Scallop and shrimp chive pancake at Yeongdeungpo bar Yeokjeon

This is my honest review of a retro-vibe pojangmacha (street-food bar) near Yeongdeungpo Station that I visited for a work dinner with a coworker. " Honest review of Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Yeongdeungpo "

There was one of those days recently where something annoying happened at work and I just didn't want to go straight home — I wanted to vent to a coworker over a drink. But you know how it is with dinners or spur-of-the-moment gatherings: when there are a lot of people, finding a table is stressful, and hopping from a first spot to a second is a hassle. We didn't have anywhere set, just wandered around Yeongdeungpo Station until this place caught our eye. In the end, the soju was cheap and the food lineup was solid enough that it left a real impression — enough that it's already on my list for the next work dinner. Let me lay out honestly why I felt that way.

Where is Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Yeongdeungpo, and what is the mood like?

Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Yeongdeungpo is an indoor pojangmacha on the 2nd floor of a building on Yeongdeungpo-ro 50-gil, within 5 minutes on foot from Yeongdeungpo Station. For office workers commuting by subway, it felt like an especially convenient spot for a group dinner.

The exterior stands out with a big sign, so it was easy to find — first-timers should be able to spot it just as quickly as we did.

The place sits on the 2nd floor, and climbing the stairs brings you straight to the entrance. Even though it's indoors, it has an outdoor-pojangmacha concept with an eye-catching retro interior. The old-school pojangmacha mood was preserved down to the little decorations scattered around, and the lighting wasn't overly bright — just dim enough to focus on conversation over a drink. The layout is unusual in that the inner area is separated from the main hall, so even with a crowd, it never felt noisy.

Menu and what the bill came to at Yeokjeon Pojangmacha

The menu at Yeokjeon Pojangmacha Yeongdeungpo is ordered easily via tablet, and true to a popular chain bar, there was a huge lineup of side dishes and snacks. Among them, the hot pot dishes with gopchang (beef intestines) and chicken are apparently some of the best-sellers here, said to be amazing with drinks.

Since we were both annoyed that day, soju sounded right, so we went with a red-broth boneless chicken hot pot and a pancake dish to go with it — and it exceeded expectations. Let me go through what we ordered in detail so you can use it as reference. Personally, I'd recommend getting at least one broth-based hot pot as a staple — the seasoning is that good.

📌 What we ordered 📌

• Boneless dakdoritang: ₩25,900
• Scallop shrimp scallion pancake: ₩19,900
• Wang mandu dumplings: ₩7,900
• Soju: ₩3,900

How did the boneless dakdoritang and scallop shrimp chive pancake taste?

After ordering, we got the nostalgic roasted corn snack (gangnyeongi) as the basic side — unlike at other bars, this one was crunchy with a real savory depth. Coming straight from work with an empty stomach, it made a strong first impression.

Soon the dishes we ordered arrived, filling the spacious table with bowls big enough to grab attention on their own. Among them, the boneless dakdoritang caught my eye first.

It came already partly cooked, and the staff told us just to simmer it for about 3 more minutes before eating. While waiting for it to boil, I noticed how generous the side toppings were — rice cake, glass noodles, mushrooms, potatoes — it looked really appetizing.

Scooping a ladleful onto my plate, the tender chicken and the glass noodles soaked in broth were incredible — full of savory depth. The chicken was soft and chewy, and there was plenty of noodles, which made me, a noodle lover, very happy. Best of all, thanks to the spicy-sweet seasoning, the broth was so good that one bite made me instantly crave soju. At other pojangmacha I've been to, the seasoning often just sits on the surface, but here it was seasoned all the way through — the difference was clear, and I'd strongly recommend trying it.

To balance out the spicy dish, we ordered the scallop shrimp scallion pancake, and it had a great aroma from the moment it arrived. The scallops and shrimp were generous enough to see at a glance, and cutting it with scissors for a bite revealed the springy texture of shrimp and scallop mingling with crispy, seasoned chives. The first bite surprised us with its savoriness, and the seafood's natural sweetness spread more with every chew — even our coworker who came with us was impressed.

The last thing we ordered, the wang mandu dumplings, was an extra side dish we added since we still had soju left. They were as big as the name suggested, crispy on the outside with juicy filling inside — great both as a drinking snack and for filling up.

Is Yeokjeon Pojangmacha good for a work dinner, and what are the downsides?

What really made me think this was a great choice for a work dinner was the friendly staff and the tasty food. That said, the downside is exactly because of that — the food is so good and the drinks so cheap that you can't stop ordering, and one drink leads to another. It's a dangerous place in that sense. We had somewhere to be the next day, so we barely held back and left, but if you have plans the next morning, I'd recommend pacing yourselves.

If you're looking for a bar near Yeongdeungpo Station, especially for a work dinner or a group gathering, this place has both convenient access and the value-for-money that a pojangmacha should have — Yeokjeon Pojangmacha is worth putting on your list.

A place where cheap drinks make you keep drinking vs. a place where slightly pricier drinks make you naturally pace yourself — which would you pick? For a work dinner, I'd vote for the first one. Let me know your pick in the comments!