Changwon bar for beef tendon oden and grilled mackerel: Yakitori Gong

A Japanese-style izakaya on Urban Bricks' third floor

Yakitori Gong, on the third floor of Urban Bricks in Changwon, won me over from the entrance. The dim, atmospheric lighting made it feel properly like I was on a trip to Japan.

I took a quick look at the menu outside and headed straight in.

And when I visited, they even had a summer 3+1 deal on Kirin draft beer?!

Even though it was a weekday, it was so popular that ingredients were selling out—I almost missed out! Thankfully, everything except the yakitori was still available, so we quickly grabbed a table.

An interior that works for both dates and solo drinks

The first thing I thought when I walked in was, this is absolutely perfect for a date, right?! If you come while you're getting to know someone, the lighting would make everyone look more handsome and pretty, hehe...

The kind of lighting that boosts your chances of a successful date 🤍 Of course, there are also lovely bar seats for a quiet solo drink, so it would be great for enjoying some time to yourself too!!

A menu of yakitori, soups, and sides

They have quite a variety of drinks, from highballs to whisky. The menu is nicely packed too, with signature yakitori sets, individual chicken skewers, meal dishes, soups, and easy-to-pick-at sides.

Complimentary snacks and sauces

Each table had a neat selection of sauces already set out, so you can dip each bite according to your taste.

The complimentary snacks were cabbage, tomatoes, and peanuts—and you know how this combination somehow keeps your hand coming back for more, haha.

Beef tendon oden soup and shino shioyaki

Our main dishes that day were beef tendon oden soup and shino shioyaki (salt-grilled mackerel)!

The beef tendon in the oden soup was seriously so chewy—the texture was incredible.

The oden (Japanese fish cakes) was high quality too, with so many different kinds that it was really fun fishing them out.

The radish, scallions, and glass noodles in the broth had soaked up every bit of flavor—just ridiculously delicious... 🥹

One sip of the broth and I immediately thought of soju!

So we tucked in properly, haha.

The shino shioyaki mackerel was completely boneless, so it was unbelievably convenient to just pick up and eat without dealing with any bones.

It was beautifully grilled: crisp outside and moist inside, haha. Add a little wasabi and take a bite—it genuinely melts in your mouth. There was absolutely no fishy taste; it was simply delicious ㅠ_ㅠ

If you like grilled mackerel, make sure to order it as a side!!

Every dish was made to call for a drink, so we polished off our soju and wrapped up feeling very happy!

Yakitori Gong: final thoughts

If you're looking for a bar near Urban Bricks in Changwon with a great atmosphere and delicious drinking snacks, I recommend Yakitori Gong—it is just right for either a date or a group gathering 👍

The yakitori here is genuinely delicious too, so visit early before the ingredients sell out!!!!!!