Izakaya near Digital Media City Station with private booths: Hanamato

Today I'm introducing Hanamato, an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) that's become well known in the Sangam DMC area. It has a real Sangam DMC hangout feel, so it's perfect for a drink on the way home from work!

Hanamato Sangam DMC: location and hours

Hanamato Sangam DMC is at 16 Woldeukeopbuk-ro 44-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (1st and 2nd floors), 377 m from Exit 8 of Digital Media City Station (Line 6 / Gyeongui-Jungang Line / AREX). It's open from 5 pm to 1 am the next day.

An exterior that feels like a trip to Japan

Hanamato isn't far from Sangam DMC. At night the red sign and soft lighting stood out from a distance. It uses the whole two-story building, so it's quite big. The Japanese writing on the sign and the name "Hanamato" give it an exotic mood. My expectations were already rising at the entrance!

What's the inside like, and the 2nd-floor partitioned seats?

Inside, the tables are neatly arranged, each with a tablet ordering system, and at the back of the 2nd floor there are private seats with partitions. The walls are decorated with Japanese anime posters and cute figurines, which were fun to look at. I especially liked the clean tablet ordering and the cute seasoning containers.

What I liked even more about the 2nd floor were these private partitioned seats at the back. They looked ideal for a cozy chat with friends or a date. The soft lighting seems like it would make the drinks taste even better!

Easy tablet ordering and crazy good-value dishes

At Hanamato you browse the menu and order on a tablet at your seat. I took my time going through it, and there was a huge variety of dishes at surprisingly kind prices.

I nibbled on the crunchy shrimp chips that come as the complimentary side and, after some deliberation, placed my order.

Kikkoman soy sauce and a shichimi (Japanese chili pepper blend) shaker are also on the table, so you can season things to taste.

What I ordered at Hanamato

• Tsukune (chicken meatball skewer) (₩3,500)
• Wagyu tataki (₩15,000)
• Set of beef tartare bibim noodles + 5 skewers + Nagasaki champon
• Chamisul Original (₩5,000) + 1 extra bottle

Look at this generous spread. Amazing value, right?

A parade of quality dishes, and the drinks just flow!

The dishes at Hanamato came out one by one, and they looked impressive from the start. With all that good food being laid out, I couldn't not drink the Chamisul Original! I filled the glasses with soju and clinked happily, and since the food was so good, the drinks really did go down smoothly!

Wagyu tataki for ₩15,000: how was it?

Hanamato's wagyu tataki is ₩15,000, and it was clean-tasting, mild and tender, with quality that's hard to believe for the price. It was the first dish out! The thinly sliced wagyu has a rosy red color and lightly seared edges that whet the appetite. Sliced onion, radish sprouts and plenty of wasabi are piled in the middle. I took a slice of beef with onion and wasabi, dipped it in soy sauce, and it melted in my mouth. Hard to believe this quality for ₩15,000.

Beef tartare bibim noodles

The beef tartare bibim noodles (yukhoe bibim-myeon, spicy-sweet mixed noodles) that come with the set are topped with fresh beef tartare and an egg yolk, and they were filling enough to be a meal. I popped the yolk and mixed it all up, and the yolk softly wraps the spiciness while the richness of the tartare fills your mouth. The noodles were springy too, with a great texture. They're good as drinking food, but also hearty enough to stand in for a meal.

Handmade skewers (5 kinds) and tsukune

The 5 skewers in the Hanamato set came with a charcoal aroma, crisp outside and juicy inside, and the tsukune I added for ₩3,500 is eaten dipped in egg yolk. If you're at an izakaya, skewers are a must! It's fun to pick through the different kinds, and nothing goes better with drinks. The extra tsukune came plump and golden, and dipped in the fresh egg yolk served with it, the salty sauce and rich yolk are a wonderful match. The juices bursting out were just art. Officially approved as a Sangam DMC skewer spot!

Nagasaki champon

Hanamato's Nagasaki champon (Japanese-style spicy-free seafood noodle soup) came on a mini burner, so I could eat it hot to the end, and with plenty of bean sprouts, vegetables and seafood, the broth was rich and refreshing. I ordered it because I wanted something hot at the end, and it has noodles in it too, so it was easy to slurp down. It felt like sobering up while still drinking, you know?

Verdict: a must-visit if you're near Sangam DMC!

Hanamato in Sangam DMC was a perfect izakaya: a cozy, local-Japan feel, friendly service and, above all, both flavor and value. The atmosphere is great and the food is excellent, so the soju goes down dangerously fast (?). Hehe.

Tips for visiting Hanamato Sangam DMC

• Review event: take 3 photos of your food and write a review to get one free item: a heart, chicken skin or ginkgo skewer, a highball or a draft beer! (Multiple people can join.)
• It's popular, so there may be a wait. Better to get there early.
• If you want private seating, reserving ahead is an option!
• I strongly recommend the good-value set (skewers + champon + bibim noodles) with a glass of soju!

I plan to go back for another drink soon. If you're looking for a good restaurant or bar near Sangam DMC, definitely try Hanamato!