Jonggak sashimi bar, aged kimchi and seafood ramen: Parang Haenyeojip

Where is Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch?

Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch (파랑해녀집 종로본점) is an aged sashimi and seafood restaurant on Ujeongguk-ro 2-gil in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Today I'm sharing my review of the meal I had near Jonggak Station! It's easy to reach from the station, and with plenty of pubs and restaurants around, it's also a convenient spot to head to a second round afterwards.

Hours, parking and other info

• ⏰ Hours: daily 16:00–01:30 (Fri–Sat 16:00–02:00)
• 🚗 Parking: not available; use a nearby paid parking lot
• ✔️ Other info: reservations, takeout, corkage, no kids zone, restroom

True to the name (haenyeo means a female Korean sea diver), the whole exterior is done in blue, so it's easy to spot even in the alley!

There's a menu board with photos and prices out front. It's handy for guests who've looked things up and reserved, but also for anyone strolling the Jonggak alleys who wants to check the menu before going in!

Reserve ahead and your table is already set

We reserved Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch in advance. A name tag with my name was on the table and the basic tableware was already set, so we were shown straight to our seats.

Interior, seating and when we visited

The inside is bigger than I expected. There are tables for two, perfect for a quiet drink, all the way up to group seating for bigger parties. We arrived around 6 pm and the place was already about half full, and by the time we left it was almost packed!

Videos of the sea play on the walls, which gives you the feeling of eating seafood fresh from a haenyeo right by the shore.

Basic sides: seaweed salad, seaweed soup and barley tea

After we ordered, we got seaweed salad and miyeokguk (seaweed soup) as basic side dishes. Having warm soup before the sashimi arrived was a nice way to fill the stomach.

What I secretly loved was the barley tea! When I drink alcohol I tend to drink a lot of water in between, and nutty barley tea goes down so much easier than plain water. On drinking days, it's these little things that make me happy haha.

Aged sashimi platter (small) ₩48,000 and half king futomaki ₩12,000

Aged sashimi platter (small) ₩48,000 / King futomaki, half roll ₩12,000

To fill our stomachs first, we ordered the aged sashimi platter and half a futomaki roll (thick sushi roll)! Ssamjang sesame-oil dip and a chogochujang (sweet-spicy chili sauce) vegetable salad is a combo that targets Koreans right in the heart,,,,,😋 Seaweed and lettuce came too, so between bites of plain sashimi we could make wraps.

Extra aged kimchi is ₩1,000

We added aged kimchi (mugeunji) too! It was ₩1,000 extra. You know how, when you keep eating sashimi, you suddenly crave kimchi? The tangy aged kimchi refreshed the palate so we never got tired of the sashimi. It also went really well with the seafood ramen we ordered later🩶

Finishing with clam-packed seafood ramen

After some drinks and a full stomach, I wanted a spicy broth to sober up. I hesitated between seafood ramen and seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), but concluded that ramen is the real hangover cure. >_<

The seafood ramen came generously loaded with littleneck clams and mussels. They gave us a separate bin for the shells and it nearly filled up, and the broth had a cool, clean seafood flavor. Ending aged sashimi with spicy ramen was the perfect drinking-food combo!!

These days some restaurants charge extra even for refills of wrap vegetables or simple side dishes. At Parang Haenyeojip you can get extra side dishes and wraps for free, which made the meal even more comfortable.

Verdict

I'd recommend Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch to anyone who wants a wide range of sashimi and seafood in one place near Jonggak Station. Besides the aged sashimi platter I ordered, the menu also had a haenyeo box, clam soup, seasonal sashimi and more. If you're looking for a sashimi restaurant or seafood spot near Jonggak Station for sashimi and a glass of soju, give it a visit❣️