Yeouido izakaya date with lamb ribs: Nani Yeouido Branch

I visited Nani Yeouido Branch with my husband on a date. We have been getting around by car a lot lately, so I tend to look for places with convenient parking, and it was easy to use the building parking lot here.

Is it near Yeouido Station and is parking available?

The restaurant is on the third floor of the S-TRENUE Building. It was about a one-minute walk from the subway-station entrance, so it was also conveniently located for meeting by public transit. The parking lot and restroom are inside the building.

The hours listed in the original post were 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM the following day, Monday through Saturday, with last orders at 1:00 AM. It was listed as regularly closed on Sundays.

I could check the menu outside before going in. I happened to be craving lamb ribs, and the recommended dishes included lamb shoulder rack, so I went in without deliberating for long.

Which seats were good for a date?

Each table had a partition, which made it easy to spend time with the people I was with. It was quiet when I visited, so I thought it would work not only for dates but also for small gatherings with coworkers after work.

We sat by the window. Yeouido Station Exit 3 was directly visible, and I could watch people passing by outside. The sky was also visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows, which made the atmosphere even nicer around sunset.

How was the cold pasta with salted octopus as a meal and drinking dish?

That day, we ordered lamb shoulder rack, cold pasta with nakjijeot (salted octopus), Terra draft beer, and cider. The lamb shoulder rack came with three ribs.

The cold pasta was generously topped with nakjijeot, and I mixed it with the tsuyu sauce underneath. The portion was larger than I expected and filling, so it also worked well as a drinking dish that doubled as dinner.

I liked the chewy texture of the nakjijeot, and the generous perilla leaves made it fragrant. Their flavor stood out enough that it felt like perilla-leaf pasta, which I liked.

How were the doneness and portion of the lamb shoulder rack?

The lamb shoulder rack arrived on a sizzling grill plate. Mine was cooked to about medium-rare. I could leave it on the grill to cook it more, but the plate was hotter than I expected.

Because I was worried the meat would cook further, I stacked pieces of lamb on top of each other.

Two sauces came with it: basil sauce and cumin sauce. I alternated between them. I liked the subtle aroma of the basil sauce, and the cumin sauce also paired well with the lamb.

I felt the lamb shoulder rack was a little on the pricey side. Still, considering the flavor and generous portion of the lamb ribs at an izakaya, I was satisfied.

How were the dessert and drink prices?

At the time of my visit, yogurt ice cream that was not listed on the menu was being offered free through a review event. It was a fitting dessert when I wanted something cool and sweet while drinking.

Considering its Yeouido location, the drink prices felt more affordable than I expected. I was satisfied with each drinking dish, and the partitioned seating made me think it would also suit a small company dinner. What I especially liked was the time I spent with my husband by the window.