Summer pompano sashimi in Boryeong's Daecheon Port market: Nokdo Susan

I recently went on a holiday trip to a pension. And of course, no day of playing at a summer pension is complete without sashimi. Before heading to the pension, I stopped by Nokdo Susan, a well-known spot at Daecheon Port Fish Market, to pack some sashimi to go!

Where Nokdo Susan is, opening hours and parking

Nokdo Susan is located at 334 Daecheonhang-ro, Nos. 57-58, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, inside Daecheon Port Fish Market. It's open 09:00–22:00, closed on the second Tuesday of every month.

• Address: 334 Daecheonhang-ro, Nos. 57-58, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do
• Hours: 09:00–22:00 (closed second Tuesday of the month)

Nokdo Susan sits inside Daecheon Port Fish Market. The parking area is spacious, so even with the holiday crowds I had no trouble finding a spot :) If the market's own parking is full, there are plenty of public parking lots right next door, so no need to worry.

Certified weighing containers and country-of-origin labels

Nokdo Susan uses tamper-proof seafood measuring containers, so it's a trustworthy spot at Daecheon Port Fish Market! I also liked that origin labels were clearly displayed. This is already my third visit to Daecheon Port Fish Market this year, and I really appreciate being able to get in-season fish at its freshest each time!

Live fish and shellfish you can choose at Nokdo Susan

There was a wide variety the day I visited! Alongside live fish like rockfish, sea bream, sea bass, flounder, and pompano, there were also plenty of shellfish like scallops, half-shell scallops, and conch, plus they carry snow crab and shrimp too!

Summer pompano, picked on the owner's recommendation

I heard a lot of shrimp gets shipped by courier these days too. Right now through fall is exactly when shrimp tastes best, so it seemed like a good choice too. I was thinking of getting shrimp, but first I asked the owner what fish was in season these days!

The owner's pick: pompano! I've eaten it braised many times but never as sashimi, so out of curiosity I picked pompano :)

Watching the fish being filleted at the counter

Once you pick your live fish, the owner fillets it into sashimi right on the spot — and you can watch the whole process! The prep area was kept clean and the work was neat and precise, which was satisfying to see 😊 They even kindly explained the step of draining the blood, done to remove fishy smell and keep the fish fresh.

Holiday gift sets from Nokdo Susan

While looking around as my order was being prepped, I spotted something! Nokdo Susan sells holiday gift sets. They had a variety — flatfish, flounder, rockling, croaker — and you could buy according to your budget. The fish were all neatly packaged individually, so I thought they'd make a nice Chuseok gift for elders 🤔 They're apparently also available for purchase on their website.

How the pompano sashimi tasted at the pension

With the sashimi packed up, off to the pension we go~

We opened it up right after getting back. This was my first time with pompano, and turns out it's a slightly reddish-fleshed fish! I expected it to be white-fleshed like flounder, so that surprised me! They also threw in a bit of sea squirt as a free extra. Thank you :)

I dug in right away! Wow — it hit me the same way that gorangchi sashimi did last time...! The pompano sashimi was so good. Since I'm used to braised pompano, I assumed the texture would be soft, but it was completely firm and chewy instead. No fishy smell at all, so delicious 🫢 My in-season sashimi success rate is really high this year! They say pompano sashimi tastes best right now in summer, so I really hope you'll give it a try~

Why Daecheon Port Fish Market is worth a second trip

Every time I visit Daecheon Port Fish Market, my satisfaction level is so high :) I've been eating in-season sashimi since spring, and unlike the fish market in the area I live, they carry such a wide variety of live fish that I get to try sashimi I normally never would.

If you're in the Gyeonggi or Chungcheong region, it's not too far to travel, so if you want to enjoy in-season sashimi, definitely visit and ask the owner for a recommendation! Highly recommend.