# Late-night beef sashimi and caviar at Kuroiya, an Itaewon izakaya - By Hyunwoo (https://superchart.com/en/@warm-bowl-diary/) - Written Sep 18, 2026 - Local places › Bars › Yongsan, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after visiting through the business's sponsorship. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@warm-bowl-diary/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@warm-bowl-diary/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/index.md) ## In short Kuroiya is a small basement izakaya (Japanese-style bar) in an alley about a 5-minute walk from Itaewon Station in Yongsan, Seoul. After work, two diners ordered the sashimi platter (₩65,000) and soju (₩6,000) at Kuroiya, and the platter came with thick-cut fish served over ice plus beef sashimi topped with caviar. A free ankimo (monkfish liver) from the Naver review event rounded out a generous meal worth coming back for. ## Good to know - **Address**: Basement 1, 14-4 Itaewon-ro 16-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul - **Hours**: Daily 17:30–01:00 - **Parking**: Not available - **Sashimi platter**: ₩65,000 - **Soju**: ₩6,000 - **Reservations**: Available through Catch Table and Naver - **Review event**: Free ankimo (monkfish liver) for writing a Naver review - **Price reference**: ₩65,000 ≈ $47 · ₩6,000 ≈ $4.3 (2026-09-19) *as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026* A hidden gem in Itaewon: Kuroiya The weather's been sooo good lately 🌈 My husband and I went out for some fresh air after he got off work. I thought about hitting an outdoor tent bar, but tonight I wanted somewhere quiet with atmosphere. The menu is always... well, as usual, I was craving sashimi, so off we went to a hidden gem in Itaewon 🚙 let's go 🎶 ## Where is Kuroiya and what are its hours? Kuroiya is located at 14-4 Itaewon-ro 16-gil, basement level, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It's open daily from 17:30 to 01:00, and there's no parking available. It's about a 5-minute walk from Itaewon Station, but you wind through alleys so much it felt like a little maze — kind of exciting, haha 😆 ![The alley leading to Kuroiya in Itaewon](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-01-msa0v-900.webp) The Kuroiya sign appears tucked in the Itaewon alley. Head down the stairs on the right. ![Kuroiya's sign and the stairs down to the basement](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-02-1jtox-883.webp) Even the stairway down had exactly the vibe I was looking for tonight. ![The atmosphere of the stairway down to the basement level](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-03-vgifr-900.webp) ## What is the basement izakaya like inside? Kuroiya's interior atmosphere 🛎️ Cozy and full of vintage charm. Every light fixture and prop has that vintage feel. ![Kuroiya's interior with vintage lighting and props](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-04-yp9df-900.webp) ![The cozy, small-scale Japanese izakaya-style interior](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-05-n5l8d-900.webp) Rather than a flashy, large-scale izakaya, this is more of a small, cozy Japanese-style bar — great pick for tonight 👍 ![Kuroiya seating under soft lighting](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-06-18fxj-900.webp) With soft lighting, it's a great spot to enjoy a drink and a variety of dishes. You scan your phone to see the menu. Oh, nice touch. ![Checking Kuroiya's menu on a phone](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-07-z1q7o-662.webp) ## What's on the menu at Kuroiya? The menu composition seems to change a bit each time. Kuroiya's sashimi platter apparently changes daily depending on what's fresh. ![Kuroiya's sashimi menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-08-1dedo-900.webp) ![Kuroiya's anju (side dish) menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-09-1130x-900.webp) ![A list of cooked dishes on Kuroiya's menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-10-2q1pi-900.webp) ![Kuroiya's menu including alcoholic drinks](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-11-h2jf9-900.webp) Besides sashimi, there's also a wide range of anju (side dishes to go with drinks). You can pretty much tell it's a good spot just from the menu lineup! 😎 ![A table pre-set after making a reservation](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-12-bz227-900.webp) ## What comes on the ₩65,000 sashimi platter? If you reserve through Catch Table or Naver, they'll have your table set up. We ordered the sashimi platter (₩65,000) and soju (₩6,000)! ![A table with the sashimi platter and soju ordered](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-13-19eno-900.webp) The banchan (side dishes) that came out first were my favorites — seasoned tot (hijiki seaweed), seasoned cucumber, and baek-kimchi (white kimchi). Not overly salty, which I loved. ![Basic banchan of seasoned tot, seasoned cucumber, and baek-kimchi](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-14-1suyg-900.webp) From the sashimi platter menu, the mackerel maki came out first. I thought it was mackerel and egg, but apparently it's potato in there. Anyway, how is the combination this soft and this perfect?? No fishy smell at all, just melts in your mouth 😭 Is it potato? Is it egg? It just melts away... ⛄️ ![The mackerel maki served first](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-15-1p4im-900.webp) The sashimi platter (₩65,000) arrived. Can you see the color on this? 😍 My first thought was how generous the portion was. Salmon, tuna, mackerel, beef sashimi, cuttlefish, abalone, flounder, octopus... so many kinds. ![A sashimi platter with salmon, tuna, flounder and more](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-16-15ddw-1200.webp) You can see how fresh it looks — glossy, and the thick-cut sashimi pieces are insane. ![Close-up of thickly sliced sashimi](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-17-11ebs-900.webp) What looked like top-grade beef sashimi, topped with caviar no less — just looking at it made me smile ☺️ Such a solid lineup. ![Beef sashimi topped with caviar](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-18-1md7b-900.webp) ### How the salmon and abalone tasted As a salmon lover, I'll try a piece first. A tiny dab of wasabi, and — mmm 🤤 exactly as it looks. Salmon can get greasy if cut too thick, but since this was prepped, sold, and air-flown in on the same day, all I tasted was nutty, soft freshness. A genuinely great spot for salmon!! All the other cuts were sliced just as thick, filling your mouth with texture that drives you crazy. You know big bites taste better, right? Right? Everything sits on ice, so it stays cold down to the very last piece. ![The sashimi platter set on a bed of ice](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-19-1s9wy-900.webp) Hidden underneath was abalone topped with seasoned innards — a real delicacy in its own right. ![Anago liver and gimbap received from the review event](https://img.superchart.com/images/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya-20-vbhc5-900.webp) ## Free ankimo from the Naver review event Write a Naver review at Kuroiya and they'll give you anago (conger eel) liver for free. Make sure you write one and claim it!!! Why wouldn't you? The anglerfish liver was finished with a soft wasabi sauce (mayo + wasabi + soy sauce + a touch of sweetness?) that went perfectly with the burdock-root gimbap, and by the end you're scraping the plate with rice to get every last bit of sauce. The owner and staff were kind through and through, and everything about this Itaewon spot won me over. It's been running for over 10 years so it seems to already be well known... but part of me wants to keep it to myself... Places run with this much care deserve to do even better!! I'll definitely be back. ## Where it is - Kuroiya (쿠로이야) - 14-4 Itaewon-ro 16-gil, basement level, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 용산구 이태원로16길 14-4 지하1층 - 37.5335254, 126.9910322 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%BF%A0%EB%A1%9C%EC%9D%B4%EC%95%BC/@37.5335254,126.9910322,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@warm-bowl-diary/kuroiya-itaewon-aged-sashimi-basement-izakaya/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt