Retro bar in Konkuk, Seoul under ₩30,000 for two: Minji Superette

After work I always have the same thought: just go home, or stop for one drink? Some nights I end up walking toward Konkuk-ip-gu station anyway. This week was exactly that kind of week — and with how much I've been working lately, I've been craving a drink even more...

Minji Superette near Konkuk University Station: an old corner store from the outside

I finally made it to Minji Superette (민지슈퍼), a place I kept hearing about around Konkuk. Minji Superette Konkuk Branch sits in an alley off Achasan-ro 31-gil near Konkuk-ip-gu station, and the exterior looks exactly like an old neighborhood corner store sign transplanted straight from the past — it catches your eye immediately from the alley.

The name alone is a lot, right? It was hard not to stop and take a photo in front of the sign. Now that evenings are getting cooler, outdoor tent seating is a must!!!

What is the inside of Minji Superette like?

The moment you step inside Minji Superette, you're reaching for your phone camera. The second I opened the door I understood why everyone talks about this place. It genuinely feels like walking into an old-fashioned corner store — shelves styled to look worn, old advertising posters, yellow lighting. It's got that trendy newtro feel, but done with real detail instead of feeling half-baked. And using the name 'Minji' as the whole branding gimmick felt refreshingly random haha.

On the left wall, apparently only someone actually named Minji can win the prize! And befitting a well-known spot, they even take reservations through Catch Table! (Lucky for anyone actually named Minji!!!)

Ordering from the QR code menu

The actual menu is huge, but you can easily browse it at your table using the QR code.

The menu is even split into chapters, which made it easier to navigate!!! And beyond the usual small requests, you can ask for little extras like aprons or ice too — as someone who orders a lot, I appreciated that a bit.

If you're looking for that retro Konkuk vibe, I think you'll genuinely love this place. Every table has warm lighting, so photos come out great, and the tables are spaced comfortably apart, making conversation easy. There were couples and groups of friends alike.

The vibe is very much a pojangmacha (street-tent pub) style, which was perfect for a drinker like me!

Basically, the moment you sit down you get a draft beer going~ It was hot out, so having a cold draft beer right as we arrived was so refreshing...!!!! I thought, this place really is built for drinking!

Bathrooms and seating at Minji Superette

Another thing I thought was full-marks genius: the bathroom is wild! At Minji Superette they keep referencing 'Minji' everywhere, even in there lol, and honestly that was such a cute detail!

Tables range from seats for two all the way up to group seating, so it'd be fine to come as a big crowd of friends too. There was actually a group of about six seated near us, having a loud, fun time. It's a place that works whether you come quietly as a couple or rowdy as a group.

Is the bathroom really allowed to be this pretty? Normally bar bathrooms are dirty and located outside, which puts a lot of people off, but here it's gender-separated and spotless. And they've stocked it with all the little things you'd need — genuinely top marks. Couples could even sneak a kiss here after visiting Minji Superette haha.

I even took a selfie in the bathroom, which honestly felt more like a café.

Time flies just from looking around. Let's actually drink now!

Already packed with customers this early in the evening...

Konkuk is mostly students, so cheap, good-value food and drinks like Minji Superette's really matter here. Thinking back to my broke student days drinking soju straight on an empty stomach, I honestly feel like I should bow to the owner here.

They also serve everything from cocktails, soju, beer and draft, to whiskey highballs — a genuinely wide selection, which makes picking fun.

A huge perk: you can just grab whatever tableware, plates, etc. you need yourself, without worrying about dropping things or bothering staff.

Along with some cozy barley tea, let me introduce the food!

What we ate: cheddar cheese tteokbokki, odeng-tang and dried filefish

What we ordered (feat. drink pairings) was cheddar cheese tteokbokki, odeng-tang (fish cake soup), and dried filefish. I agonized over the menu for a while, but in the end went with the safest, can't-fail combo.

The soup they bring the moment you sit down... ah, cream soup. So nostalgic — anyone born in the 90s will get it. Now that we're all in our 30s, pairing cream soup with soju is fully acceptable.

Dried filefish

The dried filefish plating was delicious. We ordered it since we weren't that hungry, honestly without much expectation, but it turned out to be a quiet killer. Grilled just right, not tough, tears apart easily — and with beer, my hand kept reaching for more. If you're stuck on what to order, I'd recommend laying this one down as a base. This is the one we finished down to every last piece.

Cheddar cheese tteokbokki

Next up was the cheddar cheese tteokbokki. The style has a shallow, concentrated broth, and the spice level was just right — even people who can't handle spicy food could manage it fine. The rice cakes stayed chewy without going mushy, so it was good all the way through. Slightly spicy, a little sweet — exactly the broth-style tteokbokki I love. Sipping through it bite by bite, it went down really well!

Tteokbokki as a drinking snack can get old fast if it's too spicy or too sweet, but this one struck the balance well. It's the kind of flavor that makes you want to dip something into the leftover broth. But since I didn't want to gain weight, I skipped the broth...

Man, they have a huge number of tteokbokki options on the menu — I'm convinced there's a tteokbokki master in the kitchen :-)

Odeng-tang (fish cake soup)

And now, today's real star: odeng-tang. It arrived still steaming, and the second I saw it, I ordered soju. The broth is rich but not heavy, clean-tasting. There were several kinds of fish cake in it too, so it was fun picking through them. On a chilly day like this, one spoonful and your whole body relaxes. It was the kind of broth you want to keep refilling. And really, going to a bar without having some broth feels like a waste, doesn't it?

Between us we had two draft beers and one bottle of soju total. The beer came well chilled and managed, and of course soju is the perfect match for odeng-tang. We drank just enough to feel pleasantly tipsy walking out — this combo was genuinely flawless! Feeling good from the drinks, we snapped a selfie right there~

Under 30,000 won for two: how cheap is drinking in Konkuk?

Tteokbokki, odeng-tang, dried filefish, two draft beers, and a bottle of soju — and it came to under ₩30,000, which honestly shocked me. Two people, three dishes, and drinks for that price genuinely surprised me; how can somewhere be this good value and this good tasting;;;

These days, going out for even one drink can easily run past ₩20,000 per person as a baseline. So for anyone looking for a good-value bar in Konkuk, I can confidently recommend this place. Portions aren't skimpy, the atmosphere is on point, and the price stays this low — it's hard to believe.

Whether you're chipping in with friends or keeping it light on a Konkuk date, the price point is completely stress-free — I'd revisit 200% for sure.

Is Minji Superette worth a visit?

• Old-school corner store concept interior with endless photo spots
• Tteokbokki, odeng-tang, and dried filefish all balance perfectly as drinking snacks
• Food and drinks for two came to under ₩30,000 — genuine Konkuk value
• Seating that works for anywhere from two people to a full group

If you're wondering what to eat or where to grab a drink in Konkuk, give Minji Superette Konkuk Branch a try. Next time I'm planning to go back with a bigger group of friends.