Gunja Station izakaya Irow: flounder carpaccio and chicken tebasaki

My friend came to visit Seoul this weekend, and I wanted to take her somewhere with a good vibe for drinks, so I found this izakaya near Gwangju Station called Irow! They had some unique dishes and the staff were super friendly, so here's my honest review after a really good time haha

How to get to Irow, and its opening hours

📍 Basic info

• Address: 17 Myeonmok-ro, 1st floor, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 17:00–02:00 (last order 01:00)
• Parking: Not available
• Reservations: Naver Reservation
• 8-minute walk from Gwangju Station Exit 8

🏠 What Irow looks like inside

Irow looks like a minimal, aesthetic café...! It's so pretty 🥹 The weather's been nice lately so they had the outdoor window open~ The clean interior with one big table divided by partitions seems to be Irow's signature touch ✨ The vibe is so good I'd recommend it as a second-date spot! I visited on a Saturday evening and it was buzzing with people — a fun atmosphere that's great for a drink or two :)

What's on the menu at Irow

The main menu is really varied, and they also have simple sides like sherbet or Irow's own house-made mochi tofu for dessert, so it's a great izakaya for a light second round haha

The drink selection was really diverse too! Japanese shochu, sake, red wine, white wine — they had basically everything...! I'm honestly a lightweight and don't know much about alcohol, but they also serve highballs and sawas, so I think it's a bar that can satisfy anyone :)

Whitefish (flounder) carpaccio, 29,000 won

I ordered this with high expectations since Irow is known as an aged sashimi spot in Gwangjin-dong. The thinly sliced flounder was really tender, and since it's served with salad it kind of felt like a poke bowl! With a little wasabi on top, I was completely sold haha

Eating it with the oriental-style sauce drizzled on top made it taste so fresh and clean... and since it's not a heavy dish, I kept going back for more lol

It wasn't heavy on calories either, which eased my guilty conscience a bit (?) hehe

Chicken tebasaki (fried chicken wings), 19,000 won

You can't skip tebasaki — Japanese-style grilled chicken wings — at an izakaya!

You get four big, generous chicken wings! The outside was grilled golden brown and crispy, and the inside stayed juicy. Honestly as good as most fried chicken places... plus a salty-savory soy sauce glaze on top — highly recommend as a beer pairing ⭐️ If it's too salty, just eat it with the cabbage underneath haha

House-made mochiri tofu (chewy tofu), 10,000 won

This is house-made mochi made right at Irow! Think of it like a savory milk-flavored pudding haha

It's drizzled with condensed milk, so it's sweet and the perfect way to end the meal!

Green grape sawa, 9,000 won

This sawa has green grape extract in it. It's sweet and tangy, so as someone who's a lightweight, it was easy to drink without feeling overwhelmed. Recommended for anyone who likes sweet drinks ⭐️

Oolong tea highball, 9,000 won

This highball has oolong tea and whiskey, so it keeps that subtle, distinctive aroma alive. There's no sweetness at all, so it's clean-tasting and paired perfectly with the tebasaki! (A bit of a tough one for a lightweight like me 🍺) My friend, who doesn't like sweet drinks, loved it and drank it right up.

🌷 Is Irow worth a visit?

You could feel the care put into every single dish, and with such a wide variety of drinks, it was really great for enjoying whatever suits your taste. I especially recommend trying the flounder carpaccio 👍🏻 The atmosphere, food, and service were all so satisfying that if you're looking for a good-vibe izakaya, I recommend Irow, a bar near Gwangju Station :)