Sashimi night for three in Pyeongni-dong, Daegu: Hanjan Meokgo Gajami

It'd been a while since I hung out with my friends, so this time we decided to get some good sashimi with drinks near our neighborhood. We usually go to meat restaurants when we meet up, but this time I was craving chewy sashimi, so I looked around and we ended up at Hanjan Meokgo Gajami in Daepyeongni Market, Pyeongni-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu.

Why we ordered the medium yellow flatfish plate at Hanjan Meokgo Gajami

Hanjan Meokgo Gajami — the name itself already sounds like the perfect spot for a bite of sashimi and a drink, right? Haha. What we actually wanted that day was gajami (flatfish) sashimi, but unfortunately it was all sold out by the time we visited. So as a backup, we ordered the yellow flatfish sashimi in a medium size instead.

I worried the medium size might not be enough for three of us, but once all the other dishes started coming out, it turned out to be surprisingly generous.

It was plenty for the three of us to nibble on while chatting away, and the sashimi itself was chewy yet clean-tasting — really good. How should I put it, it had a kind of natural sweetness to it.

Cham flatfish, yellow flatfish and dodari: the gajami on offer

True to its name, Hanjan Meokgo Gajami had a wide variety of flatfish on the menu. Cham flatfish, yellow flatfish, dodari (marbled flounder) — the kind of lineup that would make any sashimi lover happy. We had yellow flatfish this time, but next time I'd like to try the cham flatfish as sekkoshi (bone-in sliced sashimi).

How many free side dishes come with the sashimi?

This isn't a place that's just about the sashimi. When I'm looking for a good sashimi restaurant in Daegu, the main dish matters, but the side dishes that come along with it matter to me too. Hanjan Meokgo Gajami had a good variety of banchan (side dishes) as standard.

We tried each one and they were all better than expected, so my friends and I kept reaching for more with our chopsticks. Haha.

The soy-marinated crab we asked for twice more

Our favorite that day was, without question, the soy crab!

The soy crab was so good that we didn't stop at just one helping — we asked for it twice more. 🤣🤣🤣

We came for the sashimi but ended up thoroughly enjoying the soy crab too, going on and on about how good this place is — this is good, that's good too! It's definitely more fun to eat when you're with a group, because you get to try a bit of everything together. And there was one more dish we absolutely had to have to finish things off: maeuntang.

Finishing with a spicy maeuntang stew

After eating our fill of sashimi, we ordered the maeuntang, and honestly, it was really good. The spicy, refreshing broth was great, and it made the perfect finish after all that sashimi. We even started talking about coming back again after finishing the maeuntang that day.

This was our first visit, but between the yellow flatfish sashimi, the variety of banchan, the delicious soy crab, and the maeuntang at the end, it was a satisfying meal all around.

Is Hanjan Meokgo Gajami a good spot for a group of friends in Pyeongni-dong?

If you're looking for a good sashimi restaurant in Pyeongni-dong, Hanjan Meokgo Gajami near Daepyeongni Market is worth considering. It was a great spot for catching up with friends over sashimi and drinks, and next time I'd like to visit on a day when they have gajami sashimi so I can try the cham flatfish, sekkoshi, and dodari as well.

A day of catching up with old friends over good sashimi, plenty of chatting, and a few drinks — food always tastes even better when you're sharing it with friends and talking away.