Yeouido izakaya round two: cheese odeng nabe set, Robadayakki Sodam

A Yeouido izakaya for a light second round after dinner

My husband and I spent an evening in Yeouido together for the first time in a while. We'd already done round one that night, so we were pretty full, but heading straight home felt like a waste. We looked for somewhere to have a light drink, and that's how we ended up at Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch. It's close to both Yeouido Station and Saetgang Station, so it seemed like a good spot to meet up and have a drink in the Yeouido area.

What struck me most while researching the place beforehand was how good the atmosphere looked, and walking in, it felt even more like a Japanese izakaya than I'd expected.

Counter and table seats with a Japanese izakaya feel

Walking inside, the atmosphere is quite different from your typical Yeouido bar. It has that distinct Japanese izakaya feel, so the vibe comes alive right from the entrance. What especially caught my eye was the counter (datchi) seating in the middle of the space. In front of it, all kinds of fresh ingredients were laid out, and watching them cook the dishes right there made waiting for the food fun in itself. Coming to an izakaya with a setup like this made me feel like I was on a trip to Japan. Seeing the food get cooked right in front of you gives the whole meal a different energy than simply ordering and eating. The tables are also separated, which made it a good spot for conversation or a date over drinks, like we were doing.

We wanted to sit and chat comfortably that night, so we took a table seat.

Ordering the two-person mixed skewer and odeng nabe set

Looking at the menu, there were more options than I expected — skewers, hot pots, all kinds of things that make good drinking food, so I paused for a moment trying to decide. Since we'd already done round one, we weren't planning to eat a lot, but ordering just one side dish felt a bit lacking... There was a set menu, so we went with the two-person set that comes with both mixed skewers and odeng nabe, along with a draft beer.

The draft beer came out first. Probably because the place gets a lot of customers, it was really cold and crisp.

Oh, and a fried egg comes out as a basic side dish. It felt like it was protecting my stomach before drinking too, haha — such a thoughtful basic snack!

What comes in the odeng nabe, cheese odeng included

The odeng nabe (fish cake hot pot) came out first. Given the reasonable price, I assumed the portion would be small, but it was actually packed with odeng.

It wasn't just one or two types either — there were several different kinds of odeng, so it was fun picking through them one by one.

The tastiest of all was the odeng with cheese inside. I was expecting a regular odeng, but with cheese inside it was so savory.

There was also an odeng with a squid flavor to it, and with so much variety, I kept reaching for more.

So much odeng, right? With that much variety, it would be great for a group to share too. The broth was really tasty as well — cleaner and more refreshing than I expected. A sip of draft beer, then a spoonful of warm broth, and even though it was round two, we just kept eating, haha. We'd said at the start that we were too full to eat much, but we ended up finishing it all between the two of us.

Mixed skewers grilled right in front of the counter

Then came the mixed skewers. Honestly, I thought only a few simple skewers would come out, but the portion turned out to be much bigger than expected. There were many different types of skewers, so it was nice picking through them one at a time — I liked getting to try each different ingredient. Skewers are best enjoyed fresh off the grill, and watching them get cooked right in front of us made them taste even better.

The shrimp was delicious, and honestly every single skewer was great.

The outside was grilled just right, and each ingredient's flavor really came through, so between that and the draft beer, the plate emptied out before we knew it, haha.

Is Robadayakki Sodam worth it for a Yeouido night out?

From beef heart to chicken neck meat, chicken skin, mushrooms, and gingko nuts, there wasn't a single skewer that wasn't good — every one was delicious. On this visit to Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch, the food was great, but it was really the atmosphere that stuck with me. It's close to both Yeouido Station and Saetgang Station, so it's easy to set as a meeting spot after work, and with its Japanese izakaya feel, it works well for drinks with friends, and also for couples like us. What I found especially fun was being able to watch the skewers cook right at the counter seats. We sat at a table this time, but next time I'd like to sit at the counter and watch the cooking up close.

The menu was more varied than expected too, so it felt less like a place you go just for skewers and more like a spot where you can pick anything from simple side dishes to full meals depending on your mood for drinks. If you've got an evening plan in Yeouido, want a drink at a good-atmosphere izakaya after work, or are looking for a bar near Yeouido Station for round two after round one like we were, Robadayakki Sodam Yeouido Branch is worth considering. It's close to both Yeouido Station and Saetgang Station, and with the Japanese izakaya atmosphere, it's a great place to enjoy the vibe while chatting leisurely. Next time, we'd like to start round one here and slowly work through the other menu items we didn't get to try this time.