Plum wine and beef kimchi hot pot at Simsimsangin, an Incheon bar

(Just a heads up, some of these photos might smell a little like alcohol... haha)

It's really starting to feel like autumn these days! Even the evenings have that cool breeze blowing through!! So lately my almost-addiction (?) has been hunting down whiskey and traditional Korean liquors to drink haha

Honestly, I used to enjoy drinking alone at home, but as life goes on, drinking solo at home isn't always easy,,, So! Tonight, I headed to Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon to order a few tasty side dishes and enjoy a glass of traditional liquor!!

Location and hours of Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon

• 📍Location: 1F 101, 14-7 Nonhyeon-namno, Namdong-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• 📍Hours: Sun–Thu 17:00–02:00 (last order 01:00) / Fri–Sat 17:00–03:00 (last order 02:00)
• 📍Parking: Nearby public parking lot (Nonhyeon-taekji 5 Public Parking Lot)

An indoor pocha vibe, walking distance from Nonhyeon Station

Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon is a fusion-style indoor pocha in the restaurant alley near Nonhyeon Station in Incheon! It's just a few minutes' walk from Exit 3, so it was super easy to find!

Once I actually visited, the place had that cozy pocha vibe with warm lighting too, so it seemed like a great spot for drinks with friends or even a date 🕯️🌌

This is the outside of the place! Even before going in, my expectations were skyrocketing thanks to the pretty interior 🤩

Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon also runs a time discount event, so if you visit between 5 and 7 PM, soju & beer are just ₩2,900!!

There's a menu board outside too, so it was nice to check the menu before heading in haha

Inside the restaurant and the house side dish

Here's the inside of the place. Cozy but full of atmosphere 🥺

You get basic utensils and a small plate, and the house side dish is ppeongtwigi (puffed rice snack). If a place serves ppeongtwigi, I'm coming back for sure haha my favorite basic side dish,,🫶🏻

What about the traditional liquor selection?

I like picking traditional liquors every now and then instead of just drinking soju, and I'd seen a lot of reviews saying Simsimsangin has a wide variety of traditional liquors?! The store's own description also mentions they stock a diverse lineup, so it seemed like a great place to find something to your taste 🥃🍷

What we ordered: yukhoe jeongseok / meat-packed aged kimchi hot pot / rice / 13% plum wine

The plum wine (maesil-wonju) lived up to its name with that distinct sweet plum aroma, making it easy to sip slowly alongside the food!! At 13%, it wasn't too light but also wasn't too strong haha

It comes with its own adorable little glass, chilled straight from the fridge.

Cracking it open‼️ That pouring sound is art 🥹 Kind of like the fancy version of the maehwasu you'd normally see at a convenience store! If you're not great with straight soju, or you love a sweet fruity liquor, this would suit you really well haha

Did the yukhoe jeongseok pair well with the plum wine?

I started with the yukhoe jeongseok (beef tartare) that arrived first, and it looked like the perfect drinking snack right from the visual!! The texture had that signature soft, chewy quality of yukhoe, and I kept grabbing more and more haha

Dipping it into the blue seaweed flakes and the rich egg yolk that came with it was seriously delicious ㅠㅠ It had a hint of sweetness that went really well with the beef! Add the seaweed flakes on top and it's the perfect sweet-and-salty combo!!!

Eating it together with the plum wine I'd ordered made the clean, savory flavor of the yukhoe stand out even more! Try this combo, it really goes down smooth;;

Even a song request on screen

This is the one that'll really pump up the drinking vibe!! I've been obsessed with BIGBANG's new song lately, so I requested it haha

When it's your turn, the song you requested pops up on the big screen like this!!

My go-to order: the meat-packed aged kimchi hot pot

Meat-packed aged kimchi hot pot!! Honestly, Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon is a repeat spot for me, and this is the dish I never skip whenever I come here haha Once you try it, you can't stop,,,🤤

Just as the name says, it's really packed with meat!! Combined with the tangy, deep flavor of the aged kimchi, the broth just gets richer and richer as it simmers, and it's perfect for a spoonful of hot broth between drinks!!

Switching between the cold, clean yukhoe and this hot stew turned out to be a pretty great combo~~ Bubbling away~~ Oh, and not just the meat and aged kimchi, there's a whole row of nutty tofu packed in there too?!

Whoa~~~~ Can you see the black sesame seeds stuck to the tofu? Those are seriously delicious too? Eating them with the tofu is nutty MAX

But you know what? I'm 100% pure Korean, which means = kimchi stew without white rice? = No way, absolutely not.

...........I'm losing it........... Pile the meat and aged kimchi onto the warm white rice and take a bite? While the drinks just keep going down smoothly?

Hahahahahahaha I really thought I nailed this photo.....😚 Then I checked my gallery and wow, no kidding = that's how amazing the combo of food and traditional liquor was..~

In summary

Overall, Simsimsangin felt less like your typical bar and more like a fusion indoor pocha, great for enjoying a variety of side dishes alongside traditional liquors! Other reviews I've seen also mention high satisfaction with the vibe, the food, and the range of traditional liquors haha

If you're looking for somewhere near Nonhyeon Station, Incheon, to enjoy tasty food and a drink in the evening, Simsimsangin Incheon Nonhyeon is worth a visit~! Next time, I'd love to try some of the other traditional liquors and side dishes I missed this time haha