Anju Maeul: A Retro Korean Pub Worth the Wait in Seochon, Seoul

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I'm a pseudo-poet who only reviews what I've personally eaten.

From Gyeongbokgung Station to Seochon,

there are many restaurants with a blend of old-world charm and delicious food.

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Among them,

I visited Anju Maeul, a retro-styled pub so popular there's always a line.

It's located very close to Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station.

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Situated at the entrance to the Sejong Village Food Culture Street, it's easy to find.

This restaurant has been around since 2000,

making it over 25 years old now.

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The fact that it has survived this long in Seoul

and remains popular

is proof that it's a trustworthy place to eat.

Normally, the wait is very long,

making it hard to visit easily, but

I went a bit after lunchtime on a weekday

and was able to enter after a short wait.

The interior is small and simple,

but it has the atmosphere of an old street stall,

which makes it even better for drinking.

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Anju Maeul even runs its own online store,

selling popular items like gimtae (dried seaweed) and fermented flounder.

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Especially popular is herring roe,

and the herring roe bibimbap is a much-loved menu item.

First, I ordered sliced raw squid.

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Finding a restaurant in Seoul that does sliced raw squid well

is very difficult.

Seochon's Anju Maeul sells sliced raw squid that is

perfect to enjoy with alcohol.

The squid is thinly sliced

and served in bite-sized pieces,

making it an ideal anju (Korean side dishes eaten with alcohol).

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There's a reason why the place is called Anju Maeul (Anju Village).

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Each piece makes

the alcohol flow effortlessly,

that's how good the sliced raw squid is.

Next up was sweet shrimp (Amaebi) sashimi.

The sweet shrimp sashimi can only be served if the shrimp is handled fresh.

This menu item shows why Anju Maeul

always has a line of people waiting to eat.

While drinking,

I ended up ordering more anju, of course.

​

So, I ordered the Herring Roe Bibimbap!

Among Seochon Anju Maeul's signature dishes,

the most popular is the Herring Roe Bibimbap.

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It's so delicious that you might

wonder how they can make such a taste with herring roe.

The next dish was dropwort and manila clam pancake.

I had never eaten a manila clam pancake before,

but it was so savory and the dropwort's scent made it

even more delicious.

​

I thought it would be

delicious with makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

The last dish I ordered was

Black Cod (Mero) Steak.

It's been a while since I've seen

black cod as plump as this.

​

It tastes better than the

black cod steak I order at fancy izakayas.

I was so excited to eat it

that I cleared the plate in no time.

Because it's such a popular restaurant with a long wait,

I'm not sure if I'll be able to visit Seochon Anju Maeul again, but

if I have the time,

I'll try again.

​

After a filling meal, I walked from Seochon to Gwanghwamun

and saw a Squid Game sculpture installed.

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Because of Squid Game's popularity,

there were, of course, a lot of people.

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There was a large jump rope

from Squid Game 3,

a parade,

and it was a very enjoyable exploration of Seochon Anju Maeul.

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Overall: If you aim for a weekday time after lunch, despite the long wait,

you can taste a variety of seafood dishes that are hard to come by in Seoul at

Seochon Anju Maeul.

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Rating: ★★★★

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The End.

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