Guwol-dong sashimi spot, flounder–red snapper platter ₩42,000: Veteran

Once the weather starts cooling down, I somehow start craving a seat outside instead of indoors. So I went to Veteran General Fish Market Incheon City Hall Branch on a weekday evening, a bit early.

Veteran General Fish Market in Guwol-dong on a weekday evening

The store filled up fast once evening hit

Thanks to arriving a bit early, things were relatively relaxed at first. But as time passed, tables started filling up one after another, quickly.

Picking a seat wasn't hard when I first walked in, but by the middle of the meal the mood had clearly shifted. By the time I finished eating and stepped outside, the place was nearly full — you could really feel how popular it is in the evening.

There are plenty of tables set up inside, so it looked fine for a group visit too. Further inside there's also seating that feels a bit more separated, which seemed good for a get-together with friends or a work dinner.

Outdoor patio seats by the entrance

Above all, Veteran General Fish Market Incheon City Hall Branch has patio tables set up just outside the entrance. When the evening air is cool like this, it just fits to slowly eat a plate of sashimi outside rather than indoors. The outdoor tables have that particular relaxed, bustling atmosphere that's perfect for a casual drink after work. If you're into this kind of vibe, it's worth remembering as a patio-seating raw fish spot in Guwol-dong.

Frying your own kimchi pancake at the self-serve corner

Kimchi pancake you fry yourself

Besides the side dish self-bar, there was also a space where you make your own kimchi pancake (kimchijeon).

You scoop out a proper amount of batter, put it on the pan, and fry it golden yourself. I made one before the sashimi arrived. I thought it would just be a simple extra at first, but frying it myself turned out to be more fun than expected.

Waiting a bit so even the edges cooked golden, then flipping it, it came out looking pretty appetizing. Eating it right after frying myself meant the outside was slightly crispy, and eating it warm made it even better. It was especially nice to have something to munch on before the sashimi came out, and having this kind of self-serve corner really stuck with me.

What comes on the 42,000 won half-and-half sashimi platter (small)

What I ordered that day was the small size half-and-half sashimi platter. It was priced at 42,000 won, and I chose flounder and red snapper for the two halves.

For standard side dishes we got grilled saury, seaweed soup, salted pollock roe, white kimchi, seaweed, and more. Paired with the sashimi, the combination worked well.

Flounder vs. red snapper: how did they taste different?

The sashimi came with flounder on one side of the plate and red snapper on the other, so the distinction was clear at a glance. Being able to taste both at once meant even one plate didn't get boring. The flounder was clean-tasting but had a chewy texture the more you chewed it. It's good dipped in vinegar-chili sauce, but

adding a bit of wasabi brought out the flounder's clean flavor even more clearly. It was also good wrapped in lettuce, or paired with the side dishes — even the same flounder felt a little different each way. The red snapper had a somewhat different texture and flavor compared to the flounder, which made switching between the two fun. Its flesh felt a bit firmer than the flounder's, and the more you chewed, the more a nutty flavor came through — personally, I kept reaching for it.

Eating just one kind the whole time can feel a little monotonous, but having a piece of flounder, then a piece of red snapper, let me slowly enjoy comparing the two flavors. Even at the small size, the composition felt pretty good for two people to casually enjoy sashimi. When you don't want to order too many dishes and just want to eat comfortably centered on sashimi, this kind of half-and-half setup felt like the easier choice.

Is one sashimi platter enough for two, and worth a return trip?

Even on a weekday evening, watching customers keep coming in as time went on, I could kind of see why it's so busy. The season for enjoying sashimi outside in cool evening air doesn't last long, after all. If you want to eat flounder and red snapper at once, or you're looking for a place to casually enjoy a plate of sashimi, Veteran General Fish Market Incheon City Hall Branch is worth keeping an eye on.

The patio atmosphere, the self-serve kimchi pancake, and the easy-to-choose half-and-half sashimi platter all came together nicely for a dinner-plus-drinks kind of evening.

Opening hours and address

• Monday–Thursday 11:30–00:30 (last order 23:30)
• Friday–Saturday 11:30–01:30 (last order 00:30)
• Sunday 11:30–00:30 (last order 23:30)