Yeonsan, Busan izakaya for friends' 1st round: 4-skewer set, Samajama

I had dinner plans with friends and went looking for a drinking spot in Yeonsan, but in the end I just wanted my usual place: Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch (사마자마 연산직영점), comfy, great atmosphere and tasty skewers. I always leave Samajama satisfied, so I've recommended it many times haha

Location and hours of Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch

Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch is at 20 Gobun-ro 13beon-gil, Yeonje-gu, Busan, South Korea, on the 1st floor. It's open 17:00–02:00 from Wednesday to Monday (last order 01:00) and closed every Tuesday.

There are so many good restaurants and bars around Yeonsan Station that it's hard to choose, but Samajama is a no-fail spot with a great atmosphere and tasty food! It's easy to reach from the station, so it works well as a meeting point, and it's an easy place for a casual drink after work.

What is the inside of Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch like?

It's a Japanese-style izakaya (Japanese pub) with soft lighting and a cozy interior, so it's comfortable for talking rather than loud. The moment you step in, you get that warm izakaya feel, and the skewers catch your eye right away!

Big and plump, they look so good.

The tables are spaced nicely too, so it's fine for group get-togethers or dates. It's a place I often go to for drinks and dates in Yeonsan-dong.

What does Samajama mean, and what's on the menu?

Samajama is said to mean "various, all sorts" in Japanese. True to the name, it mainly serves a variety of handmade skewers, and it tries to give you a little Japanese experience with proper Japanese yakitori (grilled chicken skewers)! Origins of ingredients are clearly labeled too, so it's a Yeonsan Station skewer place you can eat at with peace of mind.

The menu has a wide range, from chicken skewers to pork skewers and vegetable skewers, so picking by your own taste is half the fun. Not just the chicken skewers, the handmade dishes are all pretty good too, so I try new menu items every time I come. A Yeonsan bar with seriously good snacks!

Free side snacks and draft beer

At Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch, pickled radish and green peas come out first, along with the skewer sauce~

Yakitori chicken skewers call for draft beer, of course~ I gulped down a nice cold one hahaha

The 4-skewer set with dumplings and potatoes

This time we ordered the set menu, which includes 4 skewers plus side dishes! Samajama's set menus are well put together, so most people order them. Several skewers come with dumplings and potatoes~ like this. A great skewer place in Yeonsan-dong...!! Just look at it, and you'll see why I come so often....right?

To share easily, we always take the meat off the sticks like this haha There's a variety from chicken skewers to pork skewers and vegetable skewers, so it's fun to pick by taste. The skewers are grilled right after you order, so they came out warm with the flavor intact.

They look delicious just sitting there, right? haha With so many kinds of skewers, we got to try beef, chicken, chicken wings and more! I ordered the dumplings for the first time this visit and they're tasty~ haha

For a first round, try the pork belly bean sprout rice bowl

The pork belly bean sprout rice bowl (삼겹숙주덮밥) at Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch is just right when you want rice too at a first round of dinner. This was a first round, so I wanted rice and ordered it, and this thing is sneaky good hahaha The filling is so generoooous, I love it hahaha If you like rice, definitely order it!

With tasty snacks and a great atmosphere, Samajama Yeonsan Direct Branch is my recommendation for a no-fail izakaya in Yeonsan.