A note on the words: chanja is spicy marinated cod innards, a classic Korean drinking snack. Namul is a general term for seasoned Korean vegetable side dishes. Samgyeopsal is thick-sliced grilled pork belly, cooked at the table and wrapped in lettuce (sanchu) with garlic and dipping sauces. Gejang is raw crab marinated in either soy sauce or a spicy chili sauce, eaten cold. Naengmyeon is Korean cold buckwheat noodles served in a chilled broth, often topped with a boiled egg, cucumber, and kimchi. Chamisul is a popular brand of Korean soju.
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Housenka on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hi, this is Hangover Meshi. This time I was planning to eat Korean food in Azabu-juban, so I called the place I had my eye on, but they told me they were full up that evening. So I set my sights on “Housenka” instead, a place I’d been to before and enjoyed, and called them — they said yes! Off we went. It’s on the Namboku Line side of Azabu-juban.
You order using the tablet on the table.
This kind of system gives you the freedom to take your time, and it saves the staff the trouble too — it’s great.
We started with the classic, a Kaku highball.
Inside, the place has simple tables and chairs and portable gas burners set into the tables, which gives it something of the feel of a local neighborhood bar. I’ve never been to Korea, let alone lived there, but I found myself imagining that a local Korean izakaya must feel something like this.
The first snacks we ordered were chanja and pickled green chili.
Chanja goes without saying as a drinking snack, but the pickled green chili is something spice lovers won’t be able to resist!
And here’s the namul platter. It’s a classic precisely because it never misses, so it’s one of the first things I order.
It just feels a little lonely without chanja, namul, and Korean seaweed on the table.
First, the garnishes you top the meat with. A lot of us are garlic fans, so we had them add a bit extra.
Sanchu lettuce for wrapping. And then the meat — they bring it out on the hot plate itself.
We ended up getting a second round of meat after this, and the style is that they order the same thing and bring out another whole plate for you.
We wrap it up nicely and dig in!
Mmm. Delicious. Grilled pork is obviously going to be good, but paired with spicy scallion, spicy miso, and garlic it turns wonderfully sharp and satisfying. Zero carbs, too, so it feels like a genuinely healthy thing to be eating.
Beef tendon stew. This is around when we start on the Chamisul.
I have to say, Chamisul and beef tendon stew go really well together. The beef, simmered until it turns silky, is delicious, but the daikon that falls apart at a touch is just as good.
The style here is to slurp the crab straight down. The liquid the gejang is marinated in is delicious too! It’s a drinking snack all on its own.
We finished up with naengmyeon! The chewy noodles have a nice acidity to them and are wonderfully refreshing. Even cold, you can taste the dashi clearly in there!
So, Korean food. I get a craving for it every so often. This time I dropped in on “Housenka,” and I have to say, the whole atmosphere is so homey and comfortable, the kind of place where you can just eat and drink without any fuss — it’s really pleasant. The menu is delicious too, so I’d love to come back! As for the place I originally had my eye on, I’d like to give that another shot too.
Housenka (Korean / Azabu-juban Station, Akabanebashi Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.5
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
