Jonggak Station bar for a group of 4: feast set at Ari Gyegok Jonggak

Hi, this is Bogeup Ramji. A while back I had a wedding-invite gathering with friends. We're all a Gwanghwamun crew with a lot of memories together, so while looking for a good Gwanghwamun/Jongak-station bar with tasty snacks, I revisited Ari Gyegok Jonggak — a place I'd been to once before with a friend and loved so much I wanted to go back.

It's a great spot for wedding-invite parties, year-end gatherings or dates too — spacious with a nice atmosphere. Let me review this Jongak Station favorite, Ari Gyegok.

How to walk to Ari Gyegok Jonggak from Jonggak Station, and what the room feels like

Ari Gyegok Jonggak is only a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Jongak Station, so it's super accessible. I came with a small wedding-invite group, but it also handles large group bookings, so if you're looking for a group dinner spot near Jongno/Jongak, I can recommend this one too. The signage and interior keep a traditional feel while also being a really hip, trendy bar.

Why four of us chose the feast set for a wedding-invitation dinner

There's a wide menu, but since there were 4 of us, we ordered the feast set so we could try a variety of dishes. It's a much more reasonable price than ordering items individually, so the value was great. We paid an extra ₩1,000 to switch the set's hot pot to perilla chicken hot pot.

• Perilla chicken hot pot (+₩1,000 upgrade)
• Rice-crust monkfish liver hoe (raw dish)
• Whole fried pork
• Chicken yukjeon (pan-fried chicken patty)
• Black sesame cucumber salad

Drinks at Ari Gyegok Jonggak: soju-beer mixes and a wide traditional liquor list

There's a wide drink selection too, but since we're all worn-out office workers, we skipped the strong stuff and went light with somaek (soju-beer mix). On a previous Friday visit I tried four different traditional liquors here, and I can say the ones Ari Gyegok stocks are trustworthy... Seolwon in particular was memorable and delicious.

Was the perilla seed chicken hot pot worth the extra 1,000 won?

Since we all love perilla, we paid the extra ₩1,000 to switch to perilla chicken hot pot. Loads of ground perilla seeds went into it, making the broth thick and deep. You eat the chicken on the side shabu-shabu style, and there was plenty of meat inside too. I hadn't tried this on my last visit, but apparently it's Lee Young-ja's pick — a trusted recommendation, right? If you love rich, nutty broth, definitely pay the extra thousand won for this. It was also great as a side for soju.

Black sesame cucumber salad

The black sesame cucumber salad played the palate-cleanser role among all the punchy dishes. Fresh and crunchy, it refreshed the mouth in between bites of the fried and hot pot dishes, which can get a bit heavy.

Chicken yukjeon (pan-fried chicken in egg batter)

At first glance the chicken yukjeon looked like a potato pancake. It's finely minced chicken thigh meat, pan-fried Cheongsong-style with plenty of smoky char. Unlike a typical pancake-style yukjeon, it had a distinct grilled aroma, and being thigh meat, the texture was tender. Overall the menu was protein-heavy, so it felt like a less guilty day.

Rice-crust monkfish liver hoe, sold in limited quantities

The rice-crust monkfish liver hoe I loved so much on my last visit — since it's limited quantity, make sure to order it. It's soft, rich monkfish liver (like ankimo) paired with fresh raw fish and crispy scorched rice.

It comes with a little mallet so you can crush the scorched rice yourself and pile the raw fish and liver on top. It sounds like an odd combination, but it's a flavor you can't understand until you've tried it... I plan to order it every single visit.

Whole fried pork

You might think whole fried pork is basically just tonkatsu, but it's actually pork marinated in galbi sauce and fried — apparently a Busan-style fried dish. The outside was crispy while the inside stayed moist from the marinade, sweet and salty. Since it carries that galbi-sauce flavor, I think it's a crowd-pleaser regardless of age or gender. Amazing with beer... amazing with somaek too.

Second visit verdict: Ari Gyegok Jonggak as a group spot near Jonggak

Finding a good meeting spot near Jongak Station is oddly tricky, but Ari Gyegok already proved itself great on our last visit — good food, great atmosphere, and easy to talk over. Good value, every side dish delicious, and a wide drink selection too? I'd recommend it for a blind date as well. If you're looking for a Korean-style bar near Jongno with a good vibe, I recommend Ari Gyegok :)