Toriaezu Yaksu: Best Skewers and Highballs in Seoul
I had nothing to do over the weekend, so I tempted a former coworker to grab some drinks. We looked for a middle ground and decided on Yaksu Station (in central Seoul). There's a place with generous portions of braised seafood nearby, but we were looking for something clean and light today, so Toriaezu seemed like the best choice.
They have the main branch and another location on the 5th or 6th floor of the building right next door. Since it was my friend's first time here, we intentionally went to the cramped and slightly uncomfortable main branch for the experience.
It's a bit unique here because you have to write down your order on a piece of paper and hand it over. For skewers, beer or a highball is definitely better than soju. The sweet glaze makes you thirsty, so you need a cold drink to wash it down. Personally, I think highballs pair a bit better with skewers. Taking a sip of an icy highball after eating a warm skewer feels like it completely washes away the grease.
The food takes quite a while to come out, so it's best to order as much as possible at once. Even if you order a lot, they don't all come out at the same time anyway, so you just have to order a bunch and eat them as they arrive.
My top recommendation isn't actually the skewers, but the myeongran-bap (pollack roe rice). The skewers are a bit pricey, and it takes a long time to get full on them alone, so you need to fill up on rice. And out of all the rice dishes, you have to get the myeongran-bap. If you ask what it tastes like, it obviously tastes like pollack roe, but when mixed with the sauce and chives, the sweet and salty balance is exquisite. It's great to eat and fill up before the skewers, or even in the middle of your meal. But starting with the myeongran-bap is better because it saves you money and lets you enjoy the skewers at a more relaxed pace.
I think this might be one of the best skewer spots not just in Yaksu, but in all of Seoul. There aren't many places that grill them this well. I used to go to Tudari (a popular skewer chain) a lot, but the taste varied too much depending on the location, which I didn't like. However, this place only has two locations right next to each other, run exactly the same way, so you never have to worry about the quality. If you go to Yaksu, you absolutely have to visit.
I kept thinking about it, so I went back when the weather got cold enough to need a jacket. It's delicious in the summer too, but when the season for craving warm food arrives, skewers and highballs taste even better.
Today, instead of the cramped main branch, we ate at the spacious and nicely decorated second location.
If the myeongran-bap was the best thing last time, my mind-blowing new discovery today was the chicken skin skewers. They are sweet and crispy, and honestly feel dangerous because I think I could eat an endless amount of them. Since they are quite sweet, the combination with a highball is fantastic. The weather was chilly, so sake would have been nice too, but highballs still win.
I took pictures of everything as I ate, but for my palate, the chicken skin skewers, myeongran-bap, and a Ballantine's highball is the ultimate combo that settles everything. I only order the other skewers so I don't get bored eating the exact same thing. Make sure to order those three together right from the start.