Gyeongui Line Forest Trail terrace bar in Seoul: Yakitori Shomong

It's still hot during the day, but these days the chilly autumn wind at night makes it hard to just sit still, so I paid a visit to the Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail after a while. I was staying overnight at Lotte City Hotel Mapo, so it was great that this was within walking distance.

There are really so many cafés and bars lining both sides of the Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, and so many people too! After a summer too hot to be out and about, it seems like everyone's out enjoying the nice nighttime weather these days!

Yakitori Shomong: terrace and bar seats facing the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail

Yakitori Shomong is an izakaya where you can really soak in the outdoor drinking-spot atmosphere while looking out at the Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail. The popular outdoor terrace sits right in front of the trail.

The interior is spacious too, with lighting that's just right for a drink.

This Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail bar also has an atmospheric bar table. You can book outdoor tables, the bar, or the hall seating through Catch Table.

The basic table setup is very neat. But what stood out most was how friendly the staff were!

The complimentary cabbage with sauce that came out first — this is genuinely delicious!!! It made me feel like I'd stepped into a Japanese izakaya!

You can order right away using the barcode at the table. We started with Ebisu draft beer and a yuzu highball. The Ebisu draft is so smooth and delicious that it just keeps going down — be warned.

How does the 3-skewer course at Yakitori Shomong arrive?

At Yakitori Shomong you can enjoy the skewers omakase-style. They're grilled the moment you order, so how could they not taste good? One course per person is required on your first order. You might worry a course means a hefty price, but no need to worry about that. We ordered the 3-skewer course.

Rather than bringing all the skewers out at once, they prepare each kind one at a time, so we could take our time and really enjoy each dish on its own.

First skewer: chicken tenderloin

The tenderloin came out first. Wow, this is genuinely tender!! Felt like we'd found the right place.

Second skewer: truffle chicken thigh

The second course was the truffle chicken thigh. Definitely chewier than the tenderloin, with noticeable texture.

The nice thing is that after finishing the course, you can also order à la carte skewers of whatever you like.

Last skewer: tsukune (chicken meatball)

Tsukune (Japanese chicken meatball skewer) closed out the 3-skewer course at Yakitori Shomong, this Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail bar.

Dip it fully into the sauce they prepare and your mouth fills with flavor. Definitely a finale-worthy taste. This tsukune really made me feel like I was in Japan — I felt like I could've eaten ten skewers of it.

Not heavy at all, yet so satisfying to eat — I get why this Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail bar, Yakitori Shomong, is so popular!

Small plates in the 10,000-won range: tamago sando and cucumber in plum sauce

Besides the skewers, Yakitori Shomong has quite a wide range of side dishes, and since they're all in the ₩10,000s, it was easy to order a bunch without worrying. The Osaka-style tamago sando has a whole dashimaki (Japanese rolled omelet) tucked inside, giving it an extremely soft texture.

Cucumber in plum sauce. The crisp cucumber paired with the bright tartness and umami of umeboshi (pickled plum) was great to nibble on between skewers.

With food and atmosphere this good, one drink just isn't enough!! We got another round of Ebisu draft. What is life, anyway? Isn't living each day happily and specially the best we can do? With so many customers keeping turnover high, this Ebisu draft might just be one of the top 3 draft beers I've ever had.

We were full but the food was so good we each ordered one more thing — chicken wings and a scallion skewer. I'd recommend this as a place to check out in Mapo. 100% would come back.

After dinner: walking the Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail

The main reason I'd strongly recommend this as a fall outing spot in Mapo is that the Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail is right in front of Yakitori Shomong.

Nothing beats enjoying delicious food and then taking a walk along the Gongdeok Gyeongui Line Forest Trail in the autumn breeze.

We walked the full loop all the way to Sogang University Station. By the time we got back to the hotel, we'd completely sobered up, haha. The forest trail makes such a great walking course, there are always lots of people around, and with cafés and restaurants lining both sides, it also seems like a great spot for a date course in Seoul — definitely worth checking out in Mapo.