Mapo seafood restaurant for friends’ dinners: Jaecheoldameun Mapo Bada

Today I visited Jaecheoldameun Mapo Bada (제철담은 마포바다) near Daeheung Station haha. It’s a recently opened spot serving lots of different seafood dishes, so I brought four friends along to try a variety of things!!

Here’s a little preview of today’s spread haha. A whole table of food came out, and my friends and I were honestly so surprised. Everyone said they wanted to bring their parents here too~~

Right by Daeheung Station: What to Know Before Visiting

The restaurant is around Daeheung Station. It’s truly right in front of the station, so getting there was incredibly easy!

It seemed to be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, and from noon to 11 p.m. on weekends. It’s popular, so I recommend making a reservation before you go.

The Mapo Bada Signature Set That Filled Five of Us Up

From the menu, we ordered the Mapo Bada Signature Set. It comes with salt-grilled shrimp, gizzard shad sashimi, raw shrimp sashimi, assorted sashimi, and an assorted seafood platter with sea squirt and sea cucumber. There’s also abalone porridge and seaweed soup to start, bossam (boiled pork wraps), and refreshing spicy fish stew to finish, haha.

With this one set, we really didn’t need to order anything else... Five of us ate until we were full, so it felt like seriously good value!

You can also order other dishes individually. I especially recommend the assorted sashimi and assorted seafood platter. The seafood itself felt really high-quality and fresh. Jaecheoldameun Mapo Bada also has a varied drinks list, with sake and even wine, haha.

My mom really loves sake, so I was thinking I should bring her here for sashimi sometime...)

A Table-Filling Spread

As soon as you order, this is what comes out first. The table was absolutely packed, and my friends and I were so surprised.. When there are this many dishes, you might expect at least one to be disappointing, but every single one tasted so good (I feel like the chef has amazing hands...). I’ll show you each item below and tell you about it.

Bossam and Salt-Grilled Shrimp That Were Still Alive

First, the bossam! Seafood plus meat is such a can’t-fail combination, right? haha. Picking up a piece between bites of sashimi really woke up my appetite with its bold flavor. I thought they had put together the basic banchan (side dishes) selection so well.

When the salt-grilled shrimp arrived, they were still alive hahaㅋㅋㅋ. They were wriggling as they cooked, and it was nice that you could literally see how fresh they were.

The Textures of Assorted Sashimi and Seafood

Finally, the assorted sashimi! I get tired of sashimi quickly if I eat only one kind, so I love assorted sashimi where you can try different fish at once... haha. Since they have fish tanks right out front, you could really taste the freshness while eating! That springy, chewy texture that only live fish has, haha. Plus, with shrimp and gizzard shad in the mix, I was so, so satisfied.

The assorted seafood platter! I heard sea cucumber is incredibly expensive these days, but there was plenty of it here too ㅎㅅㅎ. All the seafood had such a strong ocean aroma that it really got my appetite going. Remembering that fresh, crisp texture is making me hungry again//ㅠㅠ. Their distinctive flavors came through beautifully, so it was perfect as a drinking snack.

Abalone Porridge, Seaweed Soup, and Raw Shrimp Sashimi

The owner told us to have the abalone porridge and seaweed soup first, and of course they were delicious. You could taste the care put into every dish. Both had a rich ocean flavor, while letting the ingredients’ natural taste shine through!! Seaweed soup and abalone porridge really are best at a sashimi restaurant, haha.

This is the raw shrimp sashimi—I can still remember its bouncy texture and fresh sweetness.

They also give you lots of leafy greens for making wraps, plus various sauces such as makjang (savory soybean paste), chojang (sweet-tangy red chili sauce), and soy sauce! I tried wrapping the gizzard shad sashimi with makjang and greens ㅎㅅㅎ.

Fully Cooked Grilled Shrimp and Fried Items

At last, the fully cooked salt-grilled shrimp. Peeling them can be a little bothersome, but once you peel one and dip it in chojang, it’s impossible to stop, right? haha. Maybe because every piece of seafood at Jaecheoldameun Mapo Bada was so fresh, the shrimp tasted even sweeter and better. The kind of food that makes drinks go down way too easily.

I’m jealous of past me. One bite through the photo...

Oh right, even the fried items here were crispy and delicious, so my friends and I cleared that plate completely.

Spicy Fish Stew to Finish, with Added Ramen Noodles

Lastly, the spicy fish stew we ordered! We added ramen noodles and had a bite each, and then we simply had to order more drinks. The broth was rich and really delicious.

Why We Decided to Come Back with Friends

Since it’s newly opened, all the facilities were clean and neatly kept, which I loved.

• Every piece of seafood was wonderfully fresh
• A clean spot with a variety of drinks that I really recommend for family gatherings
• All the side dishes and food tasted great

It’s a place my friends and I have already promised to visit again ㅎㅅㅎ.