Incheon sashimi restaurant: 10 seafoods and sake at Soraepogu Haenam

I had a huge course meal at Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch (소래포구해남수산 구월점), a sashimi restaurant in Guwol-dong, Incheon! Let's get right into it.

Where is Soraepogu Haenam Susan Guwol branch, and what are its hours?

Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch is an 8-minute walk from Exit 5 of City Hall Station on Incheon Line 1, on the first floor of The Class 1st Officetel building. It's also close to Incheon City Hall and the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, so it's a good choice for a Guwol-dong company dinner or a sashimi restaurant recommendation.

• Hours 10:00–22:00 (weekday break time 15:00–16:00)
• Closed every Sunday
• Parking available in front of the restaurant
• Naver Reservation available
• Private rooms hold up to 24 people

"Soraepogu" is written small, while the "Haenam Susan" (해남수산) sign stands out clearly~ And true to a Guwol-dong sashimi restaurant, there were tanks full of all kinds of seafood at the entrance.

How many people fit in the private rooms at Soraepogu Haenam Susan?

Almost all of the seating at Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch is in private rooms. There are about 6 rooms inside, each holding up to 24 people. There's also a space near the entrance where you can sit down right away for a simple meal or menu items.

When you walk in, the chef is busily preparing course dishes on the right~ The rooms are roomy, so it's a great spot for a Guwol-dong company dinner, year-end party or wedding invitation get-together!

Soraepogu Haenam Susan menu and drinks: what we ordered

Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch has everything from a lunch special (also available at dinner) to sashimi courses starting at a good-value ₩38,000. A staff member brings the menu for you to order.

Everything can also be ordered à la carte. The drinks list has soju, beer, Cheongha, Baekseju and more, plus distilled spirits like Iljin Jinro and Hwayo, and even sake that goes well with raw fish.

• Course B (₩48,000) for 2
• Sen 300 (₩10,000)

That was our order!

What comes first in the 12-stage Course B?

Course B at Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch comes in 12 stages, and it starts with seaweed soup and mesangi abalone porridge (porridge with fine seaweed). It warmed me up as the weather turned chilly. The mesangi wasn't overdone, so it was just the right amount.

Squid mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), grilled herring, corn cheese and fried mushrooms

Next came squid mulhoe (chilled raw squid soup). Going straight from a hot dish to a cold one felt a little odd~ but it even had somyeon (thin wheat noodles) in it, and squid mulhoe isn't common, so I really enjoyed it. There was slush-like ice floating in it, the squid had a crunchy bite, so good! The sauce isn't harsh either.

Next was grilled herring! The herring was really plump, and it was nice to have something warm!

Corn cheese and mushroom tempura came out too~ The enoki mushrooms were fried super crispy! The batter was thin, and instead of soy sauce they put a thick sauce on top of the tempura, so it was super easy to eat!

How is the Sen 300 sake served?

The Sen 300 sake I ordered (₩10,000) arrived right about then, with a small 300ml tokkuri (sake flask) and a cup served separately. Drinking from the pretty jade-colored flask really set the mood! I'm at the age where I'm over soju~ I mean, we work to earn money to spend on good drinks like this, right!

What's in the 10-kind seafood platter?

The main part of Course B at Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch is 10 or more kinds of seafood and 3 kinds of live and aged sashimi. While you're busy eating the skkidashi (starter dishes)~ the main dishes arrive!!

• Scallop
• Sea pineapple (bidan-meongge)
• Sea squirt (meongge)
• Sweet shrimp
• Octopus
• Shrimp
• Abalone
• Horned turban shell
• Live octopus (sannakji)
• Eel

Ten kinds, all neatly prepared! I started with the abalone sashimi I love~ The chewy texture was so good, I highly recommend this Guwol-dong sashimi spot!

I personally love it so much that live octopus is always my number one seafood! There was a really generous amount, so I think I ate almost all of it?!?! haha The scallop came with garlic and a little chogochujang (sweet-and-sour chili sauce), and popped in one bite it wasn't fishy at all. The sea pineapple was my first time trying it, and after eating it I thought I couldn't go back to regular sea squirt! The sea aroma is really strong, so good!

Three live and aged sashimi: flatfish, red sea bream and amberjack

The sashimi in Course B at Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch was 3 kinds, flatfish (gwangeo), amberjack and red sea bream, served both live and aged. The 3 pieces on the left are aged, the 3 on the right are live, and the bottom one was flatfish cut together with the fin, so you get the chewy engawa texture.

They gave us seasoned oil dip, white kimchi and seasoned laver, and explained that these go with the amberjack! The fresh live sashimi comes straight from the tank, which made me love this Guwol-dong, Incheon sashimi restaurant even more.

You should start with white fish to refresh your mouth~ so I tried the flatfish first. Each slice is quite thick, so it's great to chew! Alternating between live and aged sashimi~ the aged is definitely softer, so even people with weak teeth can eat it with no trouble! Dipped in the classic wasabi soy sauce, it was so good!

They also gave us aged kimchi~ flatfish with aged kimchi has a punchy seasoning and tastes great, and the matsukawa-style (skin scalded) sea bream had really chewy skin, delicious. Sea bream is counted among the three great breams, so it lives up to its reputation :)

The large amberjack, first cut that day

Last, the amberjack, which you can't skip in winter!! I've got the sickness where I have to eat large amberjack in winter~ and it turned out Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch opened its first large amberjack of the season that day!? haha Its reddish color is the giveaway, I knew right away it was amberjack~~!

Amberjack is a guaranteed good combo whether with seasoned oil, chogochujang or aged kimchi, and sashimi doesn't make you gain weight, so you can eat plenty while dieting without worry!

Later courses: flatfish sushi, maeuntang (spicy fish stew), tempura and roe rice

In the second half of Course B at Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch, flatfish sushi, a maeuntang (spicy fish stew) for two, a second round of tempura and roe rice come out in turn. The flatfish sushi in the middle had just the right amount of rice and was well seasoned.

When you're almost done with the sashimi, ask them to prepare the maeuntang~ and they make it just for 2 people! I tasted the broth and,, seriously thought about switching to soju~ It's not too spicy, with 200% heartiness! Loaded! It looks and tastes like the party will never end!

The tempura from earlier wasn't all of it, they gave us more in the second half!? Shrimp, sweet potato and onion tempura. Dipped in soy sauce or plain, it was freshly fried with a thin batter, so it wasn't greasy, and the maeuntang broth wiped away any heaviness~

Last was the roe rice, even tastier with a l-i-ttle maeuntang broth mixed in!! It comes out sizzling, so if you press it down a bit like scorched rice it tastes even better.

Coffee after the meal: is Soraepogu Haenam Susan good for group dinners?

Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch even has an ice machine, so you can grab an iced Americano after eating before you leave. A Guwol-dong, Incheon sashimi restaurant that even takes care of dessert, I highly recommend Soraepogu Haenam Guwol branch for a group gathering!