Jonggak izakaya with a 16-person tatami room for group dinners: Ilsim

On a late Saturday night, we were looking for a spot near Jonggak for round two and 'Ilsim' caught our eye! But it turned out to be such a perfect match for group gatherings or work dinners that I'm rushing to write up this review!

Ilsim izakaya near Jonggak Station: location, hours and parking

Ilsim is located at 94 Sambong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 2nd floor, Unit 204, 94 Building. It's open Mon–Sat 17:30–24:00, closed Sundays.

• Location: 94 Sambong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 2nd floor, Unit 204, 94 Building
• Hours: Mon–Sat 17:30–24:00 (closed Sundays)
• Parking: ₩5,000 for the first 60 minutes / ₩5,000 per additional 60 minutes, max ₩5,000
• Over 60 pyeong of floor space
• A tatami group room that fits up to 16 people

Finding Ilsim: the 94 Building exterior and the walk from Exit 2

It's about a 3-minute walk from Jonggak Station Exit 2.

Since it's in an office building, it feels really clean! Right past the entrance, take the stairs on the right up to the 2nd floor and you'll find Ilsim right there.

The exterior already smells like a good restaurant~~ let's go in!

Inside Ilsim: atmosphere, seating and the 16-person tatami room

Inside, Ilsim is a modern, clean space with wood interiors. At over 60 pyeong, the seats have generous spacing, and since the whole building is well-kept, even the restrooms were clean.

The interior was so modern and well-managed that I felt the freshness the moment we walked in! Thanks to the wood interior, it also has that cozy vibe unique to traditional Japanese izakayas! And since the building itself is clean, the restrooms were spotless too, which was satisfying.

The table we were seated at~~ Taeng-i eyed the empty bottles nearby haha

What's on the Ilsim menu, and how much is beer and soju?

Ilsim's menu ranges widely, from seasonal assorted sashimi and hot pot dishes to light bites like mentaiko (pollack roe) egg rolls and karaage. Beer and soju are both around ₩6,000.

There's seasonal assorted sashimi and hot pot dishes for a main, plus easy-to-share bites like mentaiko egg rolls and karaage — a really wide variety!

Beer and soju are both around ₩6,000. Seems like that's the going rate around business districts these days. Since we'd already had dinner beforehand, we ordered a hot pot dish. Time for the legendary Nagasaki champon tang ^^

What we ordered at Ilsim

The basic side dish, edamame, came out first. It's nicely salty and just keeps going down. We chatted for a bit and the draft beer arrived quickly.

Kirin draft beer

It was unusually hot for fall that day, so we craved a cold draft beer and ordered the Kirin draft. The moment I took a sip, the smoothness and crispness were amazing — all the fatigue from a tiring day just melted away!

The foam was so, so smooth. Bubbles kept rising continuously, and you could tell just by looking that it was truly fresh draft beer;;;

Nagasaki champon tang (spicy seafood noodle soup)

And then out came the Nagasaki champon tang! It arrives in a pot on a tabletop burner, and the visual alone is amazing haha

Bean sprouts were piled up like a tower, and crab, mussels, squid, and other seafood and vegetables were generously packed in. We let it simmer and took a sip of the broth — the smoky char from the seafood mixed with the deep stock flavor totally hit the spot ㅠ Eating the chewy noodles with the crunchy bean sprouts on top made the alcohol go down way too easily — it was an insane pairing;;

There was no way we could stop at just one drink, so we ordered a highball too.

Suntory highball: dry or sweet

The Suntory highball was gorgeous just from the color. You can choose between dry (soda water) or sweet (tonic water). I love that kind of thoughtful ordering option — we went with soda water!

The whisky-to-soda ratio was just perfect. Sweet yet refreshing, and it paired perfectly with the food! Izakayas really are incomplete without a highball...

Is Ilsim a good group dinner spot near Jonggak Station?

Ilsim is a solid pick for a work dinner or group gathering near Jonggak Station. The seats are spacious, the restrooms are clean and quiet, and Taeng-i and I kept gushing about how perfect it is for both weekday work dinners and group meetups.

If you're near Jonggak looking for an izakaya with tasty side dishes, a comfortable space, and privacy for a group dinner, 'Ilsim' is the one!! Seriously recommend it haha. It'd be great to book the tatami room here for year-end gatherings!