Family sashimi restaurant in Sangbong for aged flounder: Hoepanjang

What is Hoepanjang Sangbong, the aged sashimi restaurant near Sangbong Station?

Hoepanjang Sangbong (회판장 상봉점) is a sashimi restaurant near Sangbong Station that's well known for aged sashimi. I really love aged sashimi. It's made by taking fresh fish, bleeding and gutting it right away, and aging it in the fridge. If live sashimi is known for its chewy texture, aged sashimi is all about the savory umami, and it's amazing. There may be people who have never tried aged sashimi, but there's no one who has only tried it once. I like live sashimi too, but I really, really love aged sashimi. I highly recommend Hoepanjang in Sangbong, famous for its aged sashimi. If you love aged sashimi, you'll be satisfied here.

Is corkage free at Hoepanjang Sangbong?

Corkage is free at Hoepanjang Sangbong. Amazing, right? Corkage usually runs ₩10,000–20,000 depending on the drink, and up to ₩30,000–40,000 at upscale Japanese restaurants, but Hoepanjang charges nothing. I brought sweet potato soju from home. If you want just a glass or two to go with clean-tasting sashimi, this is a great option for anyone who wants a nice drink with their aged sashimi.

Hoepanjang Sangbong location and opening hours

Hoepanjang Sangbong is on the first floor at Bongujae-ro 33-gil in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, 546m from Exit 2 of Sangbong Station. It's open Monday to Friday from 16:00 to 03:00 the next day, and Saturday and Sunday from 15:00 to 03:00 the next day. Last order is at 02:00.

I hear Hoepanjang Sangbong gets premium fish cheaply through direct shipping from the source and auctions, and passes that on at a great-value price. I honestly want to introduce it as a value-for-money sashimi place. As a direct-from-source sashimi specialist, the fish really is fresh and delicious.

Hoepanjang Sangbong menu

Inside Hoepanjang Sangbong

It was outdoor season, so there were lots of outdoor tables in front of Hoepanjang Sangbong, and most people were sitting out there. I took a table inside.

"Hoepanjang" is short for a fish wholesale market (gongpanjang), where fishermen's catches are auctioned off and handed on. Fitting the concept of fresh, good-value fish shipped straight from the source, the walls have photos of fish wholesale markets. For value, there's nothing more to say about this place.

Grilled rockfish comes free as a side dish

The standard grilled dish at Hoepanjang Sangbong was grilled rockfish (ppollak). Rockfish is the poster child for crispy outside, juicy inside. It's mostly caught off the southern and eastern coasts, and the clean, mild flavor is really good. I love that plump, chewy texture. Saury is usually what you get as a starter, so I thought it was neat to get rockfish.

Aged flounder sashimi and seafood set for 63,000 won: how was it?

The aged flounder sashimi + seafood set I ordered at Hoepanjang Sangbong cost ₩63,000, and out came a big plate of aged flounder. Sashimi fans know this: the bigger the fish, the better the taste. The flounder here is a big 3kg fish that's caught and aged, so it's really chewy, and the umami that builds the more you chew is amazing. If you like white-fish aged sashimi like I do, I'd say order this without question.

The seasoned raw fish salad (hoemuchim) and mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) that come standard with aged sashimi are great too. I love sashimi and I love mulhoe, so I much preferred getting mulhoe and hoemuchim over pointless filler starters.

Why the seafood set is much cheaper ordered with sashimi

I strongly recommend the seafood set at Hoepanjang Sangbong. The seafood is really fresh, and it's much cheaper when you order it with sashimi. The abalone, sea squirt and sea cucumber were genuinely delicious, full of the taste of the sea.

And the thick aged flounder sashimi? Need I say more. So good. As aged sashimi should be, the umami as you chew was insane. I headed to Hoepanjang for aged sashimi after a long while, and my husband was very happy too. My daughter loves sashimi as well, so we seem to end up at sashimi restaurants a lot.

Mussel soup, mulhoe and corn: the light free side dishes

The mussel soup that comes as a standard starter at Hoepanjang Sangbong is really good too. The spicy broth with crunchy bean sprouts and mussels is a work of art.

What I love about Hoepanjang Sangbong is that there are no pointless greasy starters. Hoemuchim, mulhoe, corn and the like make a light lineup that people who really love sashimi will enjoy.

Aged sashimi vs live-fish and rested-fish sashimi: what's the difference?

Aged sashimi, like live sashimi, starts with a live fish that's caught right away, then aged at low temperature so the muscle relaxes and the umami deepens. Seoneohoe (sashimi from fish that's already dead, kept fresh through distribution) is different, but aged sashimi comes from live fish that's then aged, so it's really fresh and also full of umami.

I love flounder sashimi: soft, with umami that spreads through your mouth. If freshly caught live flounder is all about the chewy texture, aged flounder is known for its softness and the sweetness you taste as you chew. Personally, I like both live flounder and aged flounder.

Who should go to Hoepanjang Sangbong?

Hoepanjang Sangbong has a wide variety of seafood, and the chewiness of the fresh abalone was especially good. Since corkage is free, it's a great place to order just sashimi and enjoy it with a little of a clean, upscale drink like sake or sweet potato soju. It was a truly good-value aged sashimi specialist.