Balsan Station outdoor seafood platter and sea squirt: Neoul Magok

Today it's Neoul Magok, an outdoor tent seafood restaurant near Magok/Balsan stations with great atmosphere.

I was looking for a good spot near Magok/Balsan stations to enjoy seafood with a drink, and ended up at Neoul Magok! It's a place where you can enjoy a table full of fresh seafood, plus a proper outdoor tent vibe, so it worked well for an after-work dinner or a date spot. Even on a weekday, customers kept coming in and a wait even formed — it's clearly a popular seafood restaurant in Magok, haha.

Neoul Magok location, hours and parking

Neoul Magok is located on the first floor of Magok I'Park. Hours are Sunday through Friday 17:00 to 02:00 the next day (last order 02:00), and Saturday 17:00 to 03:00 the next day (last order 01:00), and parking is available.

It's easy to reach from around Magok and Balsan, and being on the first floor of the building made it simple to find on my first visit. The outdoor tent tables stretch out long in front of the store, so they catch your eye right away as you pass by!

On a nice day, the outdoor seats caught my eye more than the indoor ones. Since even weekdays can bring a wait, it might be good to arrive with some extra time if you have a particular seat in mind, haha.

What are the outdoor yajang tables at Neoul Magok like?

The real charm of Neoul Magok is definitely the outdoor tent atmosphere! It had that cozy street-cart feel, haha. It was the perfect setting to spread out a plate of seafood outside on a cool evening and have a drink, haha.

It's great for gathering with friends and also works nicely for a light drink on a date. Once the sun sets and the lights come on, it takes on a completely different feel from daytime, so it seems well suited to anyone in Magok looking for an outdoor spot with good atmosphere.

What's on the menu at Neoul Magok?

The menu centers on an aged sashimi platter and a seafood platter, with a wide range of dishes good for drinking snacks — braised seafood, soups, savory pancakes (jeon), and blanched seafood (sukhoe)!

For soup dishes, there was a whole-pot whelk soup, spicy freshwater shrimp stew, clam hot pot, steamed abalone with clams and liquor, and clam broth soup, and you could also order scallops steamed or raw, abalone steamed or raw, and blanched conch as individual items. That day, we ordered the seafood platter, ramyeon, and the octopus and minari pancake!

The free snack: old-style popped corn (gangnaengi)

While we waited after ordering, the complimentary side dish, popped corn (gangnaengi), came out first. It was the old-fashioned style I hadn't seen in a while, so I kept reaching for more, haha. It was light, nutty, and crunchy, perfect to nibble on before the main dishes arrived.

How do the seafood platter, octopus-minari pancake and ramyeon taste?

The seafood platter, which I was most excited about, caught the eye visually the moment it arrived!

On a huge plate, scallops, abalone, shrimp, various shellfish, and sea urchin were all generously piled together, so it was fun picking through the different kinds.

Of everything, the sea urchin stood out most! Its distinctive briny scent and flavor spread through my mouth right away, and it was so fresh there was no fishy edge, just clean, haha. On top of that, the texture was springy yet soft!

The scallops had plump adductor muscles that were soft and moist, and the shrimp had firm, nutty flesh too — dipped lightly in the vinegar-chili sauce, it was just right!

The octopus and minari (water celery) pancake came out huge, filling up the whole table visually!

There was plenty of minari, so its fragrant aroma really came through, and bits of octopus added a chewy bite here and there, haha. The edges cooked up crispy while the inside stayed moist!

The ramyeon had a red broth with shrimp, bean sprouts, and green onion mixed in, giving it a spicy kick with a refreshing edge.

One sip of the hot broth cleared my palate right up, and the bean sprouts made the broth taste even cleaner. Scooping up the noodles and toppings to the last bite, I felt it was a great choice to close out the meal, haha.

Is Neoul Magok worth a visit?

This was a place where I could enjoy fresh seafood in all kinds of ways while soaking in the outdoor tent atmosphere. The sea urchin and abalone, which I love, were both delicious, haha.

A place where I could see exactly why it stays busy enough to have a wait even on weekdays! It's great for sitting at an outdoor table with a drink, so I'd recommend it for a date or a gathering with friends, haha. If you're looking for a seafood restaurant with good atmosphere near Magok/Balsan stations, why not give Neoul Magok a try?