Weej nightlife

It's a long week...here is a bar review I wrote, which will soon be published.

UIJEONGBU, South Korea -- On the second floor above a sushi restaurant, there is a bar named after a British prime minister’s residence and decorated in a Western motif, playing Korean boy band music that makes The Partridge Family look “gangsta” in comparison.
Colorful contrasts aside, No. 10 Western Bar’s strengths are its English-speaking bartenders and its stiff drinks.
#1 Bartender Nicky greeted the bar’s only 9 p.m. Friday patron with a re-enactment of the drink-slinging acrobatics in the 1988 Tom Cruise semi-hit “Cocktail.” The glasses weren’t full and the bar floor was padded, which was a good thing. Nicky’s juggling later showed a bit more skill.
Nicky also had a few card tricks up his sleeve, but they were later trumped by Smart Benny. The tricks would have been just as impressive without beer goggles.
As the night wandered on, even Korean pop hits like “South side, let’s ride!” sounded a little better. Clearly, that was influenced by beer.
But while discussing music, Smart Benny showed there was more to him than just the K-pop band of the month.
“Run DMC, I like them,” he said.
I give any 25-year-old Korean bartender credit for old school rap knowledge.
Each of the four bartenders said they were in their mid-twenties. Female bartenders Soie and Sean reminded me that in Korea, an extra year is added to your age to count the year you were born.
Coincidentally, this is when I switched from beer to liquor.
The bar is well-stocked with American whiskey mainstays and liqueurs from around the world, and the pours are fairly generous. No. 10’s beer list includes imports like Hoegaarden and Guinness among Korean mainstays like Cass and Red Rock. The bar snacks include a free bowl of imitation Funjuns, the round snacks that pretend to taste like onions, but actually taste a lot better and different.
Gradually, the bar filled with a Korean clientele, minus a courtesy patrol looking for soldiers who weren’t supposed to be there, thanks to a recent military exercise.
It’s usually a mixed crowd, as evidenced by the Polaroid pictures on the wall. A few of the Koreans drinking that night were eager to practice their English, and any attempt to speak Korean was welcomed and appreciated.

Rating: 5 out of 6 beers
Drink prices: 5000 won for domestic beer, more for imports and liquor
Cover: None
Food: Bar snacks
Entertainment: Television, music
Clientele: Mixed Korean and American
Dress: Casual
Directions: The bar is located downtown, not far from the Uijeongbu Station. Take a taxi, or on Highway 3 make a right before the Dunkin Donuts. After a few blocks, make a left.
Hours: 5 p.m. to 4 a.m.