Hanam Misa braised pollock deboned at your table: Appa Jjim

I really never thought I'd end up eating braised pollock (kodari-jjim). Unlike my boyfriend, who loves fish, I hate the hassle of picking out bones.

Today, that whole preference mismatch got solved in one shot!!! I even fell in love with it.. ♡

Appa Jjim Main Branch location and Saturday afternoon vibe

Appa Jjim Main Branch is a braised pollock specialist in Hanam's Misa neighborhood, and there are other branches too. It's known as a top braised pollock spot in Hanam, but the main branch is in Misa. This isn't the old Misari anymore — Misa is a food-lover's paradise now.

I visited around Saturday afternoon and several tables were already mid-gathering, but the tables are spacious enough that no one bothers anyone else.

So many signs at the entrance, I wondered as I walked in.

There was also group seating inside. (Fits 10+ people, so it seems to be used a lot for family gatherings.)

What we ordered for two — small siraegi braised pollock with cuttlefish, pot rice, seafood pancake

We ordered the siraegi braised pollock (small, for 2), added cuttlefish, and added a pot rice! Feeling like we needed more, we also got a seafood pancake on the side.

* If you're eating like this, 3 people would be about right.

They quickly brought out the side dishes, and on a hot day, a bowl of cold seaweed soup (miyeok naengguk) was so refreshing — it cooled me right down.

Why drink lemonade when you can have this cold seaweed soup! They said cooking takes about 20–40 minutes on weekends, but since it was still early evening, the sides came out fast first (the seafood pancake looked absolutely glowing).

When the seafood pancake actually arrived, I let out a genuine "wow~~~" It's more like a seafood-and-vegetable fritter than you'd expect.

The size is genuinely huge, no joke.

Right as we were still marveling at the pancake, the siraegi braised pollock made its entrance! (If waiting for the cook time bothers you, it's a good idea to pre-order — book via Naver Reservations.)

WOW!!! I lost my mind!!!!!!!!!!!! Adding the cuttlefish deserves a hundred rounds of applause.

The tableside pollock-deboning service

At Appa Jjim Main Branch, when the braised pollock comes to the table, a staff member debones it right beside you, almost like carving Peking duck.... it's genuinely touching. Just like the grilling service for meat these days, apparently there's a fish-cutting service too!

Anyone who hates picking fish bones: save this post, Appa Jjim Main Branch, top braised pollock spot in Hanam!!! ☆

Braised pollock deboned with a master's touch.

A real pot rice, and how to eat it

Once the pot rice arrives too, the whole table hits its peak — these days, even at pot-rice specialist restaurants, sometimes you lift the lid and it's a fake pot rice.

But this place is a genuine pot rice!!!!

I honestly didn't know where to start eating.

I piled siraegi-loaded pollock and cuttlefish on top and scooped out a generous portion of the tastiest-looking pot rice.

Took a bite of it together with the rice.

It's also delicious topped with the side-dish bean sprouts, cut up into small pieces and mixed in.

Pulled off a hearty chunk of pollock flesh and popped it in my mouth.

Wrapped the pollock flesh in seaweed and chewed, tore, tasted, and enjoyed!

The portion is so generous and the plate so full that it made me question whether this was really the 'small' size.

Wow, really, how is the seafood pancake not greasy at all, staying crisp and crackly while being packed with both seafood and vegetables?

The pollock sauce was so good that at some point we skipped the soy dip for the pancake and started dipping it in the pollock sauce instead — human greed has no end.

Next time, seafood stew — and boxing up the leftovers

The table next to us ordered a seafood stew (haemul-jjim), and wow.... it made me swear I'd definitely come back and eat that on my own dime next time.

The owner really knows her marketing — even with a full stomach, seeing that made me instantly think 'that looks delicious?!'

Not just Hanam's top braised pollock spot but Hanam's top seafood stew spot, top monkfish stew spot, just a top spot overall!!!!!!!

My boyfriend's job has just been so exhausting lately.............. Honestly we could've eaten more slowly, but family groups kept arriving and delivery/pickup orders started piling up, so we packed the leftovers to go!! (It felt too wasteful to leave even a single bite behind.)

They also sell products like this — took a photo of it.

I'm genuinely touched, Appa Jjim, Hanam's top braised pollock spot.

It's set back from the main road rather than right on it, so I worry a lot of people might miss it. Highly, highly recommend it to everyone living around Misa!