I had been to Noryangjin before, but I decided to go again this time. You can tour the fish market while you are there, and if you absolutely have to have sashimi and maeuntang (spicy fish stew) in summer, there are not many places that beat Noryangjin. On top of that, Bada Hoe Center, which I had seen on Nok-x’s blog, looked quiet and good for a drink with friends, so it was an easy call.
Table setting
The banchan were nothing special, but since we had a private room we could really eat and talk in peace.
Sannakji (live octopus)
I ordered it as a palate cleanser.
Assorted sashimi
I asked for the good cuts – paying extra, of course – and it looks like they upgraded it a little. Being summer, the flesh has less fat, but that gives it a nice chew in its own way. Good fish is good whether it is summer or winter. The one thing is that, maybe because there was not much fat, the maeuntang tasted weaker than it does in winter. (If you want to call that clean and light, I have nothing to say..)
Butter-fried scallops
Delicious with drinks.
Grilled prawns
The taste was just so-so. Last time I ate until I was completely stuffed, so this time I bought only a little, and even then I am pretty full. I get the feeling you need at least eight people at Noryangjin to be able to try a good variety.
Kimchi
Ordinary kimchi.
Maeuntang
This time I could not taste the incredibly rich broth I had last time. Summer sashimi is tasty too, but for maeuntang it really has to be winter.