Itaewon izakaya near Exit 4 for salmon sashimi and karaage: Midoriya

With the weather these days, there are a lot of nights when you just want good food and a drink, right? After debating where to go, I finally visited Midoriya in Itaewon, a place that's had a great reputation for a while now.

Overall the atmosphere was fantastic and every single dish we ordered was a hit. So let me introduce Midoriya, an Itaewon bar.

Where Midoriya is and when it opens

Midoriya is close to Itaewon Station Exit 4. The address is 19 Itaewon-ro 26-gil, 1F, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and it's tucked inside an alley.

For business hours, please check the store's listed information.

The seaweed soup and side dishes that come with every order

At Midoriya, soup and sauce came out first as a complimentary starter! The seaweed soup broth was so refreshing that I kept drinking it. The extra ingredients in it were soft and perfectly seasoned.

The side dishes were also clean and neatly prepared. They went well paired with the other dishes too.

Lemon highball and Saero soju at Midoriya

Then the lemon highball and Saero soju arrived~ You can't have great food without drinks, right? We paired it with clean-tasting soju and a lemon highball bursting with tanginess.

It was refreshing, sweet, and tangy — a perfect match, and it went wonderfully with the spicy broth.

Thick-cut salmon sashimi

You've got to try the main dish first, right! Midoriya's salmon sashimi comes out thickly sliced, and even the color alone was a work of art.

The moment it hit my mouth it melted away — no fishy taste at all, just fresh, savory flavor spreading throughout my mouth.

Dab a little wasabi on and dip it in soy sauce, and it just kept going down easily. If you love salmon, you have to try this!

Chicken karaage: crisp outside, juicy inside

Next up, a must for when you can't eat raw fish or you're craving something crispy and fried: chicken karaage! The outside was truly crunchy while the inside stayed juicy and full of flavor — a textbook example of crispy-outside, juicy-inside.

Dipped lightly in sauce, it was savory and salty — a perfect drinking snack.

The highlight: spicy red snow crab ramyeon

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this today's highlight dish. Midoriya's ramyeon (instant noodle soup) actually has red king crab in it, so the broth is truly spicy and deeply flavorful.

Thanks to the distinct refreshing quality of seafood, one sip of the broth felt like an instant hangover cure! They piled on plenty of toppings and vegetables too, which made eating it a lot of fun. Turns out noodles really are the truth for a late-night snack.

Free inari sushi and shine muscat grapes

The owner also gave us extras on the house! They topped the inari sushi (fried tofu pouch rice) with roe and shrimp... man, giving us this much, is there anything left for them? T_T

It really was a perfect course. This is a great place to casually share good food and a drink with friends or a partner.

And to finish it off, sweet and tangy shine muscat grapes...! Seasonal fruit has been really delicious lately.

If you want to enjoy an atmospheric spot too, come visit Midoriya. It's located inside an alley, so it's perfect for a quiet, intimate drink away from the crowds.

What Midoriya feels like inside

Even before stepping inside, Midoriya catches your eye from the entrance of the alley with its cozy, atmospheric exterior. The warm lighting softly flowing out gave the whole place a cozy vibe.

The warm lighting makes your face look even brighter and prettier, so it's also a great spot for photos.

The interior was neatly filled with clean, tasteful details without going overboard. The tables, chairs, and tableware, as well as the floor and walls, were all kept spotless, which gave me a lot of confidence in the place's cleanliness.

Unlike other loud, bustling bars, this place is optimized for having a quiet, cozy conversation.

Overall, rather than a noisy, busy vibe, it had a calm yet tasteful sensibility flowing through it. Whether it's a casual gathering with friends or a date course with a partner, it's a space where you can enjoy a satisfying atmosphere that pleases everyone.

The table settings and dishware were cute and detailed too. >_< Most of all, the owner and staff were all so kind, which I really appreciated during my time there.

The tables were also spaced out generously, so you're not bothered by surrounding noise or glances — a really big plus.

I'm calling Midoriya an Itaewon bar and one of the best aged sashimi spots in Itaewon!