Daegu-hoedae sashimi with parents in Daegu: Hanjan Meokgo Gajami

What kind of sashimi restaurant is Hanjan Meokgo Gajami?

Hanjan Meokgo Gajami (한잔먹고 가자미) is a specialist in wild flatfish sashimi, inside Pyeongni Market in Pyeongni-dong, Seo-gu, Daegu. My parents are huge flatfish sashimi lovers, so I went looking for a good sashimi restaurant in Pyeongni-dong, and this place hit their taste exactly 🤭

True to a wild flatfish specialist, we got fresh chamgajami (marbled sole) and sekkoshi (thinly sliced bone-in sashimi), plus sea squirt and a special hoedae fish! The side dishes were generous too, perfect for a drink, and the ₩2,000 maeuntang had a deep flavor like braised cutlassfish stew. It was just heavenly. My parents fell head over heels for this Pyeongni-dong spot, so let me tell you how the meal went ➿

• On Thursdays to Sundays in October, they take only 6 reserved parties! Book quickly and go 👍
• A lotto draw event is waiting for you too!

Hanjan Meokgo Gajami hours, parking and location

Hanjan Meokgo Gajami is open daily from 11:00 to 23:00 and closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. There is parking for 3 cars in front, and the address is 1st floor, 29 Tonghak-ro 39-gil, Seo-gu, Daegu.

What kind of fish is daegu-hoedae (hoettaegi)?

Apart from flatfish, the fish here changes day by day. I got to try daegu-hoedae, said to be the treat of treats!

This is what daegu-hoedae (hoettaegi) looks like. I had only ever seen the usual rockfish, flounder and filefish, so it was new to me, but it's not something you can eat every day!! So of course we had to try it, hehe. Spoiler: my parents fell for it completely 🤭

Inside Hanjan Meokgo Gajami and the restroom

The interior has tables for four, and groups can push two tables together. It's spacious and great for drinking!

The restroom is small and separate, and as clean as the dining room. There's even mouthwash, so rinsing your mouth after sashimi and maeuntang is a nice bonus~~

What else is on the menu besides flatfish sashimi?

It's a flatfish specialist, but there's also wild octopus, sea cucumber, sea squirt, mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), rice bowls and more. Fresh, tasty food at friendly prices 🤤

How many side dishes come with the sashimi?

The basic setting runs from flatfish seaweed soup to a variety of banchan (side dishes) called skidashi, and wow, it really makes you want a drink! I took photos and more kept coming and coming..!!

Corn cheese and steamed egg came out as extras.

A little later, grilled Pacific saury came out too. So good. No fishy smell at all and grilled crisp. Since it's a flatfish sashimi place, I guess all their fish is delicious, haha.

My dad, hard at work picking out the bones

Large flatfish sashimi for ₩75,000: portion and taste

• Flatfish sashimi, large: ₩75,000
• Daegu-hoedae (hoettaegi): ₩50,000
• Maeuntang: ₩2,000
• Sea squirt: free service

With parents who love flatfish, I worried the portion might be small.. but wow, it was crazy, a big portion and just amazing. ♥♥

The flatfish sashimi here is chewy and springy. When I tried it without any sauce to see how good it was, it had a nutty flavor that was excellent. Sauce matters with sashimi, and the ssamjang and chogochujang (sweet-sour chili sauce) that come with it are homemade, so it's even tastier.

Please, please mix some extra chogochujang into the basic sauce. Ohhh~~~~~~~

Daegu-hoedae sashimi for ₩50,000: how is it different from flatfish?

The daegu-hoedae sashimi is ₩50,000 per plate, and it's not a fish you can get every time. I was so smitten with the flatfish that I wondered what that fish in the tank was, and ordered it as an extra! It's chewier than flatfish and even nuttier, a new fish for me ◡̈ Call the restaurant before you visit ✧

Complimentary wild sea squirt

We were so smitten with the flatfish and hoedae and kept marveling, so the owner gave us wild sea squirt as a free service. My mom loves sea squirt so much she buys it at the market, and somehow they knew.. >_<

The sea squirt was fresh too, with absolutely no fishy smell. My sea-squirt-loving mom couldn't stop smiling. She kept saying it was the best restaurant she's ever been to, so we ordered the maeuntang too!

How does the ₩2,000 maeuntang taste?

The maeuntang here is ₩2,000 and tastes like braised cutlassfish 🤎🤎 My dad doesn't eat rice in maeuntang, but he mixed in a whole bowl of rice!! Maeuntang is usually a fishy fish soup, so how is this ₩2,000?!!! Seriously a great-value sashimi restaurant in Daegu, amazing!

Regular flatfish vs. yellow flatfish sashimi

I wondered what the difference was between regular flatfish and yellow flatfish, and the owner just showed us right away! Truly an angel 🎶

• Regular flatfish sashimi → clean, light flavor with a chewy texture
• Yellow flatfish sashimi → firm, chewy texture with a nuttier flavor that stands out a bit more

They say yellow flatfish in particular has a great texture as sashimi, and the more you chew, the nuttier it gets!

Hearing the kind explanation while looking at the tank outside, I came to fill my belly and left having learned something too ◡̈ The fish floating on top is the daegu-hoedae.

Lastly, there's a lotto event, so let's get our hopes up-!!!

Is Hanjan Meokgo Gajami worth revisiting with parents?

Found a great flatfish sashimi place 🧡 As befits a flatfish specialist, the sashimi is really fresh, with a chewy texture and a wonderful nutty taste! It's quite far from home, but it was so good that I even took a business card.

I took my parents and felt so proud. I'll definitely be back, again and again, 200%! If I ever need to treat guests, I'll take them here for sure 🧡 If you're looking for a good sashimi restaurant in Pyeongni-dong, Daegu, go! It's incredible, you'll become a regular. 🤭