The day before Chuseok I went out to Yeonan Pier. The main goals were to try the abalone ramyeon and to buy some seafood. Ever since I started university in Seoul, I haven’t really gone around Incheon beyond my own neighborhood and the area in front of Inha University, so this is my first proper sightseeing in Incheon in nearly ten years. It was a bit nostalgic, I guess, and it felt like a lot had changed from how it used to be.
The fish market entrance
I got there a little after 10, and they said the abalone ramyeon wouldn’t be served until 11. With time to kill, I headed to the ferry dock and the park.
It’s about a five-minute walk away.
You can see the passenger terminal.
A passenger ferry
Pier scenery 1
Pier scenery 2
Pier scenery 3
Pier scenery 4
Dolphins
Since they designated the Wolmi Special Tourist Zone, things like this have popped up. The dolphins and the fountain are pretty nice, but with a bustling market and a pier all around, the mood kind of gets killed.
When I went back a little after 11, they handed me a number ticket. Number 10… I waited about 20 minutes.
A photo I took while waiting
The California roll that comes by default
This place bills itself as a Japanese restaurant. The head chef even makes nigiri sushi. But I’m a little allergic to Japanese food eaten outside Japan…
Kimchi
It tastes like the kimchi at a bunsik snack shop.
Salad
It tastes like the salad at a bunsik snack shop.
Today’s main event: the abalone ramyeon.
There were about five small abalones in it, but apart from getting to eat abalone for 4,000 won, it didn’t do much for me. The soup was just Shin Ramyun soup. The noodles were Shin Ramyun noodles too… If they made good use of the seafood, the broth could taste a lot better… Well… it’s a business catering to people who come to the market, so rather than going to the trouble of building a complicated flavor, maybe going head-to-head with this kind of orthodox approach is the smarter move…
Around September 21st, this place expanded in a big way and opened a branch nearby. They say they now have parking for 100 cars. I doubt I’ll go back, but if you’re interested, skip the line and head to the branch instead…
After the abalone ramyeon, I went shopping in earnest. Seafood prices were cheaper than I expected, so I bought all sorts of things. Every now and then, doing a bit of sightseeing in Korea seems worth it ^_^