Why This Place Is Every CARAT’s
Seventeen Seoul Pilgrimage
Are you planning to visit restaurants
and cafes in Seoul that K-pop idols
actually frequent?
Sogeukjeok Hannam is a Korean fusion
gastropub in Itaewon that’s already
well known among CARATs
as a regular haunt of S.Coups, and
several other SEVENTEEN members.
Here’s everything you need to know before you go
Not Just for SEVENTEEN Fans
Why This Place Works for Everyone
Even if you’re not a CARAT,
Sogeukjeok Hannam is the kind of place
that wins you over on its own terms.
Beyond the K-pop connection,
the food is genuinely good and
the space is unusually practical
It has a large private room.
K-pop dancers like Lee Jung and
actors like Seo Kang-jun use it for group dinners,
which tells you something about
how it’s positioned which is exactly
why you’ll find a genuinely international
crowd here on any given night.
Seventeen Seoul Pilgrimage
— Address & Directions
📍 657-103 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
🕐 Open daily: 17:00–03:00
📋 Naver reservations available
Private group room,
Foreign-language menu,
Luggage storage available
Directions from Nine One Hannam
Bus Stop (approx. 8 min walk)
- Get off at bus stop (03165)
‘Suncheonhyang University Hospital, Hannam Ogeori’ - With Nine One Hannam apartments on your right,
walk downhill toward Hannam Ogeori - Turn right into the small alley beside the
Renault Samsung car dealership and walk straight - Turn left at the Mussoe Kimchi Samgyeopsal restaurant
Sogeukjeok Hannam is on the 2nd floor
The First Thing You’ll Notice:
Korean Traditional Décor
The moment you walk in,
your eye goes straight to a display cabinet
filled with Korean traditional artifacts and crafts
At the center is a large Moon Jar (dalhangari)
and it’s covered in handwritten autographs
from celebrity visitors, including SEVENTEEN
It’s the reason this place is a Seventeen Seoul pilgrimage spot
The objects on display are exactly
the kind of thing tourists have been hunting
at the National Museum of Korea gift shop,
which is perpetually sold out.
Here, you get to sit among them.
The orange dried pollack (북어)
displayed as a good-luck charm is another
eye-catcher that makes for a great photo.
Seating Options — Which One to Choose
Sogeukjeok Hannam has several distinct
seating areas, and the one you pick genuinely changes the experience
The main floor has a bar counter facing
the open kitchen, standard 4-person table
seats, and two separated sofa booths
seating 6–8 people.
For full privacy, there’s a group room
for up to 10 people (minimum charge: 200,000 KRW)
Having visited three times as of 2026
once at a 2-person table, in the sofa booth,
and in the private room
Here’s my honest take:
For 2–4 people, the bar counter or
regular table seats are the most
comfortable for eating.
The sofa booths are meaningful for CARATs
(yes, SEVENTEEN members have sat there),
but the distance between the sofa
and the table makes it a little awkward
for a proper meal.
✔ Sofa booth = great for atmosphere.
✔ Table seat = better for food.
For groups of 6 or more who plan to order a lot,
the private room is excellent.
genuinely private, spacious
The Menu — Korean Fusion with Seasonal Specials
Itaewon and Hannam-dong don’t actually have
much traditional Korean food
Most of the area skews international
Sogeukjeok Hannam fills that gap well,
with an Instagrammable menu
alongside classic Korean dishes
and rotating seasonal specials.
For drinks, the bar covers everything:
Korean traditional liquor (전통주),
regular soju, wine, whisky, and highball.
That range means a group
with completely different drink preferences
can all find something they want.
We started with draft beer
which is exactly the right call
before moving on to soju or makgeolli
Must-Order: Uni & Mentaiko
Perilla Oil Pasta (25,000 KRW)
This is my personal go-to every single visit.
The color alone makes it impossible
not to photograph deep greens from perilla leaves,
the pale gold of mentaiko, and the creamy uni on top.
It’s a pasta dish tossed in nutty perilla seed oil,
topped with shiso leaf, pollock roe
(mentaiko), and sea urchin (uni).
The perilla oil gives it a nuttiness
you don’t expect from pasta,
and the uni and mentaiko on top
make every bite feel layered in a way
that’s just hard to stop eating.
Sogeukjeok Bulseuji :
Spicy Beef Tendon (36,000 KRW)
If you’re a fan of Korean spicy noodles,
this one’s for you.
Seuji (스지) is beef tendon —
the kind you’d usually find slow-cooked
in a milky seolleongtang broth,
where it turns gelatinous and deeply savory.
Here it’s stir-fried in a bold, spicy sauce
that transforms it into something completely different.
Honestly wasn’t sure about it before ordering,
but it ended up being the dish
I recommended to everyone at the table.
Samgye Fried Chicken
(21,000 KRW)
Worth trying on its own,
and even better
when you dip it into the Bulseuji sauce.
The two pair together in a way that
feels accidental but tastes deliberate.
Brick LA Galbi —
Short Ribs (52,000 KRW)
Tasty, but honest assessment:
if you’re specifically craving Korean short ribs,
a dedicated BBQ restaurant will serve them better.
At Sogeukjeok Hannam,
your budget is better spent on the dishes above.
Cheese Rolled Omelette
(currently off menu)
This was one of my favorites on earlier visits
a fluffy, cheese-stuffed omelette that
paired perfectly with soju.
It disappeared from the menu on my second visit.
Keeping this here on the slim chance
it makes a comeback.
Soups & Stews — For Late Nights
Haven’t ordered these yet personally,
but the menu includes
dried pollack soup (황태북엇국),
handmade fish cake hot pot (수제어묵탕),
and water parsley shabu shabu (미나리 샤브전골).
All of them sound like excellent
late-night recovery options
Nearby Spots Worth Knowing
1. 24-hour Pork Bone Stew (Gamjatang)
A 24-hour gamjatang spot in Hannam-dong
that’s apparently been a late-night go-to
for SEVENTEEN and BTS members .
worth knowing if the night runs past midnight.
2. Itaewon Manseon Hof
A branch of the famous Euljiro Manseon Hof,
beloved by Korean film actors.
It’s well known as the go-to after-party spot
following film premieres — the full cast and crew
reportedly gather here to celebrate through the night.
Features a spacious outdoor seating area (야장).
3. Number One Lamb Skewers
It’s an addictive lamb skewer spot that’s been
featured dozens of times on YouTube and TV.
Even Korea’s top celebrities line up to enjoy this irresistible taste!
Final Verdict : Worth Visiting
Even If You’re Not a CARAT?
Sogeukjeok Hannam is one of those rare places
where the K-pop angle is real,
but it’s not the only reason to go.
The menu covers a wide range of Korean flavors
traditional, fusion, and seasonal
all in one space.
The traditional liquor selection
alone makes it a strong choice
for anyone trying to experience
Korean drinking culture authentically.
And if you happen to spot a familiar face?
That’s just a bonus
If you’re visiting Itaewon, it’s worth adding to your list.
👉 Curious about another
celebrity-frequented spot in Itaewon?
Check out my review of Tartine Bakery
at The Black Label —
https://koreaandbeyond.com/tartine-bakery-itaewon/
