Yeouido izakaya set 4: king oyster mushroom skewer, Robadayakki Sodam

A long-overdue Seoul date with my husband! We had errands at The Hyundai Seoul, so I went looking for an izakaya nearby. The assorted skewers looked so good that we decided to check it out. The lively, never-quiet crowd and the view of skewers grilling right in front of you made Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch pretty charming — here's my honest review.

*There can be a wait in the evening, so I'd recommend booking through Naver first.

Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch: location, hours and parking

Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch is on the 1st floor of 17 Yeouidaebang-ro 65-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 5:00 PM to 1:30 AM, and parking isn't available.

What's on the menu at Robadayakki Sodam

Write a Naver review and you get free ice cream. The skewer lineup includes shrimp butter, chicken skewer, pork neck, cartilage, chicken skin, heart, bacon-tomato, cheese rice cake, king oyster mushroom, ginkgo nut, and garlic — order the assorted skewers and you get all of them, so I'd recommend going assorted! The set menus are reasonably priced too, so if there are two of you, I'd suggest getting a set.

Lots of people around us seemed to be ordering the dry-aged sashimi and grilled Chilean sea bass. There's also a range of nabe (hot pot), udon, yakisoba, dumplings, and more.

Fritters, an izakaya essential, are on the menu too, along with a variety of drinks.

Soju, sake,

Worth reading the posted notices too — even the country-of-origin labeling was fully in order.

Counter seats and the atmosphere inside Robadayakki Sodam

Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch has the exterior of a classic alley izakaya. Inside, the counter seats are a bit tight, while the tables have more breathing room — about 10 tables for four in total, plus 8 counter seats.

The tables further inside.

You could also check the order status from here.

The restroom was reasonably clean too.

At the counter seats you get a front-row view of the skewers being grilled. The interior is full of traditional izakaya character. It's not quiet or private, but that's actually the appeal — full of human warmth and buzz, the kind of lively atmosphere that makes drinks taste even better.

Tasting Set 4: sashimi plus assorted skewers

Once you sit down, a griddle-fried egg comes out as the house side dish. It's seasoned just salty enough to be quietly addictive and really got our appetites going.

We ordered the Set 4, which comes with sashimi and assorted skewers. The sashimi arrived first, cut to a good thickness with a fairly varied mix of cuts. I don't know the exact fish types, but the freshness was solid and the texture was chewy with zero fishiness — really nice.

Next up is the real main event here: the assorted skewers, basically brushed with a savory sauce.

Laid out on the table together, it looked so generous. When the skewers started tasting a little salty, a chewy bite of sashimi balanced it out perfectly, and before we knew it, everything was gone.

The pick of the night: the king oyster mushroom skewer

And my top pick was the king oyster mushroom skewer. Usually when mushrooms get grilled next to meat at a skewer place, they end up tasting like meat — but I have no idea how they made this one, because the texture and flavor were rich and cheesy. Genuinely delicious.

The bacon and cherry tomato skewer, best eaten once it's cooled down a bit, tasted kind of... like pizza, in a good way, once you take a bite. The rest of the skewers — chicken, shrimp, chicken skin, and more — were all grilled just right and tasted good too. That salty flavor pairs perfectly with a cold beer.

Glancing around at the neighboring tables, a lot of people were ordering the grilled fish too. The smell of it grilling around the restaurant was so good I wanted to order it, but I was too full to hold back — next time I'm definitely getting the grilled fish.

Is Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido worth a visit?

Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch is a bar whose charm lies in its buzzing, lively, traditional-izakaya atmosphere. The sashimi and assorted skewer set lets you enjoy fresh, chewy sashimi alongside beer-friendly skewers at the same time. Waits can start around 7:30 PM, so I'd recommend making a reservation.