Grilled chicken cartilage at Simsimsangin, a Nonhyeon-dong Incheon pub

It was one of those days when the four of us — old friends who love to catch up — decided to shake things up instead of hanging around our usual neighborhood spots, so we set off on an expedition to Nonhyeon-dong in Incheon.

Where is Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon? Directions, parking and hours

We set our destination as Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon, a spot near Incheon Nonhyeon Station said to be popular for its huge range of side dishes and over 25 kinds of premium traditional liquor. It sits in the dazzling food alley of Nonhyeon-dong, where parking is usually tricky, but since we came on a weekday very late at night, it was fairly quiet. It's about 300m from Exit 3 of Incheon Nonhyeon Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, so accessibility is excellent.

It bills itself as a fusion indoor pojangmacha (tent bar) aiming to serve delicious food made with fresh raw ingredients at reasonable prices.

· Mon–Thu, Sunday 17:00–02:00 / last order 01:00 · Fri, Sat 17:00–03:00 / last order 02:00

Late-night mood at Simsimsangin and the free sausage side

We had already booked through Naver Reservation, so we were seated without any fuss. The interior was pretty dark though, so my photos didn't turn out great. Almost everyone there was young, which made this old-timer feel a bit out of place, haha. The photo came out blurry, but the complimentary sausage was tasty.

Even late at night, the place was buzzing with young energy everywhere, and somehow it recharged me a little just watching it — this kind of atmosphere is nice once in a while. It was also cool that if you request a song via QR code, the music video plays on a huge screen.

From 5 to 7 pm there's a happy hour event with soju and beer at ₩3,000. Also, writing a receipt review lets you pick an event menu item, so don't forget to do that.

Maesil plum wine and the new yukhoe (raw beef tartare)

Since the premium traditional liquors are supposedly famous here, I couldn't skip trying one. I picked the plum wine (13%). It had a well-balanced, distinctly plum flavor with a lovely sweetness — dangerously delicious — and tasted quite refined. Beyond this, Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon also stocks Goheung yuja-ju (citron liquor, 8%), Hondi-ju (12%), Seoul-ui Bam (25%), Ilpum Jinro (25%), Hwayo (25%), and other traditional liquors and distilled soju. For a side dish, we ordered the yukhoe (raw beef tartare), which is apparently a new menu item. It came slightly frozen and cold. The meat quality was good and paired well with the pear and other toppings.

· The plum wine, they say, is a premium traditional plum liquor made by Deohan Co., Ltd. (Deohan Juryu), an agricultural corporation. It's made purely from 100% plum extract without blending in other fruit wines, showcasing the deep flavor and aroma of plum itself. · Made with yellow plums: instead of the usual green plums, it uses fully ripened yellow plums harvested around July, giving it a stronger sweetness and richer aroma. · Natural honey added: instead of sugar, domestic natural honey is added, giving it a naturally sweet taste and smooth finish rather than an artificial one. · Long aging: made with patented brewing technology and aged for one to five years to maximize its flavor.

What does the spicy grilled chicken cartilage taste like?

Since the four of us hadn't gotten together in a while, one side dish clearly wasn't going to cut it, so we added the spicy grilled chicken cartilage. This was genuinely delicious. The cartilage had a good kick of spice and such a satisfying crunchy texture, plus it came loaded with cheese, adding a nutty richness. The vegetables served alongside were also cooked just right, so we ate it all with great satisfaction.

Signature Donggeurami shabu-shabu, finished with udon noodles

Since the four of us hadn't gotten together in a while, two side dishes still wasn't enough, so we ordered Donggeurami — one of Simsimsangin's signature dishes, a shabu-shabu with clean broth and mild meat enjoyed hot. We were momentarily stunned into silence by how it looked. Wow.

The fish cake was the flat, wavy kind I love, so we ordered extra. High-quality fish cake.

There was a mountain of bean sprouts and mushrooms alongside the meat, and as it simmered gently the broth turned out amazing. It started curing our hangovers already. The portion was massive, but with four guys diving in, it disappeared in no time. Were you all starving all day or something?

In the end, we had them refill the broth and added udon noodles to fill up properly.

Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon has signature dishes that look impressive just from a glance, so it might be fun to work through them one by one like completing a checklist.

It had been a while since the four of us got together, and sharing good food, drinks, and conversation felt refreshing and energizing — a genuinely fun night. What? You want to go for round two??? ♥