Hongdae sashimi restaurant for live squid and mullet: Eosa Chulto

It's a Friday in the middle of July! The weather lately has been wild, rainy one minute and sweltering the next!!!

I was craving fresh sashimi with a cold glass of soju, so I sent out a last-minute invite: who wants to go eat seasonal live squid sashimi? Gather round~~~

A famous franchise is usually famous for a reason, so we went to Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch (어사출또 홍대점), well known as a budget sashimi restaurant. With squid sashimi, freshness is everything, so you have to go somewhere that does it well. This time the prices were friendly and the squid was so chewy that we left really satisfied. A great round-two spot near Hongik Univ. Station and a great-value sashimi place, I recommend it loud and clear!!!!! 🍣🥢

Where is Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch, and what about hours and parking?

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is at 8 Donggyo-ro 27-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Hosung Building, 1st floor), 3 minutes from Exit 2 of Hongik Univ. Station. It is open Monday to Saturday 11:30–23:20 (last order 22:00) and closed on Sundays.

• Hours: Mon–Sat 11:30–23:20 / closed Sundays (last order 22:00)
• Address: 8 Donggyo-ro 27-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Hosung Building, 1st floor)
• Parking: Not supported. If you really have to? The paid lot at Hyeonu Building in front of the restaurant

Eosa Chulto's pluses: a spacious, comfortable interior, easy-on-the-wallet prices, and a self-serve bar that is the ultimate in value. It's an easy walk from Hongik Univ. Station, so access is great. The blue sign really catches your eye, so it was easy to find.

What's the atmosphere at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch, and is it good for groups?

The restaurant is bigger than I expected and has lots of tables, so I thought it would be perfect for group gatherings, company dinners or a night out with friends. I loved the lively vibe typical of a sashimi restaurant and the neatly arranged interior.

Maybe because it was a weekend evening, lots of people were already clinking glasses over tasty sashimi.

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch menu and what we ordered

The menu had a really wide range, from basic live fish sashimi like flatfish, rockfish and salmon to seasonal seafood and set menus. That day we ordered live squid sashimi, a seasonal platter (flounder + mullet + flounder sechi, thinly sliced bone-in sashimi), spicy fish stew (maeuntang) and fried food.

Looking over the menu after sitting down, the value was so good that the name Eosa Chulto (어사출또) came to mind on its own! Our goal today was just one thing: live squid sashimi. So we ordered it without hesitation, along with the spicy fish stew, the mixed sashimi platter and fried food. I was already excited about loading ramen noodles into the stew after the sashimi 😋

They said it's in season right now.. so we also ordered the platter of flounder, mullet and flounder sechi!

Live squid sashimi at ₩38,000: how fresh was it?

The live squid sashimi at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is ₩38,000, and it was clean and chewy with no fishy smell at all. Not long after we ordered, the squid sashimi we'd been waiting for finally arrived.

It came out on a plate, glossy and looking chewy just from the sight of it, and everyone gasped! It was live squid so fresh it was still wriggling, and just looking at it made my mouth water.

First I picked up a piece of squid with nothing on it and tasted it. Wow... the sweetness that spreads as you chew and the chewy yet crunchy texture were crazy good! Squid that isn't fresh can be a bit limp or fishy, but Eosa Chulto's squid sashimi was clean and mild, no fishy smell at all. 👍

Dipped lightly in chojang (sweet and sour chili sauce), the tang and the springy texture went together so well that the drinks went down easy. I piled squid on a perilla leaf, added garlic, chili and ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) and wrapped it up, and my whole mouth felt happy.

What was the seasonal mullet and flounder platter like?

The seasonal platter at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch combined mullet sashimi, flounder sashimi and flounder sechi. The mullet was springy and nutty, and the flounder had a wonderfully crunchy, chewy texture.

The reddish, chewy mullet and the neatly sliced, mild flounder looked so good together that my mouth watered right away. I tried the red-fleshed mullet first, and its springy, crisp bite and nuttiness filled my mouth. Dipped lightly in makjang (thick seasoned soybean paste), the mild, nutty flavor of the mullet came out even more, a real treat!

And then the flounder, a signature spring fish that's second to none for texture! The more you chew it, the crunchier and chewier it gets, and a faint sweetness lingers, so it went perfectly with either chojang or soy sauce.

With the springy texture of the squid and the crisp, crunchy mullet and flounder together, there was no chance of getting sick of it and we kept eating. If you love sashimi, I strongly recommend this combination! They're a perfect match, and I kept exclaiming with every bite. 👏

Spicy fish stew with sujebi and ramen noodles from the self-serve bar

The spicy fish stew at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch was packed with fish bones and trimmings, so the broth was rich, and we added sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) and ramen noodles from the self-serve bar.

After filling up a good bit on sashimi, how could we skip the stew~~~ It's a must-have course, so we ordered it. A aluminum pot came out on a burner and started bubbling, and I couldn't resist the aroma of that spicy, refreshing broth.... I ran to the self-serve bar and grabbed sujebi and ramen noodles.

Once the broth had deepened, I put in the sujebi first and fished it out chewy, and at the end I dropped in the ramen noodles and boiled them well. The hot, deep broth went well with the savory flavor of the fish and felt like a hangover cure, a perfect way to finish as both a meal and drinking food. Even though it's a budget stew, it was loaded with fish bones and trimmings, so the broth was really rich! 🍲✨

Side dishes at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch

At Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch, various side dishes came out along with the sashimi.

Half-and-half shrimp and squid fry, ₩15,000

The half-and-half fry at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is ₩15,000 and comes with half shrimp and half squid.

Half shrimp, half squid: the half-and-half fry!

Tasty mullet, flounder and squid, bottoms up, cheers!

Verdict: is it worth recommending as a budget squid sashimi spot in Hongdae?

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch lets you enjoy fresh live squid sashimi and mullet and flounder sashimi at easy prices in Hongdae, so I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who cares about value.

Is there another place in Hongdae where you can get live squid sashimi, mullet and flounder this fresh and tasty at this price.. The prices are easy, the portions are generous, and the self-serve bar system is solid too, so I really recommend it to anyone who cares about value. If you're looking for a good-value sashimi restaurant near Hongdae, or you want fresh live squid sashimi with a cold drink???? Definitely visit Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch!