Ansan bar games and Dohwa cocktails: Yahwa Honsul Bar

Thanks to the surprisingly good response to my solo-drinking bar reviews, I’ve already visited branches in Sadang, Isu, Suwon, and now Ansan Jungang! Having personally been to all four and compared them, the Ansan Jungang branch was personally the most my style. (The reason is below!)

This Ansan solo-drinking bar, Yahwa Honsul Bar Ansan Jungang Branch (야화혼술바 안산중앙점), had lots of little things to enjoy and definitely felt different from an ordinary bar~! What makes it more than just a place to drink, what the atmosphere is like, which games they have, and how the cocktails taste—I’ll share it all exactly as I experienced it~!

Finding Yahwa Honsul Bar in Ansan Jungang-dong and parking

Yahwa Honsul Bar Ansan Jungang Branch is in the Jungang-dong area of Ansan. It was easier to find than I expected! Parking is free when you use the bar!

What are the exterior and interior atmosphere like?

From outside, the dark-tinted windows made it hard to see in at first. Up close, you can get a little glimpse of the atmosphere inside, and the name Yahwa is written outside, so it wasn’t actually hard to find. Even from the exterior, it felt a little like a hidden space compared with a typical Ansan bar, which got me excited.

The first thing I felt walking in was that the atmosphere was really nice. It was cool and comfortable inside, and rather than simply being packed with tables, it felt a bit like stumbling across a lovely café or bar while camping.

Compared with the other branches I’ve been to, the Ansan Jungang branch also stood out for having a screen projected on the wall. The space was neither too big nor too small, so it was easy to relax and enjoy. (And the lighting was exactly the kind that makes people look pretty.)

And, as you’d expect from a cocktail bar, the various bottles and glasses were neatly organized and displayed. Seeing everything lined up so tidily made me want to take a quick look around for no particular reason.

Games to play while waiting for cocktails

You order using the QR code at your table, and while waiting for our cocktails, I looked around. I’ve visited several Yahwa branches, but this was my first time seeing a Finger Punch machine! When there’s something like this, you can’t just walk past it, right?

So I tried it right away and got 89 points... But someone got a whopping 551 points? I’ll work out my fingers hard and set a new record next time..

And then there was the ever-familiar Crocodile Teeth game. Even when you know how it works, it’s funny how each press still makes you nervous. Press them one by one, and whoever gets caught gets to be happy...!

Another fun one was Death Debate. A topic comes up, then you share your thoughts and the conversation naturally keeps going. Rather than simply drinking, it’s a game that lets you learn more about each other’s values, so it was nice for getting to know what everyone thinks.

Yahwa, this Ansan solo-drinking bar, had a comfortable space and things like Finger Punch, Crocodile Teeth, and Death Debate to naturally break the ice. It felt like there were more ways to spend your time here than at an ordinary bar or the other branches. That may be why this was the branch that felt most my style.

Complimentary snacks served with cocktails

When you order a cocktail, you get chicken-leg crackers and chocolate as complimentary snacks. I especially went through the chicken-leg crackers quickly—I had them refilled four times.. When they were all gone, the staff even noticed the empty plate and brought more, and little touches like that really stayed with me.

You normally get one chocolate per person, but because it had not been open long, they gave us a little extra. I’ve mentioned this chocolate in another post before: it’s salty and sweet, and it really suited my taste.

Easy-drinking cocktails and Dohwa

I think I was thirsty because I came in after walking around a bit that day. So I drank the cocktail faster than expected, but it tasted good? It went down smoothly, almost like a soft drink, but if you keep drinking, before you know it you’re pleasantly tipsy~

And I had Dohwa, Yahwa’s signature cocktail that I always get, twice that day. Its orange-toned color is pretty, so if you like beautiful cocktails, do try one like this! Around 10 p.m., quite a few tables had filled up. It had not been open long, but it was fun seeing such a variety of people come in.

And at the end, the owner gave us a dessert that I don’t think was listed on the menu. You dip it in cream, and it was sweet and nutty—so good!

Why it felt different from an ordinary bar

At Yahwa Honsul Bar in Ansan Jungang-dong, it was nice to spend time alone over a drink, and there were plenty of things to share while playing games and easing into the mood. There were also lots of cocktails to enjoy, but between games and conversation, time passed much faster than I expected.

So for me, this visit gave me my own answer to my original question: what makes a solo-drinking bar different from a regular bar? That day, I wanted a more lively time, so I tried all kinds of games and chatted with the staff. A place where you can have a drink and spend time in whatever way feels comfortable to you—that may be Yahwa Honsul Bar’s biggest charm, in my opinion~!