Anyang bar near Pyeongchon Station: Minari Shabu Nabe at Baichan

Back at Baichan near Pyeongchon Station for the snacks I remembered

On a cool evening, my husband and I were looking into bars in Beomgye, then ended up over by Pyeongchon Station and remembered a place we had visited before, so we went back haha. We revisited because the atmosphere was nice and the food was delicious, and it was just as good this time too :)

What is the atmosphere like at Baichan, a bar with private rooms near Pyeongchon Station?

Baichan is on the second floor of the Kkang Udon building, 175 m from Exit 2 of Pyeongchon Station, which is not far from Beomgye either.

As expected, when we arrived around 9 p.m., the hall was full of guests. Luckily, one table was open, so we just managed to get a seat haha. I remembered it as a place with an atmosphere that made conversation easy when we came before, and after visiting a few times, I think the tables are fairly well spaced, so it is comfortable to talk without worrying about the table next to you.

There are about six four-person tables in the hall, as well as counter seats and separate rooms, so it seemed great both for a quiet conversation as a pair and for enjoying a private gathering with a group. You could feel the cool breeze drifting in through the big windows, making it perfect weather for a drink with the door open. If you are visiting during the evening, I recommend allowing plenty of time in your schedule.

Baichan's menu and what we ordered

As soon as we sat down, we took our time looking over the menu. From signature dishes to à la carte dishes, soups, fried food, and simple snacks, there was much more variety than I expected.

The drink selection was also quite varied, with sake, premium distilled spirits, traditional liquor, and regular alcoholic drinks. The menu was so well put together that choosing was fun, but since we had not eaten dinner separately, we thought it over and picked dishes that could double as a meal.

• Minari shabu nabe (water parsley hot pot) ₩25,000
• Kani miso pasta (crab tomalley pasta) ₩23,000
• Hetbahn instant rice ₩2,000
• Beer ₩6,000

Not long after ordering, the basic snacks arrived first: chicken-leg-shaped crackers, imitation-crab salad, and danmuji (pickled yellow radish).

The savory-spicy minari shabu nabe

The minari shabu nabe was set on a portable gas burner for us to cook ourselves. The pot was generously filled with thin-sliced beef brisket, water parsley, mushrooms, and tofu, and we were told that stirring in the seasoning paste hidden inside as it boiled would deepen the broth. As it began bubbling away, steam rose from the reddish broth.

After lightly cooking the meat and vegetables, I tried a bite and the distinctive fragrant water parsley blended richly with the spicy broth, naturally reminding me of Deungchon shabu-shabu. It had just the right kick, the kind of flavor that keeps going down with drinks.

Kani miso pasta mixed under an overturned crab shell

The kani miso pasta caught my eye right away with a whole crab shell on top. We were told to turn it over and mix in what was inside.

When I carefully turned it over, surprise! It was hiding plenty of crab meat, flying-fish roe, and seaweed flakes.

Mixed with the pasta, it had the rich, nutty flavor of crab tomalley, chewy crab meat, and the popping texture of flying-fish roe all at once, so I kept reaching for more. My husband ordered Hetbahn rice and mixed it into the shabu nabe broth, then put rice into the crab shell and topped it generously with the remaining crab tomalley sauce. The flavor soaked deeply between every grain of rice, and the spoon kept moving.

It had been a while since I found a place with such satisfying food to have with drinks. It is great for coming just for drinks, or for having a drink with a meal, so it is somewhere I want to visit again next time.

For reference, they say that if you visit before 7 p.m. with an in-store or Naver reservation, you also receive a coupon for one free highball.

A bar near Pyeongchon Station I want to revisit

With its quiet atmosphere and private rooms, it suited both dates and small gatherings, and it is not so far from Beomgye that it is well worth considering. Both the minari shabu nabe and kani miso pasta were good, and my husband and I would like to come back again.