Some friends came over from Japan, so I took them to Noryangjin. I don’t have much Noryangjin experience myself, so I went with the Seongdo Susan + Yudal Sikdang combo that the power bloggers recommend. There are so many fish stalls and restaurants in Noryangjin that I figure they’re all much of a muchness, but I thought a popular place would probably be a bit better.
First we went to Seongdo and bought sashimi and other seafood. I’d understood that Seongdo and the seafood stall right in front of it were separate, but this time they’d merged into a single shop. Thanks to that, it was one-stop shopping. No need to agonise over what to buy either: just ask and they tell you what’s good, which was really convenient. Prices are about the same as at the other stalls. We went for a somewhat pricier fish for the sashimi and bought a little of everything else, and in the process ended up buying rather more than our headcount needed. Luckily it was cheap, but getting the quantities right isn’t easy. I guess you only get the hang of it after doing it a few times.
The basic spread at Yudal Sikdang
I’d heard they cook well so I had some expectations, but honestly, apart from the maeuntang there isn’t really much cooking involved, is there?
Sannakji (live octopus)
My Japanese friend really wanted to try it, so we ordered some, and it was a huge hit. Sannakji is a proud piece of Korean culture.
Gaebul (spoon worm)
Fresh and sweet.
Sea bream and flounder sashimi
Everything else you have to buy and bring in yourself, but the sashimi alone they cut and deliver to the table. They said they also do Japanese-style aged sashimi, but we ordered it Korean style and asked for rock bream and olive flounder. Maybe because business is good, they can sell one big fish to lots of different customers, so I’d say Seongdo Susan’s strength is that you get the tasty cuts cheaply. Perhaps because the fish had been broken down in advance, the sashimi itself was only so-so in freshness, but since it came from a big fish, the maeuntang afterwards was definitely delicious. If you want to be sure the sashimi is fresh too, it seems you’d need to get a big group together and reserve a whole fish in advance.
Butter-grilled abalone
We bought these on recommendation, but they weren’t particularly impressive. And there were far too many of them.
Prawns
Someone wanted these too, so we bought some, but they were just so-so.
Steamed blue crab
We bought three and had them steamed. They weren’t packed full of meat, but maybe because they were cooked straight away, they tasted really good.
Maeuntang (spicy fish stew)
The broth was an absolute work of art. Probably thanks to the rock bream frame. Judging by the sashimi alone there’s no reason to pay 60,000 won for it, but considering how much better the maeuntang gets when you order expensive sashimi, it’s worth it. Adding up all the other costs, it came to a little over 30,000 won per person, and we ate very well indeed.
That said, don’t expect much from Yudal Sikdang’s service. We’d also bought some shellfish adductors, but they got served to the next table, so in the end we neither ate them nor got a photo. Sometimes when you call them over because you need something, there’s no answer either… Apart from that, it was a hugely satisfying meal. Holding a regular get-together in Noryangjin might be nice. Around eight people ordering a wide range of seasonal seafood sounds good. Everyone’s being a bit cautious these days because of the radiation… Honestly I’m worried too, but good food has to be eaten.