Soy crab banchan at Hanjan Meokgo Gajami, a Daegu sashimi restaurant

Hi, this is Review Mania! I had plans with a friend recently and was looking for a sashimi restaurant when I heard about a place with great stew broth and a specialty in wild-caught sashimi — so I ended up visiting Hanjan Meokgo Gajami, a well-known restaurant in Pyeongri-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu. Here's my review!

Where is Hanjan Meokgo Gajami, and what are its hours?

Hanjan Meokgo Gajami is at Pyeongri-dong 690-6, Seo-gu, Daegu — go into the alley by Choi Pharmacy inside Daepyeongri Market and you'll spot the fish tank marking the spot. Parking for 2 cars is available in front of the restaurant.

• 📍Pyeongri-dong 690-6, Seo-gu, Daegu
• ✔️Go into the alley by Choi Pharmacy inside Daepyeongri Market — you'll see the fish tank
• 🅿️Parking for 2 cars in front of the restaurant
• Tue–Sun 11:00–23:00
• Break time 15:00–17:00 / Last order 22:00
• Closed 2nd & 4th Mondays, and early closing when wild-caught fish runs out

A big sign you can spot from far away, all about wild-caught sashimi! That's Hanjan Meokgo Gajami. It's tucked in an alley, but the place is so wide and large that it's easy to spot at a glance!

The menu posted at the entrance caught my eye — today's flatfish set looked like great value. And for anyone who loves sashimi, the mul-hoe (cold raw fish soup) and sashimi rice bowl are hard to walk past — the visuals alone got me!

Inside Hanjan Meokgo Gajami: seating and atmosphere

Inside, Hanjan Meokgo Gajami was just as spacious as it looked from outside. There were several 4-person tables with nicely wide gaps between them, and the whole place felt clean and comfortable.

The menu had red flatfish/yellowfin flatfish/flounder, conch, and grilled flatfish, plus a variety of seasonal dishes and meals. We ordered the yellowfin flatfish sashimi, small size.

The free side dishes: soy crab refilled twice

Basic side dishes

The first thing that made me feel Hanjan Meokgo Gajami is a real find was these side dishes — genuinely delicious! Even before the main dish arrived, I already knew 'this is a real gem.' Everything was refillable, and the soy crab in particular was the real deal — I refilled it twice!

Macaroni corn cheese — most sashimi restaurants serve corn cheese with sweetcorn, but here they make it with macaroni instead! The macaroni gives it a much softer, nicer texture.

Steamed egg, scraped clean to the last bite — pairing cool sashimi with warm steamed egg is a combo you just can't skip. The seasoning was spot on and the portion was generous — really delicious.

The soy crab I refilled twice is also sold to go, ₩8,000 per container, up to 2 per table as noted below the menu. It was so good I wanted to buy some to take home, but I had another appointment afterward so I couldn't. It's soy crab good enough that you'll want to pack it up!

A massive saury — big enough to be sold on its own, yet it comes as a basic side dish! Plenty of meat, well-seasoned, and really delicious.

Egg and potato salad, too. Since these side dishes are all made by hand by the owner rather than store-bought, every single one of them had that careful, homemade taste.

Small yellowfin flatfish sashimi, served boneless

Yellowfin flatfish

The main dish we ordered, yellowfin flatfish sashimi small size, has arrived! The portion was really generous. When ordering, the owner asked whether we wanted it with or without bones — I went with boneless.

The slices were cut just thick enough for a great texture — thick, chewy, and really tender. You could really taste the freshness in this yellowfin flatfish.

Eating it with a touch of wasabi and a little soy sauce, it was so soft and delicious.

The combo with chojang (vinegar-chili sauce) was great too, of course! With soy sauce, wasabi, and chojang all prepared, every bite just melted the moment it hit my mouth.

Pure bliss.

Hoe-muchim: mixing the sashimi with vegetables and soybean powder

They give you a plate piled high with vegetables — add the right amount of soybean powder and sashimi, drizzle with chojang, and mix it all together to make hoe-muchim (spicy mixed raw fish salad).

The seasoning was spot on and it was so good — it felt like an extra menu item had just appeared. They gave so many vegetables that you could eat the sashimi wrapped like a lettuce wrap, which made it even more enjoyable.

Of course we wrapped it up and ate it that way too.

And they poured us another bottle 👏

A different freebie each day — sea squirt on this visit

While we were eating, they brought out sea squirt (meongge) as a complimentary dish. They said the complimentary menu changes every day. With such a generous portion already and a free dish on top, the drinks just kept going down easy! The sea squirt was really fresh too.

Is Hanjan Meokgo Gajami worth a trip to Daepyeongri Market?

From the generously filled side dishes to the main yellowfin flatfish sashimi, Hanjan Meokgo Gajami is a place where you can really feel the fresh, well-seasoned, careful cooking in every dish.

Hanjan Meokgo Gajami, famous as a sashimi restaurant in Pyeongri-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu, is located right inside Daepyeongri Market, making it a very convenient spot to visit! As a place specializing in wild-caught red flatfish, yellowfin flatfish, and flounder sashimi, the freshness is real and the flavor is guaranteed no matter what you order! Since everything, down to the side dishes, is made by hand, I'd definitely recommend a visit if you're looking for a good restaurant in Daepyeongri Market, Seo-gu, Daegu! There's parking for 2 cars in front, and a group room that seats up to about 15 people.