Yongridan-gil izakaya: four highballs and jjamppong ramen, Hatpiendo

These days Yongridan-gil is so hot that there are all kinds of great restaurants and bars popping up, so every time I go I end up agonizing over where to try. Especially once evening rolls around, izakayas with a cozy vibe for good food and a drink while chatting really catch my eye — this time I visited a Yongridan-gil bar, the izakaya Hatpiendo HAPPYENDO.

Where is Hatpiendo, and what are its hours?

Hatpiendo HAPPYENDO Mon–Thu, Sun 17:30–24:00 Fri 17:30–01:00 Sat 16:30–00:30 Parking available (paid) Naver reservations available Private bookings possible

Come out Exit 3 of Samgakji Station and it's over toward the Yongridan-gil alley. Honestly, when I only saw the English sign I thought it read 'Happyendo,' but it turns out the name was inspired by the 1970s Japanese folk-rock band HAPPY ENDO, pronounced in the Japanese style as Hatpiendo, haha.

There's a convenience store on the 1st floor of the Hatpiendo building — right before you walk into it, look to the left and you'll find the stairs up to Hatpiendo on the 2nd floor!

Before heading up to Hatpiendo, there are tasty-looking menu images and a menu board posted, so it was nice to be able to preview the menu beforehand.

Actually, this visit to Hatpiendo wasn't our first stop but our second round. We'd already eaten a meal beforehand, so I was already full by the time we arrived 😂 Looking at the menu there were still lots of things I wanted to try, but I figured if we ordered too greedily we'd end up with a ton of leftover food, so we just picked what we could actually finish.

Big-window counter seats and the 3rd-floor group room

The 2nd floor of Hatpiendo has wide-open floor-to-ceiling windows, so a cool, breezy air flowed in and it never felt stuffy — the vibe overall was relaxed and easygoing 🌿

There are counter seats as well as table seats. On the 3rd floor there's also private group seating available (for group gatherings or private bookings, inquire by phone, KakaoTalk, or DM).

I came with a close unnie (older female friend), and we sat at the counter seats.

Ordering is done by tapping your phone — unlock it, hold it near the tag, and you can browse the menu and order right there!

What to order at Hatpiendo for a light second round

There were so many delicious-looking side dishes, but since we were already full, it was a bit of a shame ㅠㅠㅠ Still, we went with the relatively light options: potato salad and the seafood-loaded jjamppong ramen (spicy noodle soup). We'd planned on drinking soju, but since it's an izakaya, they didn't sell soju — instead they had sake, distilled spirits like Hwayo and Ilpum Jinro, and highballs. Feeling like having a highball for once, we ordered a grapefruit highball and a plum highball.

The charm of counter seats is that when you order a highball, you get to watch them make it right in front of you — it was fun to watch, haha.

Ta-da ☆ Out came the grapefruit highball and plum highball. Interestingly, they were garnished with perilla leaves, which was a fun surprise, lol.

Grapefruit highball and plum highball

The grapefruit highball had that distinctive grapefruit tartness — a little bitter yet sweet. As the bright grapefruit aroma rose up, the carbonation made it go down refreshingly cold!

I ordered the plum highball maybe because, being so full, it felt like something that would help digestion, lol. The sweetness of the plum paired really well with the highball's fizz. It went down easy, like drinking maesil-cheong (plum syrup) — not heavy at all.

Potato salad at Hatpiendo

The potato salad came with crackers alongside it. The mashed potato was fluffy and soft, mixed with bacon and cucumber. With the first bite, the softly mashed potato melted in my mouth with a nutty, savory flavor. Rather than heavy or intense, it's a fairly gentle dish — perfect for when you're already full like we were, lol.

Piling the potato salad and cherry tomatoes onto the crackers to eat was a fun little touch, lol.

Seafood-loaded jjamppong ramen

You could call this the star side dish of the day — the seafood-loaded jjamppong ramen (spicy noodle soup). With a name that promises plenty of seafood, and since we both love a good soupy dish, we ordered it right away. When you're drinking, having one soupy dish on the table totally changes the mood, right? The red broth topped with seafood and scallops looked exactly like proper drinking food. Taking the first spoonful of broth, it was spicy yet packed with the umami of the seafood — it really hit the spot and cleared my head.

We worried the potato salad alone might feel a bit rich, so we ordered the spicy jjamppong ramen too, and I think it was the right call, haha.

One more round: yuzu sawa and Earl Grey highball

Chatting away over the tasty food and a highball, our drinks disappeared fast, lol. Not quite ready to stop, we ordered one more round each.

This time we ordered a yuzu sawa and an Earl Grey highball! The drink I enjoyed most that day was hands down the yuzu sawa, my personal pick, lol. Even though I was full, that fragrant, tangy citrus brightness and refreshing quality kept me sipping. Drinking it at the end left my palate feeling clean and refreshed.

The Earl Grey highball had a deep, pronounced black tea aroma unique to Earl Grey. Personally, I'd recommend this one to anyone who's a fan of Earl Grey.

Is Hatpiendo a good second-round bar in Yongridan-gil?

That day at Hatpiendo, we got to pick and enjoy several kinds of highballs and sawas alongside great food, and it made for a really nice time over drinks. If you're someone who wants to try lots of different flavors, the wide drink lineup makes it worth ordering around. On a day when you want good side dishes with your drinks in Yongridan-gil, or for a casual hangout with friends or a date in a bar with a great atmosphere, I'd recommend a visit to Hatpiendo 🩷