Hongdae private-room bar for two with spicy beef nabe: Hongdae Gonggam

Hongdae Gonggam: a quiet private-room bar for two in Hongdae

Hongdae Gonggam (홍대공감) is a private-room izakaya between Sangsu Station and Hongik Univ. Station. I went with my partner and we had spicy beef nabe (hot pot) and Gonggam yukhoe. Then again, this place is my own space, so there are no lies here. Of course, this review includes things I paid for myself~

Ugh, I'm getting old... I can't stand loud bars anymore... I was hunting for a Hongdae private-room bar that works for two people and ended up at Hongdae Gonggam near Hongik Univ. Station! It was a fully private room, more polished (?) than I expected, and the food was pretty tasty too, which made me even happier. This is my review of Hongdae Gonggam, the Sangsu izakaya~

• Hours: daily 16:00 – 02:00
• Last order: 01:00

Getting to Hongdae Gonggam: 5 minutes on foot from Sangsu Station

From Sangsu Station Exit 1, just head up the street toward the Hongdae club area! It's about a 5-minute walk from Sangsu Station, so it's easy to reach as a Sangsu bar too.

What do the rooms at Hongdae Gonggam look like?

The rooms line up corridor-style from the front of the shop. I'm recommending this as a Hongdae private-room bar because the rooms are really this well done!!

On the other side from the rooms there's a regular table area too. The very back seems to be table seating as well~ With both rooms and tables, you can sit wherever suits the occasion.

It isn't completely closed off; the ceiling is open like this, and honestly the open ceiling is a plus~~ The room for two is quite small, so I think it would have felt stuffy if the ceiling had been closed.

Hongdae Gonggam menu and what we ordered

The menu at this Sangsu izakaya is pretty varied: yellowtail sashimi, salmon, the trendy yellowtail salt gimbap (seaweed rice roll), yuringi (Korean-style fried chicken in sauce), tuna belly maki, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), yukhoe (beef tartare) and more~ There's no domestic draft beer, but they have Kirin~

• Spicy beef nabe - ₩27,000
• Extra udon noodles - ₩2,000
• Gonggam yukhoe - ₩22,000
• Terra beer - ₩6,000 × 2

Spicy beef nabe at Hongdae Gonggam: how's the portion and broth?

There was no complimentary side dish here, and the first thing to arrive was the spicy beef nabe (₩27,000)~

Okay, so I was originally going to order the crab stew, but switched to the spicy beef nabe??? Just look at the amount of beef... Switching was such a good call. The value here is overflowing!!!!!!!!

Also, nabe-type dishes, no matter how red the broth is, always felt a bit greasy and not quite right for someone Korean to the bone like me, but the spicy beef nabe at Hongdae Gonggam is perfect all the way down to the broth... The beef is tender and there's a ton of it! So good ㅠㅠ

The sweetness from the onion and cabbage was great too.

Adding udon noodles to the spicy beef nabe is a must

The udon noodles are an option when you order, and they're ₩2,000, same as most places. The beef portion and the broth were both so satisfying that, udon in this broth? Can't resist, haha.

If you come to this Sangsu izakaya, definitely add udon to the beef nabe... See how generous that portion is? ㅠㅠ

It comes out already blanched, so you don't need to boil it long, and udon soaked through with the meat broth is just love ㅠㅠ

Gonggam yukhoe at Hongdae Gonggam comes with gimbugak

As the menu description says, the Gonggam yukhoe (₩22,000) comes with gimbugak (crispy seaweed chips) alongside the beef tartare.

It's stacked from the bottom: gimbugak ➡️ egg yolk ➡️ yukhoe. Gimbugak sizes vary by nature, but anyway, there were three big ones.

It was as good as gimbugak with soy-marinated crab! The gimbugak adds the texture the yukhoe lacks, so it all works together, and the yukhoe was the style with plenty of minced garlic. I usually don't expect much from yukhoe at a bar, but this is not bad at all!!!

Who is Hongdae Gonggam a good bar for?

Hongdae Gonggam, near Hongik Univ. Station, was just right for two people among Hongdae private-room bars, and I think it would be great for a date at a private Hongdae bar too. I can't remember the last time my partner and I drank somewhere with such a nice atmosphere ㅠ

• Want to drink quietly > go right now
• In the middle of a situationship > run there on all fours