Mokpo flatfish sashimi house: seafood spread for two at Jeonghwane

While traveling in Mokpo, I heard about a sashimi restaurant where you can look out toward the Mokpo sea, see the live fish with your own eyes, and get a very special spread. So off I went.

Even before visiting, I'd read plenty of reviews saying the table legs nearly broke under all the food, and that the variety of fresh seafood made it one of the most memorable parts of a Mokpo trip. I went with high expectations too. Shall we take a look at Jeonghwane (정화네), the place I now think of whenever I think of Mokpo sashimi?

How does Jeonghwane, the Mokpo sashimi house, work?

Jeonghwane isn't a standalone restaurant building. It's one of the many shops inside Mokpo Live Fish Market Plaza. You order the side-dish spread and the fish you pick out separately, then combine them into one big table, which gave it a rather unusual feel.

It was busy the day we visited. Jeonghwane displays photos from its appearances in various media, and you can try different flavors, even mineo (croaker), which is only in season right now. The live fish looked really healthy when I saw them in person, and the way they flopped around the moment they came out of the water was so lively that I still remember it now that the trip is over.

Which spread should you order at Jeonghwane?

You can choose from the basic haemul-charim (seafood set) up to the bansang-charim (half set) and hansang-charim (full set). For two people, I'd say go a little lighter on the fish and pick the bansang-charim. When we visited, seafood prices were posted as in the photo above, and the incoming fish are so big that plenty of them weigh around 2kg.

What makes Jeonghwane different from other places isn't just the sashimi but the spread. The sets you can order are absolutely top-tier, practically a seafood party. So when two people come, I think it's best to pick a smaller amount of fish and go with something like the bansang-charim.

Can you trust how the live fish is weighed?

At Jeonghwane, the fish is placed on a 1kg tray provided by the city, so you can watch the water drain off naturally and see the weight measured. People sometimes worry that shops might fiddle with the weight when weighing fish, but at least at Jeonghwane there was no need for that worry.

They also bleed the fish and slice it on the spot right after it's caught, so you can have a relaxed meal without playing any mind games about it. That was really appealing.

Where do you eat after picking your fish?

Once you've picked your fish and spread at Jeonghwane, they direct you up the stairs right next door to Restaurant No. 1. It's just on the 2nd floor, so it's no trouble to get there, and I liked that you can sit down and eat right after choosing.

For two, decide on maeuntang (spicy fish stew) later

Yudalsan Tangjip (유달산 탕집), the restaurant affiliated with Jeonghwane, charges a basic table fee of ₩5,000, and you can be fairly flexible about the soup. But when two people came, they didn't recommend ordering the soup. The reason was that the spread and sashimi ordered through Jeonghwane were already a substantial amount of food.

Of course, if you want something to go with a light drink, ordering maeuntang (spicy fish stew) is fine too, but since the basic spread is so generous, I think it's better to check the spread first and then decide on the stew.

How big is Jeonghwane's seafood spread for two?

The spread alone was enough seafood for two people to eat their fill. Looking at the basic spread that came out, we couldn't stop our jaws from dropping. It was a table that looked ready to break its legs, and I wondered whether they could really give this much as a freebie. I could see why people mention Jeonghwane when looking for a Mokpo sashimi restaurant.

With fresh abalone, scallops, nakji-horo (octopus wrapped around a stick and grilled), sea cucumber and more, it couldn't help but feel generous. I'd figured there was a reason it spread by word of mouth, but seeing so much seafood in such variety, I honestly couldn't think of a reason Mokpo locals wouldn't come here for a drink. I was just in awe.

How does Jeonghwane's flatfish sashimi taste?

The flatfish (gwangeo) we picked at Jeonghwane was very thick and firm. While we were happily eating the seafood, the flatfish we'd chosen downstairs arrived at the table a little later, and the sight of it laid out on the plate was beautiful. At the same time, adding the spread and the fish together, I got a bit anxious about whether two people could finish it all, but with so much good food, I was glad we came.

At first I was disappointed that we couldn't have mineo, the fish you can only eat in Mokpo, but maybe because the timing was right, the flatfish also felt firm and springy. I really liked that every sauce I wanted was ready: wasabi for a simple topping, plus soy sauce, ssamjang and chojang.

Jeonghwane has only good reviews — are they true?

Before going, honestly, every review was so positive that I doubted how genuine they were. But after actually seeing the spread, the sashimi, and even the seating space at Jeonghwane, I thought the reviews couldn't help but be good.

On a Mokpo trip you can visit many famous restaurants and many sashimi places, but if you're looking for a spot with a spread you can only find in Mokpo and lively, fresh fish, Jeonghwane is the place I'd urge you to visit before your trip ends.