Aged sashimi bar near Hapjeong Station: sashimi of the day at Huiu

I had plans in Hapjeong, and I really wanted aged sashimi. So I went to Huiu Hapjeong, a well-loved aged sashimi spot near Hapjeong Station.

Where is Huiu Hapjeong and what is the atmosphere like?

Huiu Hapjeong is about a 5-minute walk from Hapjeong Station, at 44 Poeun-ro 2na-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's on the building's ground level, so it's not hard to find.

Draft beer is 1+1 until 7 pm at Huiu Hapjeong. The moment I saw that, I knew I was ordering two glasses. I opened the door, greeted by soft lighting, and walked in.

Mostly dacchi counter seating

Huiu Hapjeong has a few tables for four, but

the main seating is the dacchi (bar counter). My friend and I took seats at the counter.

Huiu Hapjeong menu and what we ordered

The main menu at Huiu Hapjeong has a dazzling lineup of drinking snacks, from fresh sashimi to pasta and stews. The signature "sashimi of the day" comes with a generous mix including flounder, salmon and tuna belly, so we ordered it right away. Eating only raw fish felt a bit lacking, so we added a tomato jjamppong stew (spicy seafood noodle soup, tomato version) too.

There's also a cream pasta that brings out the rich creaminess of innards, and a refreshing mugwort whelk stew, so it seems good both as a meal and as drinking food. Side dishes like matcha mochi-style tofu and karaage (Japanese fried chicken) looked handy for when you need a little more.

Drinks from traditional Korean liquor to highballs

Great food needs great drinks. Huiu Hapjeong was full of unusual, varied traditional Korean liquors and other drinks that pair with the dishes. There were quite a lot of traditional liquors and even highballs, but I'm a draft beer and soju person, so I ordered draft beer first.

Draft beer and the complimentary radish side dish

The draft beer came out first. You could tell at a glance it was poured at the golden ratio.

The complimentary side dish was braised radish (mu-jorim), which reminded me of the "Jorimping" character. I drank half my beer with just that one bite of radish.

What comes in Huiu's ₩50,000 sashimi of the day?

The main dish at Huiu Hapjeong, the sashimi of the day, costs ₩50,000 and is a generous set: two pieces each for two people. It included flounder, salmon, tuna belly, red tuna (jeoksin), smoked Spanish mackerel, East Sea baby octopus, herring roll, and ice bream (eoreumdom), plus radish sprouts and washed aged kimchi, which I adore. Paired with aged sashimi, it's art.

Ice bream and smoked Spanish mackerel

We started with the ice bream and smoked mackerel. Honestly, sea bream is my favorite, so it couldn't be bad. Delicious! The smoked mackerel had that soft mackerel texture with a subtle smoky flavor, and I enjoyed that too.

Tuna belly and red tuna

The tuna belly had fat marbling spread so finely that it looked like it would melt in your mouth just from looking. And it did melt right away. The lean red tuna was clean-tasting too, so not a single piece let the team down.

What does Huiu's tomato jjamppong stew taste like?

The tomato jjamppong stew at Huiu Hapjeong was served that day in place of the spicy fish stew, bubbling in a big earthenware pot. The moment it arrived, a fragrant tomato smell and a spicy, fire-grilled aroma hit my nose. (Nose: Ouch, haha)

When I gently stirred through the broth with a spoon, the owner's generosity was obvious. Fresh seafood like mussels and shrimp, plus crunchy vegetables, filled the pot to overflowing, so picking through it was a lot of fun.

Best of all, it has chewy, thick pasta noodles instead of ordinary jjamppong noodles. The broth soaked deep into the noodles, so it felt like eating a fancy tomato stew pasta. Hehe.

Scooping some out and eating it with the pasta noodles completed the carbs I'd been missing. With plenty of peperoncino in it, a spicy, tangy finish kicks in after the tomato's savory depth, and it was exactly my taste. Enjoying it in a small plate with the broth was perfect as a drinking snack, and it was a magical dish that soothed my stomach on its own.

Before I knew it, we kept clinking soju glasses over the tasty snacks,

and cleared three bottles of soju in almost an hour... which says how good the place is, right?

Why I recommend Huiu for aged sashimi in Hapjeong

If you're looking for aged sashimi in Hapjeong, I recommend Huiu, no questions asked. At Huiu Hapjeong every fish is delicious in its own style, which keeps the drinks flowing endlessly. I'll visit again soon.