Aged sashimi platter for two at Gappo Ganbariya, a Junghwa izakaya

Gappo Ganbariya: the Junghwa-dong izakaya known for aged sashimi

I was looking for a good-atmosphere izakaya near Junghwa Station and ended up at Gappo Ganbariya Cooking Bar Junghwa Branch (갓포 간바리야 요리주점 중화직영점). It's a great spot when you want proper cooked dishes with your drink rather than simple bar snacks. With private rooms available too, it works well for dates, friend gatherings, and work dinners alike.

How to find it from Junghwa Station Exit 1, and where to park

Gappo Ganbariya Junghwa Branch is in the first alley as you come out of Junghwa Station Exit 1. There's underground parking, which made it convenient to visit by car.

While I was parked, I needed to move my car at one point, and the owner came out to help — it had that warm, regular-neighborhood-bar feel. If you're planning to drink, though, it's worth arranging public transit or a way home in advance.

"Thank you for your hard work today"

Walking in, the phrase "오늘 하루도 고생하셨습니다" ("thank you for your hard work today") catches your eye. The name Ganbariya itself seems to carry that same meaning — unwind from the day and keep going tomorrow. It gave off the feel of a comfortable place to have a drink after work.

Otsukaresama deshita! Ganbatte kudasai!

Private rooms, hall tables and bar seats

Gappo Ganbariya Junghwa Branch has a room near the entrance, with hall tables and bar seats further inside. The room felt so self-contained that you wouldn't know anyone was inside until they stepped out the door. If you want a quiet, private table, I'd recommend booking the room in advance.

I also spotted autographs from celebrity visitors around the shop. Using the room means you don't have to worry much about other customers noticing you — it suits friend gatherings as well as a dinner-and-drinks after work. If you prefer a place where you can focus on food and conversation rather than a noisy bar, this should be satisfying.

An owner chef trained at Tsuji, one of the world's top three culinary schools

The shop displays the owner chef's diploma and cooking license. According to the shop's signage, the owner chef trained at Tsuji, the Japanese culinary school. Maybe that's why it felt less like an ordinary neighborhood bar and more like a dedicated cooking bar putting real effort into the food.

Small comforts for guests at Gappo Ganbariya

Free Wi-Fi is available, and Naver Pay is accepted. I usually use Toss's face-pay feature, and I noticed Naver also has a face-pay option listed. I paid by QR this time, but I'd like to try face-pay next visit.

The restroom was kept spotless too — beyond just clean, they'd even set out mouthwash and a fan, a thoughtful touch for guest comfort.

There's also a photo zone on one side, perfect for snapping pictures with friends or an Instagram story. Really convenient for posting friend photos to Instagram stories.

Lunch specials, happy hour and omakase

Gappo Ganbariya offers lunch specials and runs happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. There's also an omakase menu, which made me want to come back for a special occasion or birthday dinner.

The robatayaki grilled dishes apparently take a bit of time to cook. Ordering sashimi, sushi, or soup dishes first — which come out faster — and following up with the grilled items lets you enjoy the meal almost like a course.

Gappo Ganbariya menu and prices in Junghwa-dong

• Appetizers: gyukatsu sando/large flounder ceviche ₩35,000 · sea bream truffle ceviche ₩38,000 · truffle beef tartare (yukhoe) ₩28,000
• Robatayaki grill: Chilean sea bass miso-yaki ₩25,000 · chicken neck shioyaki ₩22,000 · lamb chop steak ₩32,000 · wagyu steak ₩38,000 · grilled freshwater eel salt/sauce ₩42,000 · black tiger shrimp grill ₩47,000 · straw-fire spicy hagfish grill ₩29,000 · crispy tilefish grill ₩32,000 · beef tataki ₩35,000 · chicken thigh and scallion grill ₩22,000 · tsukune ₩9,000 · sea bream head shioyaki ₩25,000 · salmon head shioyaki ₩19,000
• Sashimi: domestic aged kimchi aae ₩3,000 · sashimimori small ₩60,000 / medium ₩90,000 / large ₩95,000 / special ₩120,000 · five-color sashimi ₩49,000 · shime saba sashimi ₩29,000 · sea urchin and scallop temaki ₩28,000 · add seaweed ₩2,000
• Sushi: Ganbariya special sushi ₩34,000 · beef and sea urchin sushi ₩36,000 · mackerel pressed sushi/beef sushi ₩29,000 · flounder sushi/salmon sushi ₩23,000 · futomaki half ₩14,000, full ₩28,000 · pork miso soup ₩3,000
• Soba/pasta: sea urchin and sweet shrimp perilla oil soba ₩30,000 · bisque pasta/abalone innards pasta ₩28,000
• Simmered dishes: braised sea bream head ₩25,000 · braised salmon head ₩20,000 · beef tendon nikomi ₩28,000
• Fried dishes: tempura assortment/chicken nanban ₩22,000 · fugu karaage ₩27,000
• Soups: fugu clear broth/spicy fugu stew ₩34,000 · clam sake steam ₩25,000
• Sides: three dried snacks ₩14,000
• Desserts: cream cheese dried persimmon roll ₩16,000 · matcha monaka ice cream ₩12,000 · honey mochi tofu ₩9,000
• Drinks: tokkuri, barley soju, sweet potato soju, distilled spirits, Korean soju, draft beer, Korean beer, soft drinks/ade, highball

The complimentary snack: house-made sweet potato fritters

The default snack that came out was sweet potato tempura. It's said to be house-made, and you could tell from the shape alone that care went into it. Crispy and sweet, it was easy to keep picking at before the main dishes arrived.

The kiosk had a note saying up to three refills were fine. If you enjoyed it, leaving a receipt review seems like a nice way to say thanks.

Sashimimori gan: the 60,000 won platter for two

Having heard the sashimi here was good, I went back and forth between the five-color sashimi and the sashimimori-gan before choosing the latter. On the menu it's shown on a boat-shaped plate, but mine came out on a round plate — same components, just arranged in a pretty circle that had me taking photo after photo.

Domestic aged kimchi aae, deeply savoury for 3,000 won

The sashimi came with aged kimchi on the side — the domestic aged kimchi aae listed as a separate item at the very top of the menu. "Aae" is a Japanese term for tossing ingredients in a seasoning sauce. It was savory enough that I found myself wondering what exactly was in the sauce. It suited my taste so well I wanted to take some home, and the extra ₩3,000 didn't feel like a waste at all.

What's on the aged sashimi platter, piece by piece

Besides the konowata muchim (sea cucumber intestine, dressed) served separately in a small bowl, I got to try a range of sashimi — sweet shrimp, abalone, white fish, tuna, and salmon.

Konowata muchim — a deep, briny savoriness and a strong ocean aroma, characteristic of konowata. The crunchy-yet-soft texture made it a great thing to reach for between other pieces of sashimi.

Sweet shrimp — soft, rich texture right away. The sweetness that's typical of sweet shrimp built up as I chewed, finishing with a nutty lingering note. I love sweet shrimp so much I'd ordered some at home the night before, but eating it here at a proper restaurant is a different experience entirely.

Cheers! I went back and forth between tokkuri (cold sake) and warm atsukan, but ended up ordering soju this time. Once it gets a bit colder, I'd like to pair warm atsukan with the robatayaki grill dishes.

Abalone — the tight, precise scoring cuts stood out. It felt like more than just skillful prep; each piece looked carefully worked, and the texture came out chewier as a result.

White fish — maybe because it was aged, the flesh wasn't stiff at all, but moist and tender. It started mild, and as I chewed slowly a gentle sweetness and savoriness came through, finishing clean.

Tuna — the thawing was done well, so it melted smoothly with no icy or mushy feel. It dissolved gently on the tongue, and that rich, nutty tuna flavor lingered in the mouth for a while.

Salmon — thickly cut, soft and moist, with a rich fatty flavor that spread more the longer I chewed. It finished cleanly with no fishiness, good for savoring slowly as a last piece. Salmon's my favorite, so I saved it for the very last bite and took my time with it.

I'd already eaten before coming, so I kept it light with just sashimi and a drink — but everything looked so good that I want to come back and work through the whole menu one dish at a time. I get why celebrities keep coming back to this place — it makes total sense.

There was also a fire show while they prepared some dishes, though I missed the timing and didn't get a photo. I kept hearing delivery order alerts going off too, so it seems like this place is popular for delivery as well as dine-in. I only had a light sashimi-and-drink visit this time since I'd already eaten, but now I'm curious about the rest of the menu. If I lived in Jungnang, this is the kind of izakaya I'd want to visit constantly — such a great find. Absolutely perfect!

Is Gappo Ganbariya worth it? Final verdict

Gappo Ganbariya Cooking Bar Junghwa Branch is worth a visit if you're looking for a good-atmosphere bar or izakaya near Junghwa Station.

• Anyone looking for a bar near Junghwa Station
• Anyone who wants to enjoy food and drinks together
• Anyone who needs a spot for a date or friend gathering
• Anyone who prefers a cooking bar with a wide range of dishes

This place should suit all of those. Next time I'd like to try the other dishes I missed this visit. Keep it in mind if you have a dinner plan or drinks near Junghwa Station.