Seongsu izakaya with non-alcoholic beer and abalone pasta: Jindoken

Hi everyone~ My boyfriend and I finally had drinks together after work! Thinking about it, I realized we hadn't been to a place with good atmosphere in a while. So craving that fluttery date-night vibe again, I headed to a famous Seongsu izakaya! Let's get into the review~

Where is Jindoken Seongsu Branch, and what are its hours?

Jindoken Seongsu Branch is at 3 Wangsimni-ro 4-ga-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 2nd floor. Hours are 1:00 - 01:00, closed Mondays.

It's on the way from Seoul Forest to Seongsu, at the intersection where you can see Hanyang Jutaek.

Walk up to the 2nd floor and this atmospheric space appears. Did they name it Jindoken after the Jindo dog breed? There are little Jindo dog touches scattered everywhere haha

Counter seats facing the open kitchen at Jindoken

Inside Jindoken Seongsu Branch there are table seats and tachi counter seats. When my boyfriend and I go to an izakaya, we always sit at the counter — we love watching the open kitchen from there! I can never give up this feeling..❤️

They give you cabbage salad as the basic side dish. I never eat it at home, but at an izakaya it magically tastes amazing✨

You order by scanning the QR code. We ordered based on the restaurant's recommended menu!

You can watch them cook right in front of you like this. Even more romantic..!!!

Kirin draft beer and the non-alcoholic beer option

We ordered Kirin draft beer and non-alcoholic beer! The non-alcoholic one was from the Santory brand, so trustworthy drinking!!

Ta-da, our order arrived! The visuals were insane!! Haha, this is truly a legendary restaurant so everyone save it now 👍

Abalone innard pasta: why it was the pasta of a lifetime

First we ordered the abalone innard pasta, and Jindoken Seongsu's version is insane — the innards are so thick and rich! It's the best abalone innard pasta I've ever had. Both the abalone and shrimp were plump and juicy, so I was happy the whole time eating it😋 I definitely recommend ordering this one!! I don't think I can eat abalone innard pasta anywhere else after this.

How spicy is the Sichuan chicken karaage?

This is the Sichuan chicken karaage. I love that kkanpunggi-style Sichuan cooking — tangy, spicy, chili-forward. But making it into chicken? That could go wrong easily, but it didn't. Especially the peppers in the Sichuan chicken weren't too spicy, so I kept reaching for more. Dip it in the cream sauce that comes with it and the spiciness mellows out — it's addictive! Eating it with the cabbage salad is a perfect pairing too~

Mackerel pressed sushi wrapped in seaweed

Finally, today's star arrived. The mackerel pressed sushi (gimbap-style sushi roll)!!! I'd never seen such a thick pressed sushi before😮 It's huge like futomaki and you can't even fit it in one bite (well, I can — my mouth is big haha). So cutting it in half and eating it that way worked perfectly haha. The mackerel was so firm and thick, I kept getting emotional about it,,

They give you seaweed on the side. Wrap the pressed sushi in the seaweed, add wasabi, dip in soy sauce and it's absolutely fainting-worthy ㅠㅠ;; Definitely try this combination!! I'm getting hungry again just writing about it haha

Is Jindoken Seongsu a good date or blind-date spot?

Was there room for dessert after? Nope, none left haha. My boyfriend and I usually have small dessert stomachs, but everything here was so good we scraped the plates clean. We went to a café afterward and couldn't even manage dessert — barely finished our drinks.

Jindoken, a Seongsu izakaya with such a great atmosphere, was perfect for a blind date or a date 🍶🍺 With a menu ranging from sashimi to mackerel pressed sushi to cream jjamppong, it's a great spot to have a drink. Personally, I feel like if you went on a blind date here, you'd definitely end up dating them~ If you're looking for a bar in Seongsu, I highly recommend this place!!