Sinchon date bar with yukhoe rice ball sushi: Yeokjeon Pojangmacha

My boyfriend and I were hanging out in Sinchon and didn't want to just head home, so we went looking for somewhere we could have a quick beer and still get a proper dinner. That's how we ended up at Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Sinchon Branch.

I'm a huge fan of dakdoritang (spicy braised chicken) and yukhoe, so the second I opened the menu there was really nothing to think about.

What one couple ordered at Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Sinchon Branch

We went in planning a light beer-and-food session and came out completely stuffed. Our combo was boneless dakdoritang + yukhoe + rice ball. Bottom line up front: this combo is a total recommendation.

How big is Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Sinchon, and who is the private room for?

Walking into Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Sinchon Branch, the space was bigger than I expected — plenty roomy enough for a group outing in Sinchon.

It didn't feel like too much for just the two of us, but it also looked like a solid spot for a bigger group to drink together. There's one separate room available too — if there are 6 or more of you, that room would work great.

The menu wasn't skewed toward just one type of dish either — it's built for a group to order a bunch of different things, which makes it a good fit if you're hunting for a Sinchon spot for a work dinner. Especially if your crew loves Korean bar food, you probably won't have as much trouble agreeing on what to order.

Boneless dakdoritang at Shin Ramyun spice: how hot is it really?

We ordered the boneless dakdoritang at Shin Ramyun spice level. I like my dakdoritang spicy and sharp, so I went with roughly Shin Ramyun heat — and even my boyfriend, who can't handle buldak, ate it just fine!

The first thing I noticed was how properly sharp the broth was. It wasn't a mindless tongue-burning heat — it was the kind of spicy that keeps pulling your spoon back in, and it paired even better with beer.

Best of all, the chicken came boneless, which made things so much easier. Tender chicken thigh meat meant no bone-picking — just scoop it up covered in sauce, exactly my style. And it wasn't just the chicken that was good; fishing out the sauce-soaked glass noodles and rice cakes one by one was half the fun.

Why you should order the rice ball with the chicken

Eating it with the rice ball is an insane combo. Make sure you order the rice ball when you go to Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Sinchon Branch.

Take a bite of the spicy dakdoritang, then a bite of rice ball, and the savory rice mellows out the sharp sauce so well that you can't stop. Even split between two people, the portion was hearty enough that we ended up completely full.

Next time, though, I'm going to be a little greedier and add the udon noodle add-on too. That broth with chewy udon noodles thrown in has to be an unbeatable combo.

Yukhoe quality at Yeokjeon Pojangmacha, and the instant yukhoe sushi

The dish that surprised me even more was the yukhoe. I was expecting the usual cold, almost-frozen bar-style yukhoe, but this felt totally different.

The texture was great and you could really taste the beef itself, so I kept telling my boyfriend how good it was.

Honestly, this was satisfying enough that they could pass it off as a dedicated yukhoe specialty spot. And here's where the rice ball goes to work again.

Gently place the yukhoe on top of the rice ball and it turns into instant yukhoe sushi — genuinely delicious.

It's a completely different feel from eating it with the dakdoritang, so ordering just one rice ball to use across both dishes worked out really well.

Beer and dinner in one stop in Sinchon

I'd order this exact combo again. If you want to have a beer with your boyfriend in Sinchon and get a real meal in too, or if you've got a group who wants to try a variety of Korean bar food, Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Sinchon Branch is a solid choice.

Especially if you love dakdoritang and yukhoe like me, I recommend the boneless dakdoritang + yukhoe + rice ball combo!

It wasn't just drinking snacks — we walked out having solidly handled dinner too, both of us completely full.

When you eat dakdoritang, are you team glass noodles or team rice cake? For my next visit, I'm definitely adding the udon noodles too!