Pufferfish restaurant in Seomyeon, A course for 2: Busan Bokjip

Where is Busan Bokjip in Seomyeon, and what kind of place is it?

Busan Bokjip (부산복집) is a pufferfish restaurant about a 5-minute walk from Seomyeon Station Exit 9, and it has reportedly held the same spot for 25 years. I was craving a cool, refreshing broth the other day, so I went to Busan Bokjip, famous for pufferfish soup in Busan :) It's easy to get to and it's an old-school pufferfish specialist, so I had high hopes!

Busan Bokjip is near Younggwang Book Center in Seomyeon, so it was easy to find, and the exterior already had that long-established good-restaurant feel haha. Lots of people bring their parents, and there were plenty of groups too, so I could tell this place is not loved for nothing.

What are the atmosphere and seating like at Busan Bokjip?

Busan Bokjip runs over two floors, first and second, so it was bigger than I expected! The tables are spaced comfortably, which made for an easy meal, and there are group seats and private rooms, so it would work for a family meal or a company dinner too haha. It was so crowded inside that I only took a photo of the stairs up to the second floor (sob).

The staff were friendly and explained the food carefully, so even though it was my first visit, I felt at ease throughout the meal.

What is on the Busan Bokjip menu, and what is the A course for 2?

At Busan Bokjip I ordered the A course for 2. The menu had a wide range, from pufferfish soup to hot pot, pufferfish bulgogi, fried pufferfish and boiled pufferfish slices.

I ordered the wild chambok (true pufferfish) special, which also comes with salmon sushi, fried pufferfish and pufferfish skin salad, so I was very satisfied haha. It's good as a single dish, and the price is easy on the wallet for a course, which I liked.

Appetizers: pufferfish porridge, pufferfish skin salad and salmon sushi

The A course at Busan Bokjip started with pufferfish porridge. It was mild and soft, perfect before a meal haha. It felt gentle on the stomach and woke up my appetite.

The pufferfish skin salad had a sweet-and-sour dressing with minari (water dropwort), so the texture was great and it really got my appetite going. The chewy pufferfish skin was seriously charming.

The salmon sushi was honestly really good too haha. I didn't expect much from a pufferfish restaurant, but the salmon was thick and soft, and I finished it in no time.

The fried pufferfish was crispy outside and moist inside, not greasy at all, and that light flavor left an impression. I recommend eating it right away while it's hot!

How does the main clear pufferfish soup (bokjiri) taste at Busan Bokjip?

The main of the Busan Bokjip course was clear pufferfish soup (bokjiri). It was packed with minari and bean sprouts in a clear broth, so it looked refreshing just to see.

One spoonful of the broth and I instantly understood why so many people turn to pufferfish soup as a hangover cure!! It's not harsh, it's clean, and the flavor is deep and really good. The pufferfish meat was plump and tender, so the texture was satisfying too haha.

It's the kind of broth you keep spooning up, so I really enjoyed it to the very end. Adding a little vinegar gave it a different charm, so you can enjoy it to your own taste haha. I could taste the pufferfish's characteristic light flavor as it is, and the broth stayed clean to the last drop.

How does the course flow at Busan Bokjip?

I liked that the Busan Bokjip course doesn't arrive all at once but comes out one after another to match your eating pace. Thanks to that, the food didn't go cold and I could properly savor each dish, and the flow from the fried pufferfish to the pufferfish soup felt natural.

The side dishes were all neat and clean like home cooking, and they went really well with the main dish. I think it's a good place for people looking for somewhere to eat with parents or family, and for travelers in Busan to visit at least once. The atmosphere isn't overwhelming and the food is clean, so I think people of all ages would be happy with it haha.

Verdict: Busan Bokjip is a recommended pufferfish soup spot in Seomyeon

As a place with a long tradition, Busan Bokjip put care into every dish, and the taste was easy to enjoy even for people trying pufferfish for the first time. I was especially happy with the whole lineup, from the pufferfish porridge to the skin salad, salmon sushi, fried pufferfish and the refreshing pufferfish soup.

It's good when you need a hangover cure, good for a meal with parents, and good for a special-day course meal too haha. If you're looking for pufferfish soup in Seomyeon, Busan, I recommend giving Busan Bokjip a try. It was a satisfying meal where I could properly enjoy a clean broth and light pufferfish dishes!