Skewer assortment and tsukune at Yakitori Iyu, a Hongdae izakaya

When I used to look for a bar in Hongdae, I'd always head straight for whichever place was packed with people. On dates, that sometimes backfired — too loud to talk — and at izakayas, ordering just a few side dishes could add up to more than expected. Yakitori Iyu felt a bit different this time.

When you order skewers, the owner grills each one by hand, so the charcoal aroma comes through strongly while the seasoning stays light enough to enjoy alongside drinks. The bar seats especially work well for solo drinking, and the mood is good for a date too — worth keeping in mind if you're looking for yakitori in Hongdae.

Where is Yakitori Iyu and what are its hours?

• Address: 20-13 Jandari-ro, 1F, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 576m from Hapjeong Station Exit 3
• Last order at 23:00

Which Hongdae alley is Yakitori Iyu on?

Yakitori Iyu sits on a side street a bit removed from Hongdae's main drag, so it's worth checking the location carefully before heading over. The shop's own directions describe it as across from a hanok café in the back alley behind Sangsangmadang.

At the entrance there's a big standing signboard showing the signature menu at a glance. Along with yakitori, dishes like yurinchi (crispy fried chicken with tangy sauce) and other chicken dishes made great drinking food, so picking a menu was already fun before even stepping inside.

Are the bar seats good for solo drinking or a date?

Inside Yakitori Iyu, the bar seats really caught my eye. You know those days when you'd rather have a quiet drink alone than sit in a bar crowded with groups.

It struck me as a solid spot for solo drinking in Hongdae on days like that. And for two people, like us, it's good for a date too.

At past table-heavy izakayas, even visiting as a pair could get surprisingly loud around us. The yakitori style of eating one skewer at a time while drinking definitely felt calmer.

What we ordered: five-skewer assortment, tsukune and fried radish

That day at Yakitori Iyu we ordered the five-skewer assortment, a fried radish dish, and tsukune (grilled ground chicken meatball skewers). The assortment looked great from the start — the owner grilled each one carefully, so the surface came out golden brown with a fairly deep charcoal aroma.

What I liked was that the skewers weren't drowned in sauce. The seasoning stayed light rather than heavy, so each cut's flavor came through differently. I've had yakitori elsewhere where the sauce was so strong I got tired of it after a few pieces, but here it was easy to eat slowly alongside drinks.

We also ordered the tsukune separately, and it had a different feel from the assortment, so I was glad we added it. We also had the fried radish dish, which isn't a typical izakaya side, so it paired well between skewers.

Rather than ordering a lot of everything at once, starting with the assortment and adding whatever caught my eye worked well for me personally.

Honest verdict: who is Yakitori Iyu right for?

Thinking back on the yakitori places I've tried in Hongdae, how well the skewers are grilled ends up mattering most to me.

At Yakitori Iyu, the owner grills every skewer himself, so the outside came out golden with a proper charcoal aroma, and I liked that the seasoning leaned light rather than heavy. With the five-skewer assortment plus tsukune and fried radish, the menu didn't feel one-note either.

Above all, this place feels better suited to people looking for a Hongdae izakaya where you can talk slowly over one skewer at a time, rather than a loud spot for just drinking. If you're alone, try a light solo drink at the bar seats; if you're with someone, it makes a good date spot for a drink with yakitori :)