# Mapo, Seoul Japanese bar with kushikatsu: Hanamato Sangam DMC

- By Darin (https://superchart.com/en/@warm-soup-route/)
- Written Sep 10, 2026
- Local places › Bars › Mapo, Seoul
- Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@warm-soup-route/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@warm-soup-route/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/index.md)

## In short

Hanamato Sangam DMC is a Japanese-style bar in Mapo, Seoul. The visit included charcoal yakitori, lightly seasoned scallop stir-fry, rich mala eomuk soup, mentaiko cheese potatoes, and kushikatsu. Verdict: a lovely place to briefly feel as if you have slipped into a Japanese alleyway.

## Good to know

- **Address**: 1F–2F, 16 World Cup buk-ro 44-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 마포구 월드컵북로44길 16 1층, 2층)
- **Hours**: 17:00–03:00 the following day
- **Last order**: 02:00
- **Closed**: Every Sunday
- **Service**: Groups and reservations welcome
- **Space**: First and second floors; counter seating by the entrance
- **What we ordered**: Mala eomuk-tang, scallop stir-fry, charcoal yakitori best 5-skewer set, mentaiko cheese potatoes, kushikatsu

*as written by the visitor on Sep 10, 2026*

Missing Japan and feeling disappointed that I could not go, I visited Hanamato Sangam DMC, where you can properly soak up a Japanese mood. Even the exterior looked as though an izakaya from a Japanese alley had been lifted straight over, and once the sign and lights came on brightly, it truly felt like walking into a bar I had happened upon while travelling in Japan. Every menu item brought back memories of Japan, so this evening felt like a brief trip there.

## A Japanese-style bar within walking distance of Digital Media City Station

![Exterior of Hanamato Sangam DMC](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-01-1f37j-900.webp)

![Japanese-style entrance at Hanamato Sangam DMC](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-02-278il-900.webp)

Hanamato Sangam DMC is within walking distance of Digital Media City Station. From the entrance onward, it had the feel of an izakaya I might stumble upon while travelling in Japan, so I liked it before I had even stepped inside.

![Japanese izakaya-style restaurant entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-03-ms4m7-900.webp)

![Entrance of Hanamato Sangam DMC](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-04-1hkvn-900.webp)

Hanamato Sangam DMC has a first and second floor. As soon as you open the door, Japanese-lettered signs and posters, plus cute little Japanese objects everywhere, give the whole place an izakaya atmosphere. Rather than a flashy Japanese-inspired setup, it captures the relaxed, bustling feeling of an old drinking spot in a local alley. There is counter seating by the entrance, too. It looked quite nice for coming alone, ordering a few skewers, and having a draft beer.

![Izakaya interior decorated with Japanese objects](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-05-1u4yp-900.webp)

![Interior with Japanese signs and posters](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-06-1k19t-900.webp)

![Table seating at Hanamato Sangam DMC](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-07-1v8m5-900.webp)

![Counter seating by the entrance](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-08-xg7z7-900.webp)

## First order, from yakitori to mala eomuk-tang

Perhaps because there are many warm dishes that simmer at the table, such as nabe and eomuk-tang, every table has an induction burner. Even though it is a bar, the menu is varied enough to come for a proper meal. Our first order was mala eomuk-tang (numbing-spicy fish cake soup), gwanja-bokkeum (stir-fried scallops), and the charcoal yakitori (Japanese grilled skewers) best 5-skewer set.

![Order of mala eomuk-tang, scallop stir-fry, and yakitori](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-09-8h08b-900.webp)

The first thing out was al chips as the complimentary snack. It is a snack I do not eat much these days, but picking one up immediately brought back old memories. Crispy, light, and salty. They were perfect to nibble on one by one before the beer arrived.

![Complimentary al chips snack](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-10-avwoq-900.webp)

![Crispy al chips complimentary snack](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-11-1gk3o-900.webp)

### Charcoal yakitori I would recommend for a first visit

The dish I looked forward to most was the charcoal yakitori best 5-skewer set. Five charcoal-grilled skewers arrived with a cabbage salad. Hanamato's yakitori is brushed with tare sauce and grilled over charcoal, and the sweet-salty tare and smoky char came through right away. The outside was lightly seared and fragrant from the charcoal, while the inside stayed moist. When I travelled in Japan, I used to seek out well-known yakitori places, and these felt like the local skewers I had there. I hardly drink these days, but I ended up ordering beer after all. If it is your first time at Hanamato, I would recommend starting with the yakitori.

![Charcoal yakitori best 5-skewer set](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-12-1t1a6-900.webp)

![Yakitori served with cabbage salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-13-27zvg-900.webp)

### Lightly seasoned scallop stir-fry

While the yakitori was sweet, salty, and bold, the scallop stir-fry was much lighter. Plump scallops and vegetables were stir-fried together without heavy seasoning, so the ingredients' own flavours came through. The scallops were tender to chew with a slight springiness left in their texture, accompanied by the gentle sweetness of the cooked vegetables. Above all, I liked that it was not salty and stayed on the mild side.

![Plump scallops and vegetables in scallop stir-fry](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-14-1cd7f-900.webp)

![Lightly seasoned scallop stir-fry](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-15-1qmud-900.webp)

### Mala eomuk-tang with a rich flavour

The mala eomuk-tang bubbled away on the table. It was generously filled with fish cake, meat, and vegetables, offering a different appeal from the skewers and stir-fried dishes. For our taste, though, the mala aroma and broth were a little intense. Strangely enough, when we had spoonfuls of broth between the other dishes, it tasted much better.

![Mala eomuk-tang simmering at the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-16-1fg9k-900.webp)

![Mala eomuk-tang with fish cake, meat, and vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-17-q9ts1-900.webp)

![Bubbling broth of mala eomuk-tang](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-18-185ic-966.webp)

The distinctive tongue-tingling, fragrant mala flavour blended with savouriness drawn from the fish cakes and the flavours of the meat and vegetables, making the broth richer the more we ate. It might have felt a little incomplete with only the yakitori and scallop stir-fry, but the mala eomuk-tang made the meal feel full.

![Table spread of yakitori, scallop stir-fry, and mala eomuk-tang](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-19-9y06e-900.webp)

![Table with several bar dishes ordered together](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-20-1rdij-900.webp)

## Mentaiko cheese potatoes and kushikatsu as extra orders

Then we added mentaiko cheese potatoes. Thinly sliced potatoes were topped generously with cheese. Eating the cheese and potatoes together brought soft potato and nutty melted cheese together in the mouth. Potatoes alone can be mild, while too much cheese can become cloying, but the mentaiko holds the flavour together perfectly in the middle. This also went well with beer.

![Mentaiko cheese potatoes topped with cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-21-1ml9s-900.webp)

![Mentaiko cheese potatoes with thinly sliced potatoes and cheese](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-22-1b0zd-900.webp)

Last came kushikatsu (Japanese deep-fried skewers), made by skewering and frying a variety of ingredients. The moment I saw kushikatsu at Hanamato, I thought of travelling in Osaka. Freshly fried kushikatsu is the very definition of crisp outside and tender inside. That crunch when you take a bite is irresistible, as expected.

![Freshly fried kushikatsu, Japanese deep-fried skewers](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-23-1g7dm-900.webp)

![Kushikatsu with a crispy texture](https://img.superchart.com/images/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato-24-1imx7-900.webp)

## An evening for both the food and the atmosphere

Hanamato Sangam DMC was a Japanese-style bar where I could enjoy the atmosphere as much as the food. The charcoal-scented yakitori was the kind of flavour that calls for beer, and ordering it with the light scallop stir-fry and spicy mala eomuk-tang made for a good combination. Adding mentaiko cheese potatoes and crispy kushikatsu made it feel as though I was enjoying popular Japanese izakaya dishes all in one place. More than anything, I loved the lit-up exterior in the evening and the interior full of Japanese objects.

- An atmosphere like a Japanese alleyway
- Charcoal yakitori recommended
- A good place to share a variety of bar dishes
- A Mapo izakaya suited to dates, gatherings, or a drink after work

On a day when you want to travel to Japan but cannot leave right away, this is a place I would return to for a brief taste of a Japanese alleyway izakaya in Sangam. If you are looking for an izakaya filled with Japanese atmosphere in Sangam, I recommend Hanamato Sangam DMC.

## Where it is

- Hanamato Sangam DMC (하나마토 상암DMC)
- 1F–2F, 16 World Cup buk-ro 44-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울 마포구 월드컵북로44길 16 1층, 2층)
- 서울특별시 마포구 월드컵북로44길 16 1층, 2층
- 37.5758865, 126.8962634
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%95%98%EB%82%98%EB%A7%88%ED%86%A0%20%EC%83%81%EC%95%94DMC/@37.5758865,126.8962634,17z

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Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@warm-soup-route/sangam-japanese-izakaya-hanamato/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt