Miryoku, Isu Station: Negitoro Tofu-Pouch Rolls at a Sake-Lined Counter

Walk out of Isu Station exit 7 toward Bangbae-dong and the noise of the main road peels away a layer at a time. Twelve minutes later you are on Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil, where the signs sit low and the lane is narrow.

Miryoku is on the ground floor of that lane. Through the glass you see one long counter with more than twenty sake bottles standing on it. Open the door and it smells half of kombu stock, half of charcoal.

The menu is short: seven mains, six small plates. Each one is the kind of dish that empties a bottle on its own.

This is written in the order the plates arrived on an evening in September 2026, from the far end of the counter. The prices are the ones printed on the menu that night.

The place first: 12 minutes from Isu Station, ground floor of a Bangbae-dong lane

The address is 42 Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil, ground floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul (lot number: Bangbae-dong 464-22). It is about a 12-minute walk from the interchange where Line 4’s Chongshin University (Isu) station meets Line 7’s Isu station – Google Maps walking route, plus two sets of traffic lights in practice.

The room is small. The counter is the main event, with a few tables behind it. Sit at the counter and you can see the steam come off each plate as it lands.

• Hours Tue-Sun, opens 17:00 · Closed Mondays
• Closing time Google Maps says 24:00, Kakao Map says 22:00. If you are going late, call first.
• Phone 050-71334-7871 (as listed on Google Maps)

Miryoku at a glance (checked 2026-09-19)

Item	Detail
Address	42 Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil, ground floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul (Bangbae-dong 464-22)
Nearest station	Line 4 Chongshin University (Isu) / Line 7 Isu – about 12 min on foot
Hours	Tue-Sun, opens 17:00
Closed	Mondays
Closing time	Google Maps 24:00 / Kakao Map 22:00 (listings disagree – call ahead if going late)
Phone	050-71334-7871 (as listed on Google Maps)
Ratings	Google Maps: no star rating / Kakao Map 5.0 from 2 ratings, 4 reviews – below our bar
Price range	Mains 12,000-32,000 won, small plates 5,000-15,000 won (menu board)

Start with raw fish: seasonal sashimi 32,000 won, and a seared tataki

Seasonal sashimi, 32,000 won is listed on the menu as “two seasonal sashimi + scallop and sweet shrimp”. A glass plate arrives with white fish on one half, red on the other, plus one sweet shrimp and a scallop.

The white fish is firm, with the sweetness arriving late. The red is not heavily fatty, so a touch of soy is enough. The sweet shrimp is cold and sticky-sweet. There is plenty of pickled ginger to reset your mouth between pieces.

One more plate came with it: a white fish seared only on the surface, served with cucumber, wakame, shredded spring onion and grated daikon mixed with chilli (momiji-oroshi). The name is not legible on our menu photo, so we are not going to assign it one. The taste is clear enough – toasted outside, cold inside, and the heat of the grated daikon cutting the fat. A plate that asks for another drink.

The house signature: negitoro tofu-pouch rolls, 21,000 won

The menu says only “negitoro yubu rolls 21,000 / minced tuna stuffed into fried tofu pouches, 6 pc”. One look at the plate explains why the description is so short.

Fried tofu pouches are wrapped in nori, filled with chopped tuna and fine yellow pickle, then cut into six. The outside of each pouch has been grilled once, so the edges are crisp.

Each bite arrives in order: the toasted pouch first, then the cold, soft tuna, and finally the sweet-savoury broth soaked into the tofu. A very small dab of wasabi actually makes the tuna taste sweeter. Save the pickled ginger for the second piece onward.

Six pieces splits neatly between two people. For three, one plate will not be enough.

One fried dish and a finish: chicken nanban 18,000 won, truffle ice cream 5,000 won

Chicken nanban, 18,000 won is listed as “soy-marinated karaage, nanban vinegar + tartare”. Large pieces of thinly battered fried chicken arrive under a heavy pour of tartare sauce, with black pepper and parsley on top.

The chicken is straight out of the fryer and crisp; the nanban vinegar has soaked in, so sweetness and acidity hit first, then the richness of the tartare lands on top. Sweet, salty, sour and rich all in one bite – it may make you want rice rather than another drink. The portion is generous; two people can fill up on this alone.

Finish with the truffle ice cream, 5,000 won: vanilla in a glass bowl, truffle oil poured over it and a little salt on top.

The first spoonful is just sweet vanilla; the truffle only comes up through your nose after you swallow. The salt makes the sweetness read stronger. For a 5,000-won dessert, it is worth ordering once at the end.

Map and practicalities: getting there, hours, and the rating

Address 42 Bangbaecheon-ro 8-gil, ground floor, Seocho-gu, Seoul (lot: Bangbae-dong 464-22)
Nearest station Line 4 Chongshin University (Isu) / Line 7 Isu – about 12 minutes on foot

It is a single sheet. Seven mains (seasonal sashimi 32,000; uni-cream sweet shrimp and scallop 30,000; acqua pazza 28,000; negitoro tofu-pouch rolls 21,000; yaki udon 19,000; chicken nanban 18,000; fried horse mackerel 12,000) and six small plates (salted-kelp edamame 9,000; smashed cucumber 7,000; jamon and truffle potato 12,000; monkfish liver with ponzu 15,000; fig, cream cheese and crackers 9,000; truffle ice cream 5,000). The acqua pazza takes an add-on of baguette 3,000 or pasta 4,000.

About the rating, plainly. This site normally only recommends places rated 4.5 or higher on Google Maps with at least 100 reviews. As of September 2026 Miryoku has no star rating on Google Maps at all, and 5.0 from two ratings with four reviews on Kakao Map. That is below our bar. We are writing about it anyway for one reason: the menu and the plates match each other, and choosing a bottle at the counter is genuinely fun. This is not a place you go because the numbers vouch for it – it is the pleasure of getting to a new neighbourhood room early.

FAQ

How far is it from Isu Station?

About 12 minutes on the Google Maps walking route. Head toward Bangbae-dong from the interchange where Line 4 Chongshin University (Isu) meets Line 7 Isu.

Which day is it closed?

Mondays. It opens at 17:00 Tuesday through Sunday.

What time does it close?

The listings disagree: Google Maps says 24:00 and Kakao Map says 22:00, so call ahead if you are planning a late visit.

What should a first-timer order?

Start with the negitoro tofu-pouch rolls at 21,000 won. Add seasonal sashimi at 32,000 won if you want raw fish, or chicken nanban at 18,000 won for something filling. Finish with the truffle ice cream at 5,000 won.

Why is the rating listed as so low?

It is not low, there are simply very few of them. As of September 2026 Google Maps has no reviews and Kakao Map has two, which does not meet the bar this site normally uses (Google 4.5 stars, 100+ reviews). We say so in the article rather than leaving it out.