Basement izakaya in Gwangjin, Seoul: mizutaki with fresh noodles at

I thought it was just an izakaya with good vibes, but one bite of sashimi changed my mind.🍣

Ever have those moments in Konkuk where you want a relaxed drink with a friend, but not somewhere too loud and chaotic — somewhere with good atmosphere AND proper food?😆 Ito, the izakaya I visited in Konkuk, was exactly that place.🍶 I went in thinking it was just a nice-vibes izakaya, but the more I ate, the more I realized this place is seriously into its food, especially the sashimi.

From the assorted sashimi to the mizutaki, the overall food quality was so good that I went out for drinks and came back more focused on the side dishes.😆

Where Ito is and what the basement space feels like

Ito is in a spot you can walk to easily from Konkuk University Station Exit 2, which made it convenient as a meeting place. The shop is on B1.

I visited on an afternoon when it suddenly started raining, and seeing it was basement level made me hesitate for a split second.😅 I worried it might have that stuffy, damp basement feel, but that worry disappeared right away.👍🏻

Posters and illustrations covered the walls densely, and going further down felt like entering a different space, which made it fun to look around.😆

Once inside, the atmosphere was completely different from what I'd imagined for a basement.✨ No stuffiness, no basement smell at all — instead the soft lighting made it feel cozy and warm.🤎

Maybe because it was raining, this atmosphere suited the day even more.✨ The walls had everything from Japanese whisky and highball posters to anime illustrations, and these retro details really brought the place's mood together. And I spotted a Totoro💚👀 lol — I'm the type who can't just walk past that, so I looked again.

Rather than an overdone Japanese theme, the lighting and props blended together in a way that naturally brought to mind the phrase 'Konkuk hipster bar.'🕯️

Ito's table layout: partitioned seats made for conversation

What I liked most about Ito was the table layout.🤎 The tables were separated to some degree, like partitions dividing the space, so each table felt independent.

One thing I care about a lot at bars is whether I can talk comfortably with the person I'm with. You know that feeling when neighboring tables' conversations mix with loud store music and you keep raising your voice until your head spins?🤣 I really dislike that, but Ito had none of those worries.

The next table wasn't distracting and the music wasn't overly loud, so I could hear my friend clearly and talk comfortably the whole time.👏🏻👏🏻

Konkuk itself is such a crowded neighborhood that places where you can talk relatively calmly aren't as common as you'd think. That's exactly what made Ito click for me.🍶 It's great for a quiet drink and conversation, so I've already quietly added it to my repeat-visit list.ㅎㅎ👏🏻✨ If you're looking for a quiet izakaya in Konkuk, remember Ito!📝

It seemed good for a casual meetup with a friend, and the cozy atmosphere would work well as a date spot too.💛 Overall the staff were kind and quick to take care of things before I even asked, so I never felt uncomfortable while there.👍🏻 Noticing these small touches of attentive service made me feel even more at ease staying there.👏🏻

I think this part had a lot to do with why not just the taste but the atmosphere felt so comfortable.

What we ordered at Ito: assorted sashimi and mizutaki

Since it was raining~ we ordered assorted sashimi + mizutaki at Ito.🍣🍲 I'm familiar with milfeuille nabe or sukiyaki, but I saw mizutaki on the menu and thought — what's this?👀!? It was described as a Fukuoka-style chicken hot pot dish, and since we were also planning to have tomato soju, I figured let's go with something new rather than the usual, so we ordered mizutaki.🍅🍶 To cut to the conclusion —

That menu choice was a total success. lol

Edamame comes out as an easy snack to pick at.🫛 It's good to peel one at a time while waiting for the main dishes, and also great to nibble on between conversations.ㅎㅎ

Is Ito's tomato soju worth ordering? My friend's verdict

My friend ordered tomato soju🍅 — as someone who loves tomatoes, I was really curious too, but I happened to not be feeling well, so I couldn't taste the drink.ㅠㅠㅠ

Disappointed, I at least joined in for the toast.🥲ㅋㅋㅋ Instead, I got a very detailed review from my friend: she said it tastes like the sweet tomato drink I love, with only a hint of soju passing through. Rather than feeling like drinking alcohol, it goes down smoothly like a tomato drink.ㅎㅎ

Sounds like it's literally the kind of drink that goes down way too easily.🤣 My friend finished a whole bottle by herself without it feeling much like drinking, and the more I heard, the more I wanted to try it myself.🤤😂 Guess I have a reason to come back — next time I'll go feeling fine and start with the tomato soju.😋

Ito's assorted sashimi: the freshness surprised me most

I was genuinely impressed by Ito's assorted sashimi.🍣🐟 The moment it hit the table, I was like, wait a second!!! Is this really an izakaya?🙊 The visuals alone were surprising.

They say you eat with your eyes before your mouth. Some dishes let you guess the texture just from the color, sheen, thickness, and plating — and the assorted sashimi was exactly that! Each piece had a glossy sheen and vivid color, so even before touching chopsticks to it, you could practically see how fresh and firm the texture would be.✨😊👀

I'd already eaten with my eyes once before starting. lol The variety wasn't just one or two kinds but a diverse mix, so it was fun to pick different pieces, and above all, what struck me most was the freshness.👏🏻🐟👏🏻🐟👏🏻

There was no fishy smell or off flavor, everything was clean, and each type of fish had its own texture alive, so with every bite you could clearly feel the difference between them.

This place's sashimi is genuinely good

I kept saying this over and over.🍣 When you order sashimi at an izakaya, you usually think of it as just one side dish among many —

but Ito made me think it could hold its own as a dedicated sashimi restaurant.👏🏻 Not sashimi thrown together as an average drinking snack — this was quality good enough to come just for the sashimi itself!!!

You have to go see for yourself..! I'm running out of ways to describe it.🤣 I've properly found an izakaya that's serious about its sashimi.💙

Rice came with it too, so I tried putting a piece of sashimi on top.🍚

Delicious sashimi plus rice — need I say more?🤣 The sashimi itself was clean and fresh enough that just placing a single piece on rice, without anything extra, was already enough.😋

What exactly is mizutaki, the Fukuoka-style chicken hot pot?

Ito's mizutaki is a Fukuoka-style chicken hot pot, a warm dish that simmers away at the table. Usually at izakayas I end up ordering nabe or sukiyaki, but this time I wanted to try something different, so I picked the chicken-based mizutaki. To cut to the conclusion, this choice paid off too.👏🏻🤤🤣

It's generously loaded with large chunks of chicken plus mushrooms, green onion, crown daisy, and other vegetables.🍲 As it simmers, the flavor from the chicken naturally spreads into the broth, and the broth wasn't harshly salty or overly seasoned. It had a clean yet subtly savory depth that made it easy to keep spooning up.

When you simmer a hot pot for a long time, the broth reduces and what tasted fine at first gets way too salty later on, right?!? You end up having to add water and the flavor gets muddled — but even after simmering it for quite a while, the seasoning never got too strong by the end. It felt like they'd calibrated the seasoning from the start with the reduction in mind.😋 Little details like this made me think again — this is a place that really knows how to cook.👍🏻

The chicken🐔 was genuinely tender.🤎 Not dry at all, so soft, and it paired so well with the warm broth. On a rainy day like that, one spoonful of the hot broth confirmed I'd made the right menu choice.👏🏻✨

Adding fresh noodles to the mizutaki was an excellent call

We added fresh noodles to the mizutaki. It was outstanding.👏🏻 Dropping fresh noodles into the bubbling broth let them soak it up fully, turning wonderfully soft.🤤 Paired with the tender-braised chicken, it was soft-noodle plus tender-chicken texture combo heaven.🤣

Even though I was already getting full, adding the noodles felt like starting a whole new dish, and my chopsticks kept going back for more.🤤 Taking a bite of broth-soaked noodles together with a piece of chicken made for a genuinely delicious finish.🤍 Good vibes, good food, good lighting, and conversation flowing — today was perfect again.🍶✨

Why Ito works as a first stop or a second stop of the night

There's no need to think of Ito only as

an izakaya you go to for a second round of drinks

The side dish quality is good enough that it works as a first stop, where you eat properly with assorted sashimi and warm dishes, and it also works well as a second stop after eating elsewhere, for light sashimi and drinks. You could really start here as your first stop and, if the vibe is good, just keep going straight into round two.✨👏🏻

It's not just that the food is good, and it's not just that the atmosphere is pretty —

• The staff are kind
• The food comes out quickly
• The music isn't overly loud
• The table layout is comfortable and good for conversation

Eating with my friend, we agreed

we could definitely come back here for our next get-together

I thought we could just hold the next gathering here too.ㅎㅎ In a neighborhood as packed with bars as Konkuk, finding a place with good atmosphere isn't hard — but a place that pairs that atmosphere with real food quality is the kind that sticks in your memory longer.✨ Ito was exactly that.👍🏻

Ito in summary: who this Gwangjin izakaya suits

• 🍣 I went in thinking it was just a good-vibes bar and left genuinely shocked by the sashimi's freshness.🤤
• 🍶 A cozy atmosphere great for quiet conversation, plus solid food, makes it good as a first stop or a light second-round drink.😆
• 🤎 Adding fresh noodles to the mizutaki completes the combo perfectly.✨👍🏻
• 🍅 Next time I need to go back for the tomato soju I missed.😋