Guwol-dong pub, Incheon: trying fermented skate samhap at Daedongjip

I'm trying hongeo for the first time in my life!

Why I picked Daedongjip in Guwol-dong for my first hongeo

Daedongjip Incheon Guwol Branch (대동집 인천구월점) is a Korean pub in Guwol-dong Rodeo, and I went there with a friend to try hongeo (fermented skate) for the first time. It was our first meet-up in a while, and my friend got off work late, so our options were limited. We wanted a new kind of anju (drinking snack) and ended up deciding to take on hongeo, which neither of us had ever tried, at this Guwol Rodeo pub.

Daedongjip is a Korean pub serving a wide range of Korean dishes plus fusion food. It has several branches, and I've been to the ones near my home as well as this one in Guwol-dong a few times. The quality is good even among pubs, so it's where I go on days when I want really tasty anju.

What are the atmosphere and seating like at Daedongjip Incheon Guwol Branch?

Daedongjip Incheon Guwol Branch sets its mood with soft lighting against a muted backdrop. When I'm drinking, especially late, I pick somewhere a bit dim. Too bright and it feels like the booze wears off..? On that front, Daedongjip is just right.

It has the familiar feel of a Korean pub but is clean, so it's a nice place to talk. It was a Thursday, and the next day was a World Cup match day. Maybe everyone had taken the day off, because it was busy even on a Thursday night.

It also has long group seating with a street-stall feel. Since it's open late, I'd recommend it for group gatherings or company dinners in Guwol-dong. I sat there once before when I came with a bunch of friends, haha.

You order with the tablet placed on each table.

Served by default at Daedongjip: hutgaesu, bean sprout soup and 3 starter snacks

Daedongjip Incheon Guwol Branch brings hutgaesu (hovenia tea) instead of water, free bean sprout soup and 3 starter snacks. I'm here to splurge! I'm here to try hongeo for the first time! The water comes as hutgaesu, which is handy when you're drinking.

When you drink, it's the golden rule to have something to chew and something soupy, right? Daedongjip also serves a spicy bean sprout soup for free.

The 3 starter snacks come on separate plates: a sweet conch snack, beondegi (silkworm pupae) and corn cheese. Sweet, nutty and creamy. Giving each starter a different character is such a smart touch, haha.

What comes in the Daedong Samhap (₩41,000)?

The Daedong Samhap (대동삼합) at Daedongjip Incheon Guwol Branch is ₩41,000 and comes with hongeo, bossam (boiled pork) and tofu, plus assorted side dishes. This is what we ordered.

Hongeo really has its own aura.. From the moment the dish arrived, that sharp smell hit my nose. It really sank in that I'm here to eat hongeo, lol.

I've been to a few family meals where hongeo was served, but both my friend and I ate something else instead, lol. Honestly we'd never tried it, and the smell isn't even that intense. I think we were just intimidated by the rumors.

Hongeo can't go without soju. In a way, isn't it the soul food, the soul pairing, of guys, haha?

Now that it's actually here, I'm a bit nervous, lol. Still, I wanted an unusual anju to drink with in Guwol-dong, and they happened to sell hongeo, and looking at it, the quality is good too. Best choice.

Quality of the hongeo and bossam

The hongeo in the Daedong Samhap had glossy flesh and a smooth cut surface, firm and seemingly fresh. For my first try, I felt like I'd come to the right place.

You might say, how can you judge quality when it's your first time eating hongeo?! haha. Then look at the bossam. You know how at non-specialist places, ordered bossam comes out like a cracker? Daedongjip's bossam looks glossy and moist.

When quality is poor, the meat smells really gamey too. There was none of that, and the portion was more generous than I expected, so I was happy with the Daedong Samhap on value as well.

Samhap side dishes and sauces

The Daedong Samhap also comes with tofu, to eat together with the hongeo and bossam.

For sides there's myeongi namul (pickled wild greens) and cool white kimchi.

There's also strongly seasoned mumallaengi (dried radish strips).

The sauces are chojang (sweet-sour chili sauce), ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) and saeujang (soy-marinated shrimp), plus garlic and chili on the side.

What do hongeo's smell and taste feel like the first time?

My first impression of Daedongjip's hongeo was that the smell was less intense than I expected. Everyone checks the smell before eating hongeo, right? There's a faint hongeo smell, and if I had to describe it, it's sharp and pungent, but not so strong that I flinched even with my nose close. (Is my nose just stuffed..?)

The look wasn't very different from ordinary raw fish either. It's a white fish, but it feels like it has a clear personality, like amberjack?

Like a real man, I tried the hongeo alone, dipped lightly in saeujang. Texture-wise, it has a bit of chew. Like odolppyeo (crunchy pork cartilage)? And the aroma doesn't hit the moment it enters your mouth; it rises as you chew.

When I only smelled it at first, I thought it wasn't that intense, but once I started chewing, the hongeo flavor really kicked in. It doesn't linger in the mouth so much as pierce the tip of your nose. If I had to put it in words, it's pungent like wasabi. That's probably why people usually have it as a samhap, together with meat and tofu.

How a hongeo beginner can enjoy samhap more

For a hongeo beginner, the side dishes in the Daedong Samhap play a very important role..lol. Hongeo alone seems divisive, but just as nobody eats wasabi by itself, with the sides you get the hongeo's pungency plus a different chew from the meat and tofu, and it was delicious.

Since the aroma is so distinctive, hongeo goes with any sauce. It worked with the deeply seasoned dried radish and the ssamjang, with the sweet-sour myeongi namul, and especially dipped in chojang and eaten with bossam. I instantly understood why the older generation has a shot of soju with every bite of hongeo, lol.

Usually soju tastes sweet only after a hard day, right? Hongeo has this odd effect where its pungency makes soju taste relatively sweet, lol. It's a charming little guy. Enjoyed as samhap, it was much tastier than on its own, and the special, first-time anju made the drinking session fun. It's not an anju you come across often in Guwol-dong, so if you're trying hongeo for the first time, how about Daedongjip?