Solo dining at a Changwon yakitori bar: 9 skewers, Yakitori Gong

Do you like skewers as a drinking snack? Ever since I was a kid I loved the cheap skewers sold outside school — I think I spent most of my precious pocket money on them at the snack shop on the way home. I loved the smoky char and the sweet-spicy sauce, slathered on thick. I have such fond memories of asking my mom to buy skewers whenever we went grocery shopping on weekends, then grilling them at home with her homemade sauce.

As an adult I didn't have many chances to eat skewers and drifted away from them, but this year my girlfriend and I started traveling to Japan often, and eating all kinds of yakitori with cold beer at local skewer joints there was seriously delicious and made me so happy. That's when I got back into skewers.

Once I rediscovered how good real yakitori is, I started hunting for skewer places back in Korea too. The yakitori at izakayas here gives me that same taste and vibe I loved in Japan, with all sorts of meats and cuts to try — genuinely delicious and fun, and a great way to unwind even solo, no company needed. This time I visited a famous yakitori spot in Jung-dong, Changwon. Shall we head to Yakitori Gong (야키토리 공), next to Unicity at Urban Bricks in Changwon, for the perfect drinking snack? :)

What kind of yakitori bar is Yakitori Gong?

Yakitori Gong is a binchotan charcoal yakitori bar on the 3rd floor of Urban Bricks in Jung-dong, Changwon. Known around Changwon for its great atmosphere and delicious skewers, Yakitori Gong hand-makes each chicken skewer with real craftsmanship, grilling over top-grade binchotan charcoal.

The charcoal-grilled menu is wide and varied, so there's plenty of fun in picking what to try — fried chicken thigh, tenderloin, cartilage, chicken heart, tsukune, eel, scallop, shrimp, chicken skin, and more.

Sitting in Urban Bricks next to Unicity, one of Changwon's hotspots, it's easy to get to and parking is convenient. A Starfield Changwon is even set to open nearby in December 2028, which makes it more exciting still. KTX-stop Changwon Station isn't far either, so if you're arriving in Changwon in the evening, heading straight to Urban Bricks for skewers is a great move. Enjoy it with a cold beer.

Yakitori Gong

Parking at Urban Bricks and finding the 3rd floor

Since Yakitori Gong is on the 3rd floor of the Urban Bricks building, parking is easy. As you'd expect from a building like this, the parking lot is spacious and clean, and parking support is generous, so you can visit without worry. Just take the escalator up to the 3rd floor.

Once you're up on the 3rd floor, you'll see a Hong Kong Banjeom restaurant and a chueotang (loach soup) place — look across from them and you'll spot Yakitori Gong right away. It has the feel of a Japanese izakaya. There's a waiting area outside with the menu displayed, good for browsing before you sit down.

Inside Yakitori Gong: the room and the binchotan grill counter

Yakitori Gong's interior is dim with warm, soft lighting scattered throughout, giving it a really moody, emotional atmosphere. Japanese-style decor pieces are placed here and there, adding to the mood. Overall the space feels roomy, so it works fine for friend gatherings or group dinners.

At the very back are the kitchen, counter, and bar seats, plus the spot where the skewers get grilled. It's open, so you can watch the grilling happen right in front of you.

I caught the scene of skewers grilling deliciously over top-grade binchotan on camera, and watching it just made me want to eat even faster. I was hungry, so I ended up ordering nine skewers.

Nine skewers for one: the order and what it cost

Here's what I ordered at Yakitori Gong. The menu board is laid out nicely too.

• 3-skewer yakitori + mentaiko scallop cream pasta set ₩27,000
• 6-skewer yakitori set ₩19,900
• Pepsi ₩2,000

A satisfying order, all set.

How were the mentaiko scallop cream pasta and the 6-skewer set?

From the set, the mentaiko scallop cream pasta came out first. It's the usual cream pasta you'd expect, but with a grilled scallop skewer on top — and that scallop skewer was so pleasantly salty and delicious. I was genuinely surprised.

Then the skewers arrived one by one. The tenderloin in particular is supposed to be eaten while hot, so I'd recommend digging into that one right away.

The 6-skewer set — fried chicken thigh, tenderloin, pork neck, cartilage, chicken heart, and tsukune — were all genuinely delicious, and that smoky charcoal flavor was especially appealing. In the end, I cleaned everything off the plate, as you can see in the photos. There was barely a disappointing item in the whole meal, and the owner and staff explained each cut well, so it was easy to know exactly what I was eating.

For a Jung-dong Changwon restaurant recommendation, a Changwon bar recommendation, or a dinner idea, I recommend Yakitori Gong :)