Gwangalli bar in Busan: 3-fish sashimi & sujebi stew at Maenggu Pocha

If you come to Busan, you have to eat raw fish, right? So I booked ahead and went, and got a sashimi set packed with fresh fish, spicy stew and even sushi rice ~ Good value and friendly staff, so I'm recommending this Gwangalli bar, Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch (맹구포차 광안본점).

• Address: 72 Namcheonbada-ro 33beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea (1st floor)
• Hours: 18:00–04:00
• Closed: Open every day

Where is Maenggu Pocha in Gwangalli and how late is it open?

Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch is right in front of Gwangalli Beach, and it's open until 4am, so it's a great place for a late evening. I've been to Gwangalli a lot, but I'd never been to this spot behind the beach, and it was packed and really hot (as in popular) haha

Why you should book Maenggu Pocha on Catchtable

There's a sign board in front of the shop so you can check the menu first, which is nice. It's so popular that a Catchtable reservation is a must ~! We booked before we came.

What are the retro atmosphere and seating like at Maenggu Pocha?

The inside has a retro, nostalgic feel, and songs from the 80s and 90s play, so the mood is really good. There are colorful string lights and old posters here and there, and with about 10 tables it's bigger than I expected, so I think it'd work for groups too.

A review event was running too, with prizes from 1st to 5th place. You scan the QR code and write a review ~ I love events like this haha

What's on the Maenggu Pocha menu?

You order on the tablet at each table, and as a proper seafood place the menu has lots of variety, so order whatever you like ~ Here's what was on the menu board.

• Raw shrimp, butter grilled crab, live fish mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), live fish sashimi set, seafood platter
• Boneless monkfish stew, Jindong sea squirt sashimi, Maepkoba, tofu kimchi samhap (tofu, kimchi and pork), spicy seafood cream pasta
• Milchi (gizzard shad) sashimi, potato pollock roe pancake, clear pollock stew, live abalone sashimi, butter samhap
• Doenjang sulbap (soybean paste rice), milmyeon (Busan wheat noodles), egg toast, sea cucumber sashimi, crab roe steam, rice balls, grilled shrimp
• A plate of flounder, sea squirt sashimi, nakji tangtangi (chopped raw octopus), samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup)
• Scallop sashimi set, braised pork rib set, boiled pork platter
• Crab stew, blanched squid, seafood pajeon (scallion pancake), dakbokkeumtang (spicy braised chicken), blanched giant clam

What we ordered was the signature live fish sashimi set (₩45,000), with sujebi added.

Free bar snacks and drinks in an ice-filled aluminum pot

The side snacks at Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch are hardtack crackers, sweet black beans and radish, and if you run out, just ask and they bring more right away.

Eek! They thoughtfully brought our drink in an aluminum pot filled with ice. Busan turned out to be more humid and hotter than Cheongju, so I was worried, but the chilled drink won me over haha

What comes in the 45,000-won live fish sashimi set, and how big is it?

The live fish sashimi set comes on a big tray, loaded with sashimi, spicy fish stew, sushi rice, aged kimchi, assorted sauces and wraps. Eek, while we waited, the star of the night arrived on a huge tray and looked even more appetizing.

The sashimi comes as an even mix, so it's great value. I thought the portion would be small, but there was lots of fish and the pieces were big, so this set is a real bargain.

Wow, can you see how fresh this fish is!? That day's set was flounder, rockfish and milchi (gizzard shad), and they say it's whatever is in season at the time haha As expected, when you come to Busan you have to eat raw fish.

Adding sujebi to the spicy fish stew

The maeuntang (spicy fish stew) that came with the set has lots of ingredients, including tofu and fish. They bring it boiling hot at first, and when it cooled while we ate, they boiled it again right away ~ The broth was really spicy and refreshing, so after finishing it we added sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) and kept going! You know spicy stew with sujebi is the best combo haha

A sashimi set with sushi rice included

The sashimi here was really chewy and moderately thick, so the texture was great, and being fresh made it even tastier. It's good on its own, but also with wasabi if you like, or on top of the sushi rice that comes with it ~ At most bars you have to order sushi rice separately, but at Maenggu Pocha it's included in the basic set, which I liked.

Is Maenggu Pocha in Gwangalli worth a return visit?

Near the entrance there are nostalgic cheap snacks like Batdureong, Kkoedori and Apollo, which made it even more fun haha The owner and staff were all friendly, and I think the sashimi set is popular because it's such good value. If you're looking for a bar to eat sashimi in Gwangalli, Busan, give Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch a try.