Bar Cham: Cheers To Seoul
At first glance, Bar Cham’s space is subtle and unassuming. In Korea, the design of these traditional-style buildings is called hanok, which dates back to the 14th century during the Joseon Dynasty. Cham actually means “oak”, and signifies the oak-lined structure of the bar.
Despite its modest appearance, Bar Cham is mixing some of the most creative cocktails inspired by Korean ingredients and spirits. In fact, it was ranked at #28 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2022. Quite frankly, Bar Cham is one of the best cocktail bars I have been to in a long time.
Annie and I ordered six cocktails in total. Each drink was properly boozy, uniquely delicious, and costed about 20,000 WON (or roughly $15 USD). One of my favorites was the Chungju Gimbap, which was made with Tokki Soju, Makgeolli, Wasabi Shrub, Cucumber, Lemon, and Sesame Oil. It was served in a dark, cylindrical cup to imitate the shape of Gimbap, a Korean Seaweed Rice Roll. I loved this one and it made me laugh every time I took a sip. It really did taste like a bright, refreshing cocktail version of Gimbap.
Annie also tried Goodbye Sadness, a Peanut Butter Washed Cachaça cocktail with Hazelnut Liqueur, Lime, and Passionfruit. Cachaça is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane. It’s one of the most popular spirits in Brazil. When the cocktail was served, Bar Cham played a Brazilian song in the background to share another aspect of the drink. Very cool.
I found that the Namyangju cocktail was also incredibly delicious. Annie ordered it and I was jealous I had not ordered it myself especially since it had some of my favorite ingredients. It was spirit-forward with Jung One Gin, Italicus, Chartreuse, and Homemade Ginger Beer but brightened with Sour Pear and Quine Shrub. A scoop of Pear Sorbet was placed on top for freshness.
Overall, Annie and I had a blast here. Surprisingly, we were here for three hours and it was time well spent. A seat at Bar Cham is hard to come by so it’s recommended to make an online reservation ahead of time. I’m going to make every effort to visit every time we go back to Korea.
Cuisine: Bar
Average Price per Person: $52 USD / WON
Address:
34 Jahamun-ro 7-gil, Tongin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 종로구 통인동 자하문로7길 34
Reservations: Catchtable
Recommended:
Namyangju: Jung One Gin, Italicus, Chartreuse, Quince Shrub, Sour Pear, Ginger Beer, Pear Sorbet
Goodbye Sadness (Tristeza): Peanut Butter Washed Cachaça, Hazelnut Liqueur, Lime, Passionfruit
Haman Punch: Blanco Tequila, Talisker, Branca Menta, Watermelon, Lime, Pineapple, Cinnamon
Chungju Gimbap: Tokki Soju, Makgeolli, Wasabi Shrub, Cucumber, Lemon, Sesame Oil
Songpyeon: Pungjeongsagye Dong (Winter), Wangyulju, Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon, Sesame Oil, Milk, Mugwort, Chocolate
Jeju Negroni: Solomon's Seal & Dried Mandarin Peel Infused Gosorisul, Campari, Rosso Vermouth
The entrance of Bar Cham is simple and modest. These wooden beams and clay tiled roof are characteristic of traditional hanok architecture.
When we reserved online, there was an option to choose between table seating and counter seating. We chose counter seating because we like to sit at the bar and watch the bartenders mix cocktails. It was also easier to make conversation with the bartenders to learn more about the bar and their drinks.
Haman Punch: Blanco Tequila, Talisker, Branca Menta, Watermelon, Lime, Pineapple, Cinnamon.
Ultra refreshing and one of the ice cubes was actually frozen watermelon.
[20,000 WON]
Chungju Gimbap: Tokki Soju, Makgeolli, Wasabi Shrub, Cucumber, Lemon, Sesame Oil. This cocktail brought me pure joy.
[20,000 WON]
Goodbye Sadness (Tristeza): Peanut Butter Washed Cachaça, Hazelnut Liqueur, Lime, Passionfruit. An ode to Brazil’s treasured spirit, Cachaça.
[20,000 WON]
Jeju Negroni: Solomon's Seal & Dried Mandarin Peel Infused Gosorisul, Campari, Rosso Vermouth. I really enjoy nice negronis. When I saw that there was a Korean-inspired version of it on the menu, I had to order it.
[20,000 WON]
This was the one disappointment at Bar Cham. What is this! It’s just melted cheese. The frozen lasagna at the convenience store would be better than this.
[12,000 WON]
Namyangju: Jung One Gin, Italicus, Chartreuse, Quince Shrub, Sour Pear, Ginger Beer, Pear Sorbet. This cocktail was exceedingly tasty. The pear, ginger, and gin flavors were meaningful with the italicus and chartreuse blending and rounding out all the flavors.
Songpyeon: Pungjeongsagye Dong (Winter), Wangyulju, Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon, Sesame Oil, Milk, Mugwort, Chocolate.
This was a deep, savory cocktail. It was made with a smooth, savory soju (Pungjeongsagye) and Wangyulju, a clean, spirit made with chestnuts and rice.
[21,000 WON]
Happy and moderately buzzed. We’ll be back soon!