Konkuk izakaya for round two: single skewers and champon at Haru

After dinner near Konkuk, I wanted a light second round with some sake and skewers, so I looked around and ended up at Haru Konkuk Branch!

Eating something too heavy felt like too much, but just drinking felt like not enough, so I looked for a place with both yakitori and a soup dish — the vibe looked good too, so I went.

I visited on a Saturday evening and the place was almost full — great atmosphere, and it felt like a solid spot for a light second round near Konkuk.

Where is Haru Konkuk Branch and how do you get there?

Haru Konkuk Branch is about a 3–4 minute walk from Exit 1 of Konkuk University Station, so it's not far at all. Walk down the nearby alley a bit and you'll find it on the 2nd floor, with a menu banner set up outside so you can preview the menu before heading in.

If it's your first visit, it might be nice to check the menu and vibe outside before heading up.

Booking ahead would make it easier to grab a seat — on the Saturday evening we went, the tables were almost all full, so there may be a wait depending on the time. It's close enough to Konkuk University Station that heading over after dinner was no hassle.

Inside Haru: counter seats by the yakitori grill

Walking into Haru Konkuk Branch, the first thing I noticed was the dim lighting — a soft, calm mood.

Rather than a loud, rowdy izakaya, it felt like a good place to chat over drinks, which made it seem like a nice spot for a blind date or a date night too.

Besides table seats, there's also dachi (counter) seating, which is nice for two people sitting side by side, and it was fun watching the yakitori get grilled right in front of you. Watching the skewers cook up close meant waiting for the food wasn't boring at all.

Each table had some partitioning, so it didn't feel like the space next to you was completely open. That made it feel like a good spot for a date or a group of friends when you want a good yakitori spot near Konkuk with a nice atmosphere too.

What's on the menu at Haru Konkuk Branch?

The menu at Haru Konkuk Branch covers sashimi and yakitori as well as soups and other single dishes. In particular, there are combos of aged sashimi with skewers starting in the ₩50,000s, which felt like decent value if you want to try a bit of everything.

Some skewer menus come bundled together, but single-skewer orders are also possible, so you can just pick the exact izakaya skewers near Konkuk you're in the mood for. On days when you want to eat a lot of yakitori, ordering an assortment works, and for a second round like ours where we were already somewhat full, ordering just a few single skewers was great.

The soup menu was varied too — Nagasaki champon, spicy seafood champon, Kansai oden nabe — and there were single dishes like grilled Spanish mackerel, sweet rice karaage, and spicy chili yurinchi.

There was also a wide range of sake to pair with the food, and with so many menu options, it seemed like you could try different combinations on repeat visits.

What we ordered at Haru, and what it cost

• Nagasaki champon (with fresh noodles) ₩21,500
• Green onion chicken thigh skewer ₩3,800
• Tenderloin skewer ₩3,500
• Grilled mushroom skewer ₩3,000
• Gekkeikan Junmai 750 ₩38,000

The table snack was green peas!

We originally planned to eat several yakitori skewers, but since it was a second round, warm soup sounded more appealing instead. So we ordered the Nagasaki champon along with a few single skewers.

Nagasaki champon with fresh noodles, 21,500 won

The Nagasaki champon (spicy seafood noodle soup) came out looking hearty from the start, with plenty of ingredients in a pale, creamy broth.

It was packed with seafood like mussels, squid, and shrimp, plus vegetables like mushrooms and bok choy, so it was fun picking through the broth for different bites.

The broth had a nice umami from the seafood without being too heavy, making it good as a drinking snack, and the warm soup paired well with sake too.

Fresh noodles were included as well, so adding the noodles in at the end made it feel as filling as a full meal — I ordered it as a second-round dish but ended up eating quite a substantial amount.

Green onion chicken thigh skewer, 3,800 won

The green onion chicken thigh skewer had chicken and green onion grilled together, and it looked appetizing. The chicken was moist rather than dry, and the grilled green onion brought out a sweetness and aroma that paired nicely with the chicken. It was also a low-commitment order if you just want to add one skewer lightly.

Tenderloin skewer, 3,500 won

The tenderloin had a mild, clean flavor at its core, making it a good match with sake. It was cooked just right — tender with no toughness — and since it's not a fatty cut, it worked well for a second round. If you like clean-tasting yakitori, this one's an easy, safe choice!

Grilled mushroom skewer, 3,000 won

The grilled mushroom skewer kept the mushroom's signature juicy texture and nutty aroma from grilling well intact. Adding one in between the meat skewers felt like a palate refresher — a nice light addition among the three skewer types, good stuff~

Being able to order exactly the skewers you want individually like this makes it convenient when you want to sample a variety of skewers at izakayas near Konkuk.

Gekkeikan Junmai 750 sake, 38,000 won

For sake, we went with Gekkeikan Junmai 750. They brought out a tokkuri (sake flask) and sake cups too, and chilled on ice, it looked exactly like a proper izakaya scene sitting alongside the food.

The tokkuri and cups had a cute feel, so they made for good photos too, and being served chilled made it easy to sip slowly while alternating between the skewers and the champon.

When is Haru Konkuk Branch worth a visit?

Overall, Haru Konkuk Branch felt like a good fit for a night when you want to lightly enjoy a few skewers with sake, or a night you also want a warm soup dish alongside. The dachi seats let you watch the yakitori being grilled up close, and the partitioned table seats seemed convenient for groups or dates.

Best of all, being able to order skewers individually made it easy to adjust the menu even coming in full for a second round, and next time I'd like to try the sashimi and other single dishes too. If you're looking for an izakaya with a good atmosphere near Konkuk, or a good yakitori spot near Konkuk, this is a solid place to relax with some sake!

One-line summary — an izakaya near Konkuk that's great for lightly enjoying sake and skewers

What we liked about Haru Konkuk Branch

• A close 3–4 minute walk from Exit 1 of Konkuk University Station
• Skewers can be ordered individually
• A wide range of options from sashimi to soups
• You can watch yakitori being grilled at the dachi seats
• A calm atmosphere that suits both dates and gatherings