Yamaya Yeouido: Honest Review of the Mentaiko Lunch Sets
Quick honest review of Yamaya Yeouido — a Japanese mentaiko chain doing teishoku lunch sets in the middle of Seoul’s financial district. Skip to the verdict if you’re short on time, but the short version: the food is solid Japanese comfort fare, nothing mind-blowing, and the unlimited mentaiko refills are genuinely the highlight of the meal.
We went on a Tuesday at noon, two people, walked in without reservations. Ordered the chicken nanbanzuke set and the menchikatsu set. Total came to 33,800 KRW (~$25 USD) for two.
What Is Yamaya?
Yamaya (야마야) is a Japanese specialty chain from Fukuoka, Kyushu — founded in 1974. Their thing is mentaiko, which is spicy cured pollock roe. If you’ve eaten at a Japanese restaurant and seen that pink, slightly grainy paste served with rice or on pasta, that’s mentaiko.
In Japan, Yamaya runs mentaiko retail shops and restaurants. In Korea, the restaurant format leans into Japanese teishoku — set meals with a main dish, rice, miso soup, and side dishes. The twist here is that mentaiko comes as a side dish and you can refill it as many times as you want.
That last part is the actual selling point.
Getting There
Yamaya Yeouido is in Yeouido — Seoul’s financial district, think Wall Street but with more convenience stores. The area is packed with office towers, a few large malls, and plenty of lunch spots targeting the nine-to-five crowd.
Nearest subway: Yeouido Station (Line 5 and Line 9). From the station it’s a short walk. Taxis from central Gangnam take about 15 minutes outside rush hour. From Incheon Airport, roughly 50–60 minutes via the AREX express train to Gimpo then a subway transfer, or around 40 minutes by taxi.
If you’re staying near Yeouido — IFC Residence, 63 Building area hotels — you can easily walk here for lunch.
The Interior
Wooden beams, warm lighting, that slightly rustic Japanese teishoku restaurant feel. Not cramped, but not trying to be sleek either. Mixed seating — some floor-level seating (좌식) and regular table seating. Open kitchen along one side so you can see the cooking.
At noon on a Tuesday it was essentially full. Most of the crowd was office workers, largely women. The pace felt efficient — people come in, eat, leave. Not a place you linger over coffee.
Ordering is tablet-based (Korean only), with photos for each item. Easy enough to navigate if you point at what looks good.
What We Ordered
Chicken Nanbanzuke Set — 16,900 KRW (~$12.50 USD)
Nanbanzuke (난방즈케) is a Japanese dish where fried chicken gets finished in a sweet vinegar marinade — it’s tangy, slightly sweet, and a bit sticky. Not the same as Korean fried chicken. Think of it as fried chicken that’s been dressed up with a sauce that’s closer to an Asian agrodolce.
The chicken itself was well-fried — crispy coating, juicy inside. The nanbanzuke sauce was on the milder, sweeter side, which actually works well with a bowl of white rice. Not the most exciting dish I’ve had this year, but solid execution. You’ll finish the plate.
Menchikatsu Set — 16,900 KRW (~$12.50 USD)
Menchikatsu (멘치카츠) is a ground meat patty — usually pork and beef mixed — shaped, breadcrumbed, and deep fried. Yoshoku (Western-influenced Japanese cooking) at its most straightforward.
It’s honestly the simpler dish of the two. The patty was well-seasoned and the crumb coating was properly crisp. But there’s less going on compared to the nanbanzuke. Fine dish, slightly forgettable.
If you’re picking between the two, the nanbanzuke has more personality.
The Set Meal Structure
Both sets came with rice, miso soup, and a couple of small sides. The miso soup was standard — nothing special. Rice was good.
And then there was the mentaiko.
The Unlimited Mentaiko — Actually the Best Part
Okay, this is what you’re coming for.
Mentaiko and gochae muchim (고채 무침 — a pickled leafy green vegetable) come as refillable side dishes. You can ask for more as many times as you want.
The mentaiko here is properly good. It’s got that briny, slightly spicy, umami-forward flavor — the kind of thing that makes plain white rice disappear faster than you’d expect. We went through a couple of refills without even thinking about it.
If you’ve never had mentaiko before: it’s salty, savory, and has a light heat from the chili. It pairs with rice the same way good butter pairs with bread — you just keep going back for more.
This is genuinely Yamaya’s strongest card. The set meal food is solid but mainstream Japanese comfort food. The unlimited mentaiko is the reason to come here specifically.
Add-On Side Menu
There’s a table card with optional add-ons for lunch:
– Cabbage — 3,900 KRW
– Satsuma-age (Japanese fish cake) — 8,900 KRW
– Mentaiko bacon potato salad — 8,900 KRW
– Hiyashi tomato — 8,900 KRW
– Chive egg jeon — 7,900 KRW
– Cream cheese croquette — 7,900 KRW
We skipped these — the set meals were already substantial. But the mentaiko bacon potato salad sounds interesting if you want to go deeper on the mentaiko theme.
Stuff Tourists Should Know
Language: Korean-only tablet ordering. Staff probably won’t speak much English. Point at the photos on the tablet — you’ll be fine.
English menu: No, but the tablet has photos for every item.
Payment: Cards accepted. Foreign cards should work. No tipping in Korea — don’t leave cash on the table.
Dietary restrictions: This is a meat-focused Japanese teishoku restaurant. Vegetarian options are limited (maybe the cabbage side, the hiyashi tomato). No obvious halal options. Mentaiko contains fish roe and chili.
Timing: Gets packed fast during the 12:00–1:00 PM window. If you want to avoid the rush, try arriving just before noon or after 1:00 PM.
Kids: The space can accommodate families, but it’s primarily an office lunch crowd. Not a dedicated family restaurant, but not unwelcoming either.
Solo dining: Totally fine. Counter-style seating would suit solo diners.
The Verdict
Should you go?
– If you’re already in Yeouido for business or sightseeing (IFC Mall, 63 Building) — yes, this is a legit lunch option. Get the nanbanzuke set and go hard on the mentaiko refills.
– If you only have 3–4 days in Seoul — probably not a priority. Use that meal slot for Korean food. Come back if you get more time.
– If you’re curious about mentaiko and want to try it properly without hunting down a specialty shop — yes, this is a great intro. Unlimited refills, good quality, reasonable price.
– If you want the most exciting meal in Seoul — no. This is reliable weekday lunch food, not a destination dinner.
The food is good, the unlimited mentaiko is genuinely worth it, and 16,900 KRW (~$12.50) for a full lunch set is fair value for Yeouido. We’ll be back when we’re in the area.
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Yamaya Yeouido (야마야 여의도점)
Yeouido, Seoul
Tablet ordering (Korean only) | Card payment OK | No reservations
FAQ
What is Yamaya and why is it famous?
Yamaya is a Japanese chain from Fukuoka, founded in 1974, known for mentaiko — spicy cured pollock roe. Their Korean restaurant branches serve Japanese teishoku (set meal) lunches with unlimited mentaiko on the side.
How much does lunch cost per person at Yamaya Yeouido?
Most lunch sets run 16,900–21,000 KRW (~$12.50–$15.50 USD) per person. The premium Mochonabe set goes up to 25,000 KRW (~$18.50 USD).
Do I need a reservation for lunch at Yamaya Yeouido?
No reservation system — it’s walk-in only. That said, it gets genuinely packed on weekdays around noon (office lunch crowd), so aim for 11:30 AM or after 1:00 PM if you want to walk straight in.
Is there an English menu at Yamaya Yeouido?
Ordering is done via tablet, which is in Korean only. The menu items are fairly visual with photos, so pointing works fine. Staff are friendly but don’t expect much English.
Can I pay by credit card at Yamaya Yeouido?
Yes, card payment is standard. Foreign cards (Visa, Mastercard) should work fine — the receipt shows standard Korean card terminal processing.
Is the unlimited mentaiko actually unlimited?
Yes. Mentaiko (pollock roe) and gochae muchim (pickled greens) come as side dishes and you can ask for refills. The mentaiko alone is worth showing up for.