Window-seat sashimi and yakitori set at Sinnonhyeon izakaya: Goko

I've been craving aged sashimi lately, so I searched hard for good spots near Sinnonhyeon Station and found this one. This time I went to Izakaya Goko.

The walk from Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 6

Coming out of Exit 6 of Sinnonhyeon Station, you go into the first alley, then take one more left at the intersection and it's easy to find — it's on the 2nd floor of the building that has Dwaebong Samgyeopsal and Seogam Saeng Sogeumgui on the 1st floor.

Since it was my first visit, I checked out the menu posted outside, and the lineup was more varied than expected, so I was already deciding what to eat before even going in. We'd already decided what we wanted beforehand, so we went straight in!

The window-seat atmosphere

We got there a bit early, so luckily we landed a window seat. It was an evening with cooler weather, and the breeze coming through the window felt nice, good for a quiet conversation over dinner — a great start.

On evenings like these, when a cool breeze starts blowing, an izakaya with this kind of atmosphere feels extra welcome.

The menu and set options

Sitting down, I took my time looking over the menu. With aged sashimi, yakitori, various side dishes and drinks all on offer, it's a good spot for a light drink or a full dinner.

Especially on a first visit, picking each dish one by one can be a bit of a headache — but they have set menus that let you enjoy sashimi and yakitori together, perfect for us indecisive types.

Pretty little plates and soy sauce dishes

What we ordered: the Ilpumjinro + tonic set. First to arrive was the Ilpumjinro set.

Goko sashimi, 7 kinds of aged sashimi

Then came the Goko sashimi + Goko 7-kind yakitori set. Ordering the set instead of sashimi and yakitori separately made things feel a little lighter to enjoy.

Several kinds of sashimi arranged neatly on one plate — the visuals alone won me over. The Goko sashimi came with tuna, abalone, flounder, engawa, sea bream, sea bream maskawa, salmon, and more.

I liked being able to taste a little of many cuts rather than just one kind of sashimi. Aged sashimi in particular has a different charm from just fresh sashimi.

The flesh wasn't too soft, still had firmness, and as you chewed, a subtle umami rose up.

The tuna had a soft, melting texture, and the flounder was clean-tasting but still chewy. With the abalone joining in, there was a real variety of textures on just one plate. A dab of wasabi on a piece of sashimi, dipped in soy sauce, and eaten with the Ilpumjinro — this was exactly the taste I was after that day.

Goko 7-kind yakitori, charcoal smokiness

The Goko 7-kind yakitori, ordered alongside the sashimi, also arrived. Apparently the yakitori is made up of chicken cuts and pork belly chosen each day based on what's freshest.

Each skewer was a different cut, so there was fun in figuring out which part I was eating. Best of all, the charcoal grilling gave everything a subtle smoky flavor.

The outside was grilled to a nice golden color while the inside stayed juicy, so the meat's flavor really came through with the first bite.

The subtle charcoal aroma soaked into the meat made it delicious even dipped in plain salt, and it went well with sauce too.

The chicken had different textures depending on the cut, so it was fun trying each one.

The added flounder sio samhap

As we ate, we wanted something more, so we added a dish — the flounder sio samhap.

It's a dish designed to let you enjoy aged large flounder sashimi in a more special way, served with subtly flavored Maldon salt.

You place a piece of flounder on the salted gimbap (seaweed rice roll) that comes with it, add a touch of wasabi, dab on a bit of the Maldon salt, top with aged kimchi, and eat it all in one bite.

At first I wondered if salt would really suit flounder, but the combination worked better than expected. The salt didn't mask the sashimi's flavor — instead it seemed to bring out the flounder's clean, delicate flavor even more clearly.

Add the savory gimbap and the tangy fermented kimchi, and the layers of flavor really changed. The tanginess of the aged kimchi especially cut through any richness from the sashimi, so I kept reaching for more.

With a touch of wasabi on top, the sharp aroma added yet another layer, so you get several flavors in a single bite. Personally, this was one of the most memorable combinations of the whole meal.

Who to go with

The interior was clean and tidy too, good for drinks with friends or a date-night dinner. Since the menu ranges from sashimi to yakitori, it seemed like an easy place to visit even with someone whose tastes differ from yours — go with someone who loves aged sashimi for the sashimi, and someone who loves meat can go for the yakitori. A pretty solid combination overall.

I went craving aged sashimi and ended up enjoying great yakitori too. That's how this evening wrapped up happily. If you're looking for an izakaya near Gangnam Station, I'd recommend trying both the aged sashimi and yakitori at Izakaya Goko!

2nd floor, Banseok Building, 21 Bongeunsa-ro 2-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, Izakaya Goko (Izakaya Goko Gangnam Sinnonhyeon Branch)