Air-conditioned sashimi restaurant in Jumunjin Market: Minja Hoetjip

Today I'm bringing you a review of Minja Hoetjip (민자횟집) in Jumunjin Market, Gangneung!

Once you arrive at Jumunjin Fish Market, just walk a little way in and you'll find Minja Hoetjip easily!

A hall that stays cool even in midsummer

It was a crazy hot day (ugh), but the hall was so cool and comfortable, and big too. The last restaurant I went to in summer wasn't cool inside at all and it was hard to eat, but here it's spacious and the air conditioning was blasting, so we could eat comfortably even on a hot summer day haha.

We looked at the fish in the tanks, and there were so many kinds that I couldn't decide, so we just ordered ✔️the mixed platter (small) haha.

Why I picked Minja Hoetjip: the skidashi spread

Honestly, the reason I chose this restaurant is these skidashi (side dishes served before the sashimi)! A little after we sat down, the table started filling up... At most sashimi restaurants the sashimi is the star, so the basic sides are often kept simple, but here the skidashi came in a real variety and were generous. The table was already full before the sashimi even arrived, so I was super happy 💜

First came the abalone porridge before the meal, then fresh, crunchy abalone, sea squirt with its cool taste of the sea, and shrimp and sea snail? too (you could really feel they use fresh ingredients in these side dishes!).

I also liked that the tempura and grilled fish came out warm. The grilled fish was soft and mild, and with freshly fried tempura alongside, it was even more satisfying. The crunch was still there, and it tasted so much better eaten hot 😉

The small mixed sashimi: from puffer fish to mackerel

The mixed sashimi has arrived ✨ It came with 3–4 kinds of seasonal live fish, including puffer fish, which is Minja Hoetjip's signature.

Each kind had a different texture and flavor, so it was fun picking and choosing!

I especially loved the puffer fish sashimi, really chewy and delicious. The slices were a good thickness too, so it was satisfying to chew 🐡

And the mackerel sashimi surprised me! It was the first time in my life I've had mackerel sashimi without even a hint of fishiness!! (seriously) When it came out I was thinking I wouldn't eat it, but this place changed my bad impression of mackerel sashimi..🩵 hahaha

There was flatfish fin, and the sashimi in the right-hand photo was really good, but I forgot which fish it was,,,😅 It was this fish..! The texture was chewy and crisp like flatfish fin, but less greasy and mild, totally my style 🫶🏻

And sekkosi (thinly sliced fish with the bones) too.! Overall the sashimi was chewy and fresh, clean with zero fishiness, and I was so satisfied ෆ

The fish itself was so fresh with such a good texture that eating it plain tasted better than wrapping it in lettuce 🥲 The end.

Finishing with spicy stew with puffer fish

Last, the maeuntang (spicy fish stew). If you order the mixed sashimi, the stew is part of the course!

There was so much fish in the stew hahaha. It was my first time having stew with puffer fish in it; it was chewy and had lots of meat on the bones, so I enjoyed it a lot with rice haha.

Putting rice into that spicy broth is a must!

Wrapping up

From the main sashimi I loved so much to the many high-quality skidashi and the cool, spacious interior, I was happy with Minja Hoetjip in Jumunjin, Gangneung overall. If you're on a Gangneung trip and want a sashimi restaurant with lots of skidashi and fresh fish, how about trying Minja Hoetjip in Jumunjin Fish Market, which has a long tradition? :)