If you're looking for an atmospheric bar in Jamsil, I'd love to introduce you to Ujeongguk Bangi, which we recently visited! Red lighting and retro ornaments set the scene. It's fairly small, with the welcoming feel of an independent neighborhood bar—just the spot for a date.
We had soju with chilled pork and beef bulgogi Toowoomba tteokbokki, then rounded things off with sugar-dusted egg toast!
Inside Ujeongguk Bangi | A Bar with Retro Charm
Ujeongguk is tucked down an alley in Bangi-dong. The glass blocks at the entrance and the lighting further inside create a sense of continuity from the façade through to the interior.
The red glow and vintage decorations give the place a distinctly nostalgic character.
Tables and Group Seating
There are four rectangular tables and four round tables by the windows, making eight in total. They generally seat two to four people, and it looked as though joining tables could accommodate six to eight. If you're bringing a group, I'd suggest asking about the seating arrangements before visiting!
Location and Opening Hours
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Address | Ground floor, 42-6 Olympic-ro 32-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea |
Phone | 0507-1369-5962 |
Sunday–Thursday | 5:00 PM–12:00 AM / Kitchen closes at 11:00 PM |
Friday–Saturday | 5:00 PM–2:00 AM the following day / Kitchen closes at 1:00 AM |
These hours are based on the updated notice displayed at the bar when we visited.
Ujeongguk Menu Highlights and the Dishes We Ordered
The menu offered everything from meat dishes such as yukhoe, Korean beef tartare, and chilled pork to savory pancakes, clams steamed with alcohol, hot pots, tteokbokki and pasta. Here's a selection of the signature dishes and what we tried!
Dish | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) | KRW 23,000 | Marked BEST on the menu |
Naengjeyuk (chilled sliced pork) | KRW 24,000 | We ordered this / Marked BEST |
Yukjeon (egg-battered beef slices) with dressed scallions | KRW 25,000 | Meat dish to accompany drinks |
Chamnamul mosi suljjim (clams steamed with alcohol and aromatic greens) | KRW 26,000 | Pasta included / Marked BEST |
Beef Bulgogi Toowoomba Tteokbokki (rice cakes in spicy cream sauce) | KRW 21,000 | We ordered this / Add pasta for KRW 3,000 |
Shishito Pepper and Perilla Cream Tteokbokki | KRW 21,000 | Add pasta for KRW 3,000 |
Mandu Jeongol (dumpling hot pot) | KRW 25,000 | Broth-based dish |
Cold Perilla Oil Pasta with Salted Octopus | KRW 20,000 | Cold pasta dish |
Bori Saeu Minari Jeon (tiny shrimp and water parsley pancake) | KRW 14,000 | Extra dish |
Sugar-Dusted Egg Toast | KRW 8,000 | We added this to our order |
The menu noted a minimum spend of KRW 19,000 when ordering only items from the extra-dish section. Pasta can only be added when you place your initial order, so if you'd like pasta with your tteokbokki, ask for it when ordering the dish rather than later.
Naengjeyuk (Chilled Sliced Pork)
We started with chilled pork! The slices were tender, and the vegetables and dipping sauce brought just the right seasoning, making it a great match for soju.
I appreciated having the vegetables and sauce alongside it. If you're after something to nibble on over soju, this is one I'd recommend.
Beef Bulgogi Toowoomba Tteokbokki
The Toowoomba tteokbokki was honestly… outrageously tempting, seriously sexy food. The thick sauce had a delicious kick that kept us reaching for more. Rich cream sauce combined with a spicy edge was exactly our kind of flavor.
The beef on top was particularly supple and absolutely delicious.
Sugar-Dusted Egg Toast
After a few drinks of soju, we started craving something sweet, so we added the sugar-dusted egg toast.
Dipping the toast into the tteokbokki sauce gave us that perfect sweet-and-spicy combo! I'd recommend it whenever you fancy a sweet bite between drinks!
Practical Details | Restroom, Smoking Area, Parking and Waiting
Lastly, here's a look at the restroom, smoking area, parking and possible waits at Ujeongguk!
Restroom
The restroom is inside the bar and shared by all genders.
Running out of toilet paper probably won't be a concern here—there were so many rolls hanging on the wall, haha.
Smoking Area
A cigarette butt receptacle was placed just outside the bar for smokers.
Parking
Parking is unavailable, according to the information provided. Since the bar is on an alley, I'd suggest looking into a nearby parking facility separately if you're driving!
It's not far from Jamsil Station, so I'd recommend coming by public transport!
Waiting for a Table
There have been times when no tables were available on Friday or Saturday evenings. Especially if you're fitting this into a date or coming with a group, I'd recommend reserving or calling ahead before you visit!
(You can also book through Naver!)
I'd recommend Ujeongguk to anyone wanting to enjoy flavorful dishes and soju in a retro setting! It would also be a lovely evening stop for drinks after a date around Jamsil.
