Date-night bar near Gaebong: DIY soju highballs, Apgujeong Sinpocha

+ Self-funded visit

I went to Apgujeong Sinpocha near Gaebong Station for a light drink and ended up completely won over by how good the food was.

Honestly, I expected a pocha (Korean street-style bar) to be a bit loud and rowdy, but the inside was nicer and cozier than I imagined. Most of all, the food is genuinely delicious. We ordered sweet shrimp sashimi, boneless dakbokkeumtang, and steamed egg, and not one of them missed. Plus, if you order two dishes, soju is 3,000 won and beer is 4,000 won — anyone who likes to drink should remember this one. Haha.

One minute from Gaebong Station: what Apgujeong Sinpocha looks like inside

Apgujeong Sinpocha is easy to find since it's so close to Gaebong Station. From outside it looks like just another neighborhood pocha, but once you climb up to the second floor, the atmosphere is way better than expected.

Wood-toned interior, warm lighting, and even cherry blossom decorations up near the ceiling give it a nice mood. On the day I went, almost every other table was a couple. That's when I realized this place is quietly popular as a Gaebong Station date spot.

Best of all, the music and ambient noise weren't too loud. You know how at some bars you keep saying "what?" because you can't hear the person next to you? Haha. Here, it was easy to chat comfortably over drinks.

At some point they opened the windows wide, and even though we were on the second floor, it suddenly felt like an outdoor tent bar.

Why you should order two dishes at Apgujeong Sinpocha

At Apgujeong Sinpocha, ordering two dishes is basically a no-brainer. Do that and soju drops to 3,000 won, beer to 4,000 won. I was debating what to order while looking at the menu, but once I saw this deal, I picked two right away.

You don't even need to order two dishes right from the start. If you add another one later while you're eating, the discount still applies. Since the food is so good you'll probably end up ordering more anyway... you might as well pick two from the beginning. Haha. Factor in the drink prices, and this is genuinely great value — a place that anyone hunting for a good bar near Gaebong Station would appreciate.

The free crackers you keep reaching for

While you wait after ordering, Apgujeong Sinpocha brings out crackers as a basic side snack. Doesn't sound like much, but it's oddly addictive.

You grab one, then another... before the food even arrives, your hand keeps reaching for more. Haha. Perfect with a cold beer.

Sweet shrimp sashimi for 18,000 won — is that price real?

The first dish we ordered was sweet shrimp sashimi for 18,000 won. I genuinely said, "Wait, sweet shrimp sashimi is only 18,000 won?" when I saw the menu. These days sweet shrimp sashimi usually costs a lot more elsewhere, so 18,000 won felt almost too good to be true.

The low price didn't mean a skimpy portion either. The shrimp was plump and had that distinctive sweet flavor, and eating it with cucumber gave a nice palate cleanser in between bites — great as a drinking snack. It even looked pretty, making it a perfect order for a light drink on a Gaebong Station date. At this price, I'd order sweet shrimp sashimi again next time for sure.

Boneless dakbokkeumtang, 22,000 won: the best dish of the night

And personally, the really delicious one was the boneless dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken) at 22,000 won. True to its name, it's made entirely boneless, which makes it much easier to eat.

I love dakbokkeumtang, but picking meat off bones while drinking is kind of a hassle. Here, you just pick it up and eat — so much easier.

On top of that, they make the sauce in-house. Apparently they take out refrigerated chicken and cook it fresh, and you can really tell — the chicken is tender and the sauce soaks in properly. One bite in, I immediately thought, "Wow, the owner really knows how to cook." The broth alone kept me spooning it up, and the soju just kept flowing. Haha.

If the sweet shrimp sashimi is a good light starter, the dakbokkeumtang is warm and filling — the combo worked really well together. Considering the food quality, this is definitely one to bookmark as a good bar near Gaebong Station.

Adding the 4,000 won steamed egg was the right call

In the end, we added steamed egg for 4,000 won as well. A piping hot, bubbling steamed egg is just impossible to resist at a bar. It was soft and fluffy, and paired nicely with bites of the spicy dakbokkeumtang.

At 4,000 won, it's an easy add-on too. This place really makes you want to keep adding one more dish. Haha.

How to mix your own soju highball at the table

Apgujeong Sinpocha also sells lemon slices and tonic water separately. So if you get a little tired of drinking soju straight, you can mix it into your own soju highball.

Put ice in a glass, add soju and tonic water, then finish with lemon — that's it! We ended up making it this way partway through, and it was refreshing enough that the drinks just kept going. This little fun touch made it a pretty solid spot for a drink on a Gaebong Station date.

Would I drink at Apgujeong Sinpocha near Gaebong Station again?

We ate the sweet shrimp sashimi at 18,000 won, dakbokkeumtang at 22,000 won, and steamed egg at 4,000 won, and everything was genuinely delicious. More than just a cheap-drinks pocha, this felt like a place where the owner really knows how to cook.

The soju-at-3,000-won, beer-at-4,000-won deal for ordering two dishes is already appealing, but with delicious food on top, satisfaction is naturally high.

It's not too loud so conversation is easy, and opening the windows gives it that outdoor tent-bar feel — worth a visit if you're looking for a good bar near Gaebong Station. Next time I want to try a different pair of dishes. There are so many menu items I'm already planning my next order. Haha.