish!

Drinks at the Beomgye Station oden bar: the Jim Beam event and Jukshim

I hear Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch runs an event if you order Jim Beam, so it's worth joining.

I drank a distilled spirit called Jukshim. It was my first time trying it, and it was clean and smoother than soju, so it was delicious.

I'd recommend it if you like smooth distilled spirits.

I'm sad I missed the oden..

Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch is said to feature handmade fish cakes and a secret broth simmered for 5 hours. The menu runs from simple snacks to filling meals, so it works for a second round of drinks or a dinner.

They say even a single fish cake is made differently here. Apparently the chewy texture and deep broth give it a depth that clearly sets it apart from other oden izakayas.

This is apparently a well-known oden bar in Beomgye. But we'd already eaten a lot at round one, so it's a bit of a shame we couldn't order oden. Instead we had the oden broth that comes by default, and it was delicious. Hot yet clean and refreshing. It isn't harsh, so you keep spooning it up. It's good for settling your stomach before drinking, and perfect as a palate cleanser between bites. Just for this broth, I'll have to come back and have the oden properly next time.

Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch menu

Our second round at Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch: how was it?

We just dropped in lightly for round two, but I was more satisfied than expected. Next time I plan to come for round one and eat the oden properly. If you're looking for a place for a casual drink in Beomgye, Cheolgil Busanjip Beomgye Branch is worth a visit.

I hear that if you turn on notifications, you also get 2 free fish cakes.