Choryang Market hagfish grill: ₩82,000 meal for 3, Gyeongbuksan
In short
Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo (경북산꼼장어) is a live hagfish grill restaurant near Choryang Market in Dong-gu, Busan, said to be a third-generation business with 60 years of history. Three people ordered the large half-and-half set (₩65,000), three fried rice, steamed rice, soju and soft drinks for ₩82,000 in total, alternating the fire-oven smoky salt-grilled hagfish and the sweet-spicy sauce-grilled hagfish with banga (Korean mint) doenjang, seasoned oil dip and lettuce wraps. To eat hagfish properly in Busan, the Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo half-and-half set followed by fried rice is the answer.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Choryang Station Exit 1 · 5-min walk (store listing, Oct 6, 2026)
- Opening hours
- Mon–Thu 13:00–00:30, Fri–Sun 11:00–00:30
- Regular closing day
- None
- Address
- 25 Choryang-ro, Dong-gu, Busan (Choryang-dong 275)
- Parking
- Paid parking lots nearby
- Half-and-half set (large)
- ₩65,000
- Fried rice
- ₩2,500
- Steamed rice
- ₩1,000
- Soju
- ₩4,500
- Soft drink
- ₩2,000
- Total for 3
- ₩82,000 (large half-and-half set, 3 fried rice, 1 steamed rice, 1 soju, 2 soft drinks)
- Price reference
- ₩82,000 ≈ $62 · ₩65,000 ≈ $49 · ₩2,500 ≈ $1.9 (2026-10-24)
as written by the visitor on Jun 4, 2026
How much did a meal for three at Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo cost?
Three of us ate at Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo for ₩82,000 in total. We ordered the large half-and-half set for ₩65,000, three fried rice at ₩2,500 each, one steamed rice for ₩1,000, one soju for ₩4,500 and two soft drinks at ₩2,000 each.
- Large half-and-half set - ₩65,000
- Fried rice - ₩2,500 × 3
- Steamed rice - ₩1,000
- Soju - ₩4,500
- Soft drinks - ₩2,000 × 2
- Total ₩82,000
What kind of place is Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo?
Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo (경북산꼼장어) is a grilled live hagfish (kkomjangeo) restaurant at 25 Choryang-ro, near Choryang Market in Dong-gu, Busan. I found it while looking for the place you think of first when you say hagfish in Busan. Word is that it has kept going for three generations and 60 years, so I went with high hopes. Being near Choryang Market, it's easy to get to, too.
Right next to the entrance I could see the brazier where the hagfish gets grilled for that wonderful smoky flavor. It looked as old as the restaurant's long history.
There were loads of hagfish in the tank out front, and we were told they're domestic live hagfish delivered from Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang.
Inside Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo
The inside was clean and tidy overall, with wooden tables, bright ceiling lights and white walls. It was cozier and more comfortable than I expected.
A grill is set up at every table, and the smell of hagfish grilling was already getting my appetite going.
On the wall hung photos of the owners across three generations, along with records of TV shows and YouTube influencers who have visited. Seeing that Hibab had been here too got me even more excited.
There was a tank with hagfish in one corner of the shop as well.
What are the self-serve bar and side dishes like?
There's a neatly arranged self-bar (help-yourself counter) in one corner of the restaurant. Wrap vegetables, sauces and side dishes were all laid out nicely, and we could take as much as we wanted.
It's a perfect setup for putting hagfish into a wrap, and I thought the wrap vegetables I brought back would be gone in no time.
After we ordered and waited, the basic side dishes were set out first. They were tidy ones that go well with hagfish.
Banga (Korean mint) doenjang and seasoned oil dip
Putting bangah (Korean mint) into the doenjang (soybean paste) and eating it with the hagfish was a great match. There was a good variety of sauces too, so we could alternate between the seasoned sesame oil dip, doenjang and more.
How did the half-and-half hagfish set taste?
The large half-and-half set (₩65,000) comes with salt-grilled and sauce-grilled hagfish piled together on one platter. The half-and-half we ordered as our main finally arrived, and it looked overwhelming.
I immediately understood why people say you get a variety of flavors at once and that the savory depth is great when the smoky flavor spreads in your mouth.
Maybe Busan hagfish are just bigger, but the flesh was plump and springy. It was a quality that couldn't even be compared with the hagfish I'd had delivered at home.
The brazier-grilled hagfish started sizzling the moment it hit the grill. The smoky aroma rose strongly and my mouth watered all by itself.
Salt-grilled vs. sauce-grilled hagfish
We enjoyed it every which way: wrapped in lettuce, dipped in seasoned oil. The sauce-grilled version added a sweet and spicy flavor, a whole different taste.
The salt-grilled hagfish kept its natural nutty flavor.
The sauce-grilled one especially: the sauce was so good, it was just so good. (Yes, I'm repeating myself, haha.)
Is the hagfish fried rice a must-order?
Order the fried rice (₩2,500) as a finish once you've eaten a good amount of hagfish. People call it a must, and it's one of the main reasons we went for half-and-half; after tasting it, I got it right away.
They stir-fry the rice on the grill soaked with hagfish oil, and the savory, umami flavor just exploded. A spoonful of rice fried with the hagfish sauce was honestly heavenly.
Final verdict on Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo
If you want to eat hagfish properly in Busan, Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo is the answer. As you'd expect from a place that has kept up 60 years over three generations, the hagfish quality and smoky flavor were exceptional. Enjoying both salt and sauce styles with the half-and-half set and finishing with fried rice made for a perfect meal.
Where it is
25 Choryang-ro, Dong-gu, Busan, South Korea부산광역시 동구 초량로 25 경북산꼼장어
Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo: hours, menu and prices →
