Mokpo raw fish restaurant: 2kg wild black sea bream at Jeonghwane

Jeonghwane (정화네) is the Mokpo raw fish restaurant we visited on a two-day trip from Suwon to Mokpo. This is my honest review of picking our own sea bream at Mokpo Live Fish Hoe Plaza and enjoying 30-plus side dishes and a jiri stew.

Why we drove from Suwon to Mokpo for Jeonghwane

We suddenly had a precious two days off. After wondering "where should we go?", we boldly drove from Suwon to Mokpo and back, about 650km round trip.

The drive was easier than expected, and between the cable car and the delicious food, it was a really satisfying trip. The most memorable stop was Jeonghwane, a raw fish restaurant in Mokpo.

It's close to the Mokpo cable car Bukhang Station, so it's a handy place to stop for a meal after the ride. We were a family of four, including two elementary school kids.

We wanted to eat a lot, so we reserved the top-tier table set in advance (₩100,000 for 4) and decided to choose the fish in person.

Finding Jeonghwane inside Mokpo Live Fish Hoe Plaza

Mokpo Live Fish Hoe Plaza has many raw fish restaurants under one roof. Since we had a reservation, we headed straight for units 18-19, Jeonghwane!

Rows of tanks full of fresh live fish and seafood lined the market, and what I liked most was being able to see the live fish and choose it myself.

Sea bream instead of flatfish: 2 fish, 2kg for ₩100,000

At first I was thinking of flatfish (gwangeo), which the kids eat best. But when I asked the owner, "What's the tastiest fish right now?", he recommended sea bream (gamseongdom).

The head is big, but the flesh is really good. It's sea bream in season.

It was wild-caught and on an event price! I trusted the recommendation and went with it. We got 2 fish, about 2kg, for ₩100,000.

Best of all, they subtracted the weight of the basket to weigh it accurately. Watching them catch and prepare the sea bream right in front of us made me trust them.

How the chogojip works: ₩4,000 per person table fee

It may feel unfamiliar for first-timers. Jeonghwane is a sashimi center inside Mokpo Live Fish Hoe Plaza, so you buy the fish and then move to a chogojip (a dining room for eating the fish you bought) you're directed to. We were sent to Yudalsantang (유달산탕집) on the 2nd floor.

Jeonghwane sends up the sashimi and the whole table set, and at the chogojip you pay separately for

• a ₩4,000 per person table fee
• drinks and beverages
• the spicy stew (maeuntang)

and so on. It felt a little strange at first, but in practice it was easier than expected.

📌 How to use the chogojip at Mokpo Live Fish Hoe Plaza: it may feel unfamiliar the first time, but once you know, it's really simple.

30-plus dishes: what came to the table

After a short wait, a truly generous table was set.

The table was packed at a glance. I didn't count, but there were 30-plus dishes. You can see what came out in the photos, but it included

• abalone
• sea snail (sora)
• scallops
• spoon worm (gaebul)
• sea cucumber
• wild sea squirt (dolmeongge)
• baby octopus on a stick (nakji horong)
• skate, pork and kimchi trio (hongeo bossam samhap)
• grilled fish
• braised fish
• shrimp
• assorted seasonal seafood

and more.

I really love sea squirt, so getting wild sea squirt was personally my favorite part.

Is it okay with elementary school kids?

With a raw fish restaurant, you worry the kids won't have anything to eat, right? But surprisingly there were lots of things kids would like.

Familiar foods like fried dishes, dumplings, corn and rice cakes came out too, so our elementary school kids ate well. Even kids who don't eat much raw fish could fill up.

How does the sea bream taste? A different texture from flatfish

After eating for a while, the star of the day, the sea bream sashimi, arrived.

The flesh was firm yet chewy, and the sweetness came up the more I chewed. It's a different texture from flatfish, and I understood why the owner recommended it.

While eating the sashimi... I ended up ordering a bottle of Ipsaeju (a local Jeonnam soju) too. Which is why we had to call a designated driver to get back to the hotel, shh, don't tell anyone 😄

Finishing with sea bream head jiri stew

I was really full, but I couldn't give up the jiri stew (clear, non-spicy fish stew) made from the sea bream head.

The broth was clear and clean, with a deep flavor from the fish, and the chewy meat picked from the head was really good too. It's a non-spicy jiri style, so it was easy for the kids to share. It was the perfect way to end the meal.

Why I recommend it for a Mokpo trip

If you're eating raw fish in Mokpo, I especially recommend this place for anyone who wants a variety of seafood and seasonal dishes rather than just sashimi.

We came with elementary school kids like many families and everyone was happy, and it fit nicely into our route after riding the Mokpo Maritime Cable Car.

From picking the live fish and watching it prepared in front of us, to the generous table set and the final jiri stew, it was a meal that made this Mokpo trip even better.

Jeonghwane location and visit tips

📍 641-21 Gohadae-ro, Mokpo-si, Jeonnam, Mokpo Live Fish Hoe Plaza, 1st floor, units 18-19

⏰ Hours 10:00-20:30 (last order 20:30 / dining possible until 22:00)

• Located inside Mokpo Live Fish Hoe Plaza
• You choose the live fish yourself, then eat at a chogojip
• The chogojip table fee (₩4,000 per person), stew and drinks are paid separately
• Close to the cable car Bukhang Station, so it's easy to combine into a trip route.