Cheonan seafood restaurant, sashimi and stew: Donghae Bada Hoetjip

A few days ago, my cousin, my fiancé, and I decided to have dinner together. As we wondered what to eat, we settled on fresh sashimi and drinks for the first time in a while. It felt like sashimi alone might be a little lacking, so I looked for a good spot in Dujeong-dong where we could have warm soup as well, and that’s how we ended up at Donghae Bada Hoetjip (동해바다횟집).

We ordered the three-person assorted sashimi and haemultang (spicy seafood stew) set, had a few drinks, and left feeling completely full.

A seafood restaurant in Dujeong-dong for drinks with a group

Since it had been a long time since I’d seen my cousin, I wanted to relax and chat over drinks rather than simply have a meal. So I looked for a Dujeong-dong restaurant with a varied menu that would be easy for several people to visit. Donghae Bada Hoetjip was large even from the outside, so we spotted it as soon as we arrived nearby.

Once inside, the dining room was spacious and the tables did not feel cramped together. I saw all kinds of diners, from families having a meal to groups getting together. It seemed nice for three people like us to have drinks, and also well suited to larger gatherings.

Ordering the three-person sashimi and seafood stew set

After looking over the menu, we ordered the three-person set that comes with both assorted sashimi and haemultang. All three of us like both raw fish and soup, so we chose it right away without any hesitation. When I search for good restaurants in Dujeong-dong, I look at not only the sashimi but also what else there is to eat alongside it. I liked that Donghae Bada Hoetjip let us have hot haemultang after the sashimi. At first I wondered whether it would be too much food, but with the three of us drinking as we ate, it was just right.

After we ordered and waited, the side dishes began arriving one by one. There were so many little dishes to nibble on before the sashimi came out. I meant to eat only a little, but as we talked and picked at them one by one, I just kept reaching for more. In the end, we filled our glasses before the sashimi had even arrived.

Assorted sashimi that calls for a drink

When the assorted sashimi we had been waiting for arrived, all three of us took photos first. Several kinds of sashimi were generously arranged on one platter, and it looked delicious at a glance. The fish was sliced with a good thickness rather than paper-thin, so it had a satisfying bite. For my first piece, I tried it plain without even dipping it in soy sauce. I loved its clean flavor and pleasantly chewy texture.

Because it was an assorted platter, it was also nice to taste the different kinds one by one. Even though it had looked so generous, the platter disappeared quickly with the three of us eating.

A generous pot of bubbling seafood stew

After we had eaten a fair amount of the assorted sashimi, we started boiling the haemultang. Once it began bubbling away on the table, that spicy aroma rose up right away. Donghae Bada Hoetjip’s haemultang was generously filled with various seafood and vegetables.

Once the broth had boiled enough, I tried the seafood inside one piece at a time. At first it tasted refreshing, but after simmering longer, the broth deepened and its spicy kick came through even more.

One spoonful of broth made me think of another drink. We all said we were full, yet we kept ladling up the haemultang broth. If we had finished with sashimi alone, it might have felt a little incomplete, but having the spicy haemultang as well left us feeling properly satisfied. If you want sashimi and warm soup together at a restaurant in Dujeong-dong, I think this is a nice combination.

Final thoughts: from assorted sashimi to seafood stew

From the assorted sashimi through to the haemultang, there was plenty to eat and it was great with drinks. The sashimi included a balanced variety, making it nice to sample each kind, while the haemultang had a spicy broth that kept drawing me back until the very end. It was lovely to relax and chat over drinks with my cousin and fiancé, the three of us together for the first time in a while. If you are looking for a good place in Dujeong-dong to have assorted sashimi and haemultang together, Donghae Bada Hoetjip could be worth a visit. I’m planning to go back next time I’m craving sashimi and drinks :)