Sadang izakaya in Seoul: hanwoo beef tartare and mala hot pot, Hiku

For someone like me who needs regular mala transfusions, I found a Sadang bar with genuinely delicious mala hot pot. The spicy, numbing broth paired with top-grade hanwoo beef tartare turned what was supposed to be a quick drink into a full meal. Let me introduce Hiku, a Sadang izakaya with a cozy vibe and generous, tasty bar food.

Where is Hiku in Sadang? Location, hours and parking

• Address: 49 Dongjak-daero 7-gil, 1st floor, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 17:00 - 02:00
• Parking: Not available (use Sadang 1 & 2 public parking lots, 1 hour free)

Hiku's atmosphere: good for first dates and group nights out

Hiku is a Sadang bar with a comfortable yet stylish atmosphere and food made with real care. It's known as a place with great vibes, so it's often mentioned as a date spot near Sadang Station. I went to catch up with a friend, but it seems like it would work just as well for a blind date or a group hangout.

What we ordered at Hiku and what it cost

• Sichuan beef brisket mala hot pot ₩29,900
• Hanwoo beef tartare ₩28,900
• Asahi draft beer ₩11,000
• Jim Beam highball ₩9,500

Hiku near Sadang Station has a wide lineup of traditional Korean liquor, sake, and whiskey. We went with the Asahi draft beer, with its charmingly soft foam, and a cool Jim Beam highball — perfect for quenching our thirst 😃

Sichuan beef brisket mala hot pot, 29,900 won: how spicy is it for mala beginners?

We stopped by for a light dinner and a drink at this izakaya near Sadang Station. Since my friend and I are both mala lovers, we both pointed at the Sichuan beef brisket mala hot pot the second we opened the menu.

Since it's a hot pot, it's cooked on a portable burner at the table, and the broth felt cleaner than your average mala soup. It was packed with a huge variety of ingredients — napa cabbage, beef brisket, mushrooms, bean sprouts, bok choy, shrimp, and udon noodles.

Watching it bubble away, giving off that unmistakable mala aroma, got me excited for my long-overdue mala fix 🥹

The numbing sensation wasn't overwhelming, so even mala beginners could handle it comfortably. I was also impressed by how the beef brisket softened the sharpness of the broth and added a clean richness. It was good enough to rival dedicated mala restaurants — we couldn't put our chopsticks down even while chatting 👍🏻

Udon noodles come with the Hiku hot pot as standard

What I found genuinely thoughtful about Hiku was that the hot pot came with udon noodles included by default. The ingredients were already so varied that it would've been plenty without them, but having the udon in there too gave it a whole different feel, almost like eating jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup).

I firmly believe you need at least one soup dish when you're having drinks, and Hiku's beef brisket mala hot pot hit that spot exactly.

Hanwoo beef tartare, 28,900 won, with soy sauce and sweet potato chips

The dish with the showstopper presentation was the hanwoo beef tartare.

You get to try tartare made from top-grade (9-grade) hanwoo beef, butchered the same day, dipped in a house-made soy sauce. It's apparently the signature dish this Sadang izakaya is most proud of 😎

Compared to any beef tartare I've had before, this one looked different from the very first glance. They say if it looks good, it tastes good — and seeing that fresh, glossy texture made me want to dig in right away.

Honestly, the tartare at this Sadang bar was already seasoned well enough to taste rich and savory on its own. But dipping it in the nutty soy sauce made the umami and depth of flavor even more pronounced.

One more tip for eating it well — try placing the tartare on top of a sweet potato chip. The contrast between the soft tartare and the crunchy chip was genuinely fun and memorable.

Next visit to Hiku: the Hiku Hansang set menu

Hiku, this izakaya bar in Sadang, delivered on both the mala hot pot and the beef tartare. The staff were friendly, the vibe was stylish, and honestly there wasn't a single thing to complain about. Looking closer at the menu, I noticed there's also a Hiku sharing set meant for bigger groups. Next time I'll have to come back with more friends and work through the whole Hiku menu!