Mentaiko and Asahi draft at Yakitori Iyu, a Hongdae izakaya
In short
Yakitori Iyu is a yakitori izakaya in a basement space on Jandari-ro, near Hongik University Station in Mapo, Seoul. On a Wednesday after work, the writer took an outdoor bar counter seat for the five-skewer yakitori assortment, mentaiko (10,000 won) and tsukune with Asahi draft beer, and the chef's pick that day was chicken wing, pork jowl, heart, tenderloin and breast. Yakitori Iyu works well as a second stop after work or as a relaxed date-night bar.
Good to know
- Menu
- Five-skewer yakitori assortment (recommended on the menu), mentaiko 10,000 won, tsukune
- Five-skewer lineup
- A chef's pick that changes daily; on this visit: chicken wing, pork jowl, heart, tenderloin, breast
- Sauces served
- Scallion pesto, salt, cumin (jjeuran)
- Draft beer
- Kirin, Asahi
- Seating
- Bar counter seats up to four-person tables, plus an outdoor bar counter
- Ordering tip
- Tsukune is grilled to order, so it is best added to your first order
as written by the visitor on Sep 19, 2026
Yakitori Iyu in Hongdae, a Wednesday second round after work
Yakitori Iyu's Hongdae location is a yakitori izakaya on Jandari-ro in Hongdae. Wednesday,, you know the one? The day in the middle of the week when you're the most drained. Work was especially brutal this day, and I felt like I couldn't just go home like this, so my boyfriend and I bolted to Hongdae after work🏃♀️
We filled up on soup curry for round one, and decided on something light — yakitori and a drink — for round two. That's where Yakitori Iyu's Hongdae branch comes in.
Yakitori Iyu, Hongdae
The exterior alone is dripping with Japanese vibes.. And lately my partner and I have been chasing outdoor seating every chance we get! haha We suffered through summer insisting on indoor seats only, and the moment the weather cooled off, suddenly we're only hunting for outdoor patios.
We already decided to enjoy raw shrimp on the patio next time.🤭
What is the outdoor bar counter like?
Yakitori Iyu's Hongdae location has seating from bar counters to 4-person tables, plus an outdoor bar counter. Maybe because we came late on a weekday, there weren't many customers, but after we sat down I counted three solo-drinking parties... this place might secretly be a sanctuary for solo drinkers (whispering)
We took the outdoor bar counter seat that caught our eye from the entrance. The view across the way is a hanok-style (traditional Korean house) building, which made the scenery even better?! If it had been an ordinary building it wouldn't have moved me much, but the flowers and hanok together deepened the whole mood.
What we ordered at Yakitori Iyu
After soaking in the view, time to actually order! Wow, they have so many delicious-sounding snacks here.
After much deliberation, we went with the yakitori five-skewer assortment listed as a menu recommendation. Good chance to try a bit of every kind at once. And of course we got mentaiko (grilled pollock roe) and tsukune, which my partner and I both love, plus the essential draft beer!🍻 They had Kirin and Asahi, and we went with Asahi.🙆♀️
Yakitori absolutely demands a cold draft beer. We each ordered an Asahi draft and clinked glasses🍻 With the first sip, all of Wednesday's exhaustion just,, melted away.
Isn't this exactly why people drink after work?
The five-skewer yakitori assortment, that day's lineup
Chicken wing, pork jowl, heart, tenderloin and breast
Yakitori Iyu's five-skewer set doesn't have a fixed menu — the chef picks a daily special selection! The day we visited it was chicken wing, pork jowl, heart, tenderloin, and breast.
They also brought out scallion pesto, salt, and jjeuran (cumin) to go with it!
The chicken wing.. pure chewy texture through and through, with a savory tare sauce and that chewy bite — perfect beer food.
The tenderloin paired so well with the scallion pesto. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth, with the scallion pesto wrapping around your whole mouth — then a sip of beer right after and you're in heaven...
The pork jowl was grilled evenly all around. Can you see how pale and tender the inside looks.. drooling just writing about it. It went great with both the jjeuran and the salt!
Mentaiko for 10,000 won, grilled just right
Yakitori Iyu's mentaiko (grilled pollock roe) was also affordable at 10,000 won. Since we're both mentaiko fanatics, there was no way we weren't ordering it. I prefer it grilled so you can still feel the roe popping inside rather than charred through, and this was exactly that grill level.. there's a reason this place is called yakitori and not just izakaya.. they really know how to grill.
Cucumber and mayo with a light drizzle of perilla oil. Salty mentaiko with a sip of beer,, only those who know, know this combo🍶
Order the tsukune with your first round
Tsukune is basically unwritten law at any yakitori place, so we added it. Lightly break the yolk, dip it in, and that crisp yet rich tsukune fills your whole mouth — and right then, there's no holding back on the beer either
Tsukune is grilled after the order goes in, so if you plan to have it, I'd recommend ordering it with your first round!
Is Yakitori Iyu worth a visit?
Went out for a beer to beat the Wednesday blues and ended up finding a neighborhood gem instead..ദ്ദി（• ˕ •マ.ᐟ
For anyone looking for a Hongdae izakaya or yakitori spot, I'd recommend Yakitori Iyu's Hongdae location.
- Five-skewer yakitori with real charcoal aroma
- Solid snack lineup down to tsukune and mentaiko
- Perfect pairing with Asahi draft beer
- Cozy atmosphere with Japanese back-alley charm
- Ideal for a post-work second round or a date night bar
I had a serious case of the Wednesday blues, but yakitori and a draft beer here completely cured it haha
My partner and I already agreed to come back again🍺
Where it is
20-13 Jandari-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 마포구 잔다리로 20-13 지1층
