Hwagok sashimi date: small platter & squid fritters, Eochongye 1beonji

On days when I'm craving sashimi, I always wonder where I can get fresh fish at a reasonable price. Eochongye 1beonji (어촌계1번지), a sashimi restaurant in Hwagok that I visited recently, solved that problem in one go.

Where is Eochongye 1beonji, and what are the hours and parking?

Eochongye 1beonji is about a 5-minute walk straight ahead from Exit 7 of Hwagok Station. It's open Monday 14:00–02:30 and Tuesday to Sunday 11:00–02:30. Parking is free after 5:30 pm, and you just need to ask the restaurant when you park.

• Getting there: about a 5-minute walk straight from Exit 7 of Hwagok Station
• Hours: Mon 14:00–02:30 / Tue–Sun 11:00–02:30
• Parking: free after 5:30 pm; ask the restaurant when you park
• Event: receipt review event (1 person: a drink; 2 people: 3 pieces of fish cutlet; 3 people: king pork cutlet; 4 people: spicy fish-bone stew)

What is the atmosphere like at Eochongye 1beonji?

Come out of Exit 7 of Hwagok Station and walk straight for about 5 minutes. You'll pass a famous bossam (boiled pork wraps) place in Hwagok before you reach it. The tank outside is said to be thoroughly cleaned every single day, and it really did look very clean.

There's a menu board out front, so I liked that you can check what they sell and for how much before going in.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was how clean it was. Maybe it hasn't been open long, but the place was very pleasant and tidy.

It's a big space with plenty of room between tables, so you can eat comfortably. Even among Hwagok sashimi restaurants, the clean atmosphere made me think it would be a great pick for a family gathering or a company dinner.

Eochongye 1beonji menu and sashimi sizes

The sashimi comes in 4 sizes, from mini to large, so you have plenty of choice. True to its reputation for freshness, they sell a wide range of sashimi, and when you just want a taste of sashimi or want to try several dishes, you can pick the mini size and enjoy it without pressure. Just from that, "great-value Hwagok sashimi restaurant" fits this place well.

Another feature of the menu at Eochongye 1beonji is that it has around 100 items. Beyond sashimi lovers, there's seafood, fried dishes, grilled dishes, steamed dishes and more, so anyone who comes will find something they like. The customers were of all ages, and I even saw a family with young kids who just came to eat a meal. That's why I recommend it to anyone looking for a family dinner spot in Hwagok.

They also run a receipt review event. It's not one per table; what you get depends on how many people are in your group! Even the review event is generous here!

Side dishes and the 4 extra sashimi sauces

At Eochongye 1beonji, hovenia water, seaweed soup, side dishes and lettuce come out first. The cold water came first, and on a hot day it was ice-water cold, and since it was hovenia water rather than plain water, I liked it even more.

These are the side dishes. The seaweed soup here is seriously good! Clean and mild, it tastes like homemade seaweed soup! I got two refills, haha.

Of the other side dishes, the one I liked most was the seaweed, or maybe sea vegetable? With its chewy bite and just-right tanginess, my chopsticks kept going back to it.

Besides the chojang (sweet chili vinegar sauce) and soy sauce already on the table, four more sashimi sauces come out: shiitake wasabi, salted cutlassfish guts, ceviche sauce and makjang (ssamjang-style paste), clockwise from the top left.

You can mix and match them for even more flavor.

Lettuce for wraps comes out too.

What did we order for two?

My boyfriend and I ordered the small mixed sashimi platter and the half-and-half squid and shrimp fritters. A staff member recommended the squid, saying it's especially good these days, but since we'd already ordered sashimi it seemed like it would overlap, so we went with the fritters. The portions were quite generous, and I thought even the mini size of sashimi would have been enough.

Small seasonal sashimi platter: flounder, plaice and salmon textures

The mixed sashimi that came out first was plated neatly and cleanly, like something from a high-end Japanese restaurant.

It came with 4 pieces of each kind, which was just right for two people.

Trying them one piece at a time, each fish's own texture really came through.

The flounder was chewy and springy, the plaice had an appealing crunchy bite, and the salmon melted softly in my mouth. Each one had a clear personality.

I think textures like these only come out properly when the fish is very fresh, and maybe thanks to the thorough daily tank care, the sashimi at Eochongye 1beonji in Hwagok was in great condition.

What does the ceviche sauce taste like?

The sauce I was most excited about was the ceviche sauce. Ceviche is one of Peru's signature dishes, and I really love it.

Real ceviche is known for the sweet-sour taste of lime or lemon, but this ceviche sauce had a strong yuja (citron) flavor. It wasn't the taste I'd hoped for, but it was an unusual, unique flavor to pair with sashimi!

Is sushi rice worth adding to a sashimi order?

The sushi rice we ordered along with it was a treat too. I strongly recommend it if you're ordering sashimi!

Topping the rice with sashimi and making your own sushi gave it a different charm.

However, the rice is so sticky that you could call it gluey, so it may not be for everyone.

Half-and-half squid and shrimp fritters: the squid beat expectations

The half-and-half squid and shrimp fritters arrived in an appetizing golden color. The batter was a little thick, but it was so crispy that the thickness wasn't a problem.

The plump, springy shrimp fritters were tasty, but...

the squid fritters in particular were better than I expected. They were firm yet chewy, and left a stronger impression than the shrimp.

I even vowed to order only the squid fritters next time.

Each piece of fritter was big too, so for two people the portion was generous enough to leave us quite full.

Who should you bring to Eochongye 1beonji?

Eochongye 1beonji is said to feature special dishes by a Japanese-cuisine chef with 30 years of experience, fresh seafood and thorough tank management. With around 100 menu items on top of that, it's a place anyone can visit and be satisfied. If you want proper sashimi at a reasonable price, I recommend visiting this spot, which is counted among Hwagok's best-value restaurants. Whether with family, a partner or friends, you'll have a good time at this Hwagok family dining spot!