Millak-dong, Busan sashimi restaurant: soy shrimp gimbap, The Bangpaje

Today I'm introducing a sashimi restaurant in Gwangalli where I got fresh sashimi and lots of side dishes all in one go!! This time I visited The Bangpaje (THE 방파제) in Millak-dong, Busan.

It's known for its Blue Ribbon certification, so I was excited even before going. It's also a famous spot for group dinners in Gwangalli haha. From the seasonal sashimi to all kinds of seafood and side dishes and the spicy fish stew at the end, I had a really full meal!!

The Bangpaje hours, parking and reservations

The Bangpaje is open daily 11:30-22:00, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last order at 20:30. Parking is covered for up to 1 hour with à la carte orders and up to 2 hours with course orders, and you can reserve through Naver.

• Address: 24 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 294beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan (1st floor)
• Hours: daily 11:30-22:00
• Break time: 15:00-17:00
• Last order: 20:30
• Parking: up to 1 hour for à la carte, up to 2 hours for course
• Reservations: available via Naver

For parking you can use the Millak Public Parking Lot, and if it's full, the underground lot of Gwangan Jeongdaun Nursing Hospital. To get the parking support, ask the staff to register your car when you pay.

It can get crowded in the evening, so if you want a relaxed meal, it's probably a good idea to book through Naver.

What's the atmosphere like at The Bangpaje?

At the entrance of The Bangpaje there are several Blue Ribbon stickers, one for each year. They were the first thing I noticed walking in, and having so many of them gave me the impression of a place that has been well rated for a long time.

The building has several floors, and the 1st floor had a clean, modern feel. The 2nd floor is made up of private rooms, which looked good for a quiet gathering or a family meal.

Some guests seemed to be ordering à la carte and others the course. If you book to suit your group size and the type of gathering, it looks easy to use for a group dinner in Gwangalli or a private get-together.

What comes with the Seasonal Sashimi Set S?

The Bangpaje's Seasonal Sashimi Set S is for 1-2 people, and it comes as one spread with sashimi, various seafood, side dishes and spicy fish stew (maeuntang). Steamed rice isn't part of the set, so you need to add it separately.

This time I went with a companion and ordered the Seasonal Sashimi Set S (1-2 people). After a short wait, dishes started appearing on the table one after another. Not just fresh sashimi but also various seafood, side dishes and the fish stew, so the spread was quite generous.

It's not a set where you just eat sashimi and that's it. Getting to taste a bit of everything made it even more fun. As I said, rice isn't included, so we added it separately. If you want to enjoy the fish stew properly, I recommend ordering rice too.

Side dishes that were fun to try one by one

Of everything that came with the set, what stuck with me most were the mackerel salad and the sashimi gimbap (seaweed rice roll). First, the mackerel salad.

The mackerel salad, prepared to bring out its rich, nutty fat, had a different charm from the other sides. Tasting it before the sashimi really woke up my appetite, and its rich flavor made it great for alternating between the different seafood!!

With so many dishes arriving together, there was never a dull moment while waiting for the main sashimi. Each had its own flavor, so trying them one by one was fun haha

Top pick: sashimi gimbap with soy-marinated shrimp

My top pick from the set was the sashimi gimbap.

It has sashimi and soy-marinated shrimp (ganjang saewoo) inside, so it's different from ordinary gimbap. The textures of rice, seaweed and sashimi come together, and the salty-savory depth of the soy shrimp kept me reaching for more.

How good was it? My companion said they wanted to order just this gimbap on its own. After trying it myself, I understood why. Even among all those dishes, it was the one that stood out!!

Besides those, there were many other sides: sea squirt, sea cucumber, soy-marinated shrimp, grilled fish and seasoned raw crab (yangnyeom gejang). There was also something crunchy like sweet potato chips, so it was fun to taste them one by one to your liking. The table was already full before the main sashimi came out, which made the meal even more enjoyable.

How thick is the sashimi in The Bangpaje's seasonal set?

The Bangpaje's seasonal sashimi comes sorted by fish type, cut thick enough that you can feel the texture in every piece. And now, the main dish: the seasonal sashimi!

The sashimi came sorted by fish type, so I could check what each one was as I ate. I also liked being able to try several kinds at once.

What I liked most was the thickness. I prefer sashimi cut somewhat thick rather than thin, and here each piece was thick enough that you could really feel the texture when you picked it up.

The chewy texture stayed alive in my mouth, which made it a pleasure to chew. If thickness and texture matter to you when eating sashimi, I think you'd be satisfied.

Free gizzard shad on the house that day

And that day, The Bangpaje also served gizzard shad (jeoneo) as a freebie!

It was a service I never expected, which made the meal even happier. Enjoying a variety of seasonal sashimi was already great, and getting to taste gizzard shad too made the spread even more worthwhile.

Little extras like this really raise how satisfied you feel with a meal. Thanks to it, I enjoyed sashimi more abundantly than usual.

Finishing with spicy fish stew and white wine

The set ends with a spicy fish stew that you boil right at the table. After enjoying the sashimi to the fullest, I finished with the stew.

The stew is brought to a bubbling boil at the table before you eat. It waited while we ate the sashimi, then we had it piping hot, which made it a great finish to the meal.

The cool, spicy broth felt like it cleansed my palate after the sashimi. Adding a bottle of white wine made it a hearty way to wrap up the meal.

After thoroughly enjoying the sashimi and sides and then finishing with warm broth, I thought ordering the set was the right call.

If you're looking for a hearty sashimi spread in Millak-dong

If you're after a generous sashimi spread in Millak-dong, I highly recommend The Bangpaje!!! I loved that you can enjoy seasonal sashimi together with all sorts of side dishes.

I liked the thick-cut sashimi, but personally the monkfish liver (ankimo) and the sashimi gimbap were what really impressed me. The gimbap with sashimi and soy shrimp was so good that my companion wanted to order it separately, and with the free gizzard shad on top, it was a really happy meal.

If you want sashimi in Gwangalli or Millak-dong and are looking for a place where you can enjoy lots of different dishes, not just sashimi, it's worth a visit. It also suits days when you want to share a variety of dishes, like a family meal or dinner with friends.

Next time I need a group dinner in Gwangalli, or just crave good sashimi, I'd like to go back to The Bangpaje.