Magok izakaya date night with aged sashimi platter: Kuro Yakitori

After a weekend date at Seoul Botanic Garden, it was slowly turning into dinner time.

We were looking for somewhere with a good atmosphere nearby and found Kuro Yakitori, sitting quietly in an alley, so we decided to check it out.

I've always liked sashimi, and that day I was craving aged sashimi in particular. Looking it up as a Magongnaru aged sashimi spot, the vibe seemed good too, so we made a reservation and went.

It felt slightly off the beaten commercial path, which actually made it a good place to eat slowly on a date. If you're going, aged sashimi + mackerel stick sushi is the combo I'd recommend!

How to walk to Kuro Yakitori from Magongnaru Station

Kuro Yakitori is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Magongnaru Station, so it's fairly easy to get to. It's tucked inside an alley so it might be a little confusing at first, but following the map wasn't hard — just look for the KRO sign.

The exterior is done up neatly in black tones with soft lighting, which matched the evening mood well.

Inside Kuro Yakitori: counter seats and a 4-person table

Walking in, the first thing I noticed was the L-shaped counter seating, which was set up well for two people to sit side by side and eat.

There was also a 4-person table further inside, so it looked fine for small group visits too — overall it felt less like a bustling spot and more like a calm place to have a quiet drink.

So if you're looking for a Magongnaru izakaya with a good atmosphere, it seemed like it would suit a date or a casual get-together well.

What's on the menu at Kuro Yakitori

The menu had a wide range of aged sashimi options beyond the today's sashimi — including tuna, uni, sweet shrimp, and aged flounder — and yakitori could also be ordered individually. There were also dishes good as a meal, like mackerel stick sushi or abalone innards pasta, so it seemed fine as a first-round spot too.

There was also a good range of drinks, from sake to distilled spirits, so it was easy to pick something to match the food.

What we ordered at Kuro Yakitori and what it cost

• Today's Sashimi (small) ₩39,000
• Mackerel stick sushi ₩28,000
• Saero soju ₩5,000 x 2 bottles

As a complimentary side dish, we got cucumber with sesame dressing. It was savory and refreshing, perfect for cleansing the palate before the sashimi — though my boyfriend, who isn't a fan of cucumber, barely touched it 🤭 (I'm the cucumber-loving one.)

Today's sashimi platter (small), 39,000 won

The small size of today's sashimi came out as several kinds beautifully arranged on one plate.

There was a good variety — flounder, salmon, bluefin tuna, tuna belly, mullet, spotted flounder, Spanish mackerel — and each came in about three pieces, good for tasting a little of a lot of things.

The slices weren't cut thin — they had a decent thickness, so there was a nice chewiness, and a little wasabi really brought out the clean flavor.

It wasn't really a portion-focused spread but more of a calm way to enjoy several kinds of aged sashimi. My favorites here were the salmon and the Spanish mackerel!! They had just the right amount of fat, making them soft and savory.

Mackerel stick sushi, 28,000 won, served with gimtae seaweed

Of everything we ate that day, the mackerel stick sushi personally stuck with me a bit more.

The rice held together well without falling apart, and the mackerel had a subtle smoky aroma.

The mackerel's characteristic savoriness combined with the rice's mild seasoning made it cleaner and easier to eat than I expected.

Wrapping it in gim-tae (dried seasoned seaweed) in particular added that distinct fragrant note of gim-tae, and the combination was pretty great.

If you like mackerel stick sushi, it's worth ordering at least once.

This time we focused mainly on sashimi and sushi, but next time I'd like to try a few yakitori skewers alongside.

Is Kuro Yakitori a good dinner stop after Seoul Botanic Garden?

If you're looking for a Magongnaru aged sashimi spot and prefer a calm atmosphere over a bustling one, Kuro Yakitori was a solid choice.

It was easy to fit into a course after touring Seoul Botanic Garden, and what I liked most was being able to sit together and eat slowly while talking.

Kuro Yakitori in one line

Aged sashimi and mackerel stick sushi enjoyed quietly

Here's what we liked

• You can taste small portions of a variety of aged sashimi
• The mackerel stick sushi and gim-tae combo is great
• Counter seating makes it easy for two people to visit
• Good selection of sake and distilled spirits
• Well suited to a date or a small gathering