Yongin Suji food alley monkfish stew, a soju second round: Nojak

Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim: a second-round soju spot near Suji-gu Office Station

A friend from Busan came to visit my neighborhood for the first time in ages. We had a light drink for round one, then spent a long while debating where to go for round two. Since she had come from far away, I wanted to treat her to something really good. I wandered around the local food alley and a newly opened agu-jjim (spicy braised monkfish) place caught my eye. Busan people can be picky about seafood, so I was a little nervous, but long story short, it was a total success! My friend kept saying the sauce was insane while knocking back soju, and I felt weirdly proud. Haha.

How to get to Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim and where to park

The restaurant is inside the food alley, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Suji-gu Office Station on the Shinbundang Line. It is easy to find, and the clean signboard helped us spot it quickly. There are a few parking spaces right in front, but it is a food alley, so the space is not big.

Maybe because it just opened, the inside was very pleasant and hygienic. Brown tables and well-separated spaces made it a perfect place for a tidy drink. Hehe. From the first visit it had the presence of a proper seafood stew specialist in Yongin Suji.

Choosing the menu and spice level at Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim

Looking over the menu after sitting down, I saw a real variety, from Hanwoo beef intestine agu-jjim to boneless, gon-i (fish roe) and mixed stew. For a clean soju snack in round two, we ordered the signature dish. I also liked that the spice can be set in detail from level 0 to 4. We chose level 1, described as about as spicy as Shin Ramyun!

Free side dishes, including grilled bakdae fish

After we ordered, the side dishes were set out, and I was genuinely surprised by the lineup. Seaweed soup, cabbage salad and white kimchi are standard, and then there are little silkworm pupae (beondegi) and, believe it or not, grilled baekdaegu (a flat fish) as a freebie! One bite of that golden grilled fish and I felt I could finish half a bottle of soju on it alone. If you run out of sides, you can help yourself at the self-serve bar, which was great.

Small agu-jjim: how were the monkfish and the sauce?

When the main dish finally arrived, my jaw dropped at the look of it. Even though we ordered the small size, the portion was generous and the monkfish was very plump. It was not a fake agu-jjim full of nothing but bean sprouts; it was packed with thick chunks of fish, which moved me. I picked up a piece and dipped it in wasabi soy sauce, and wow, the flesh was so soft and springy!

The sauce was not artificial or harshly hot, but a deep, savory spiciness, so I couldn't put my chopsticks down. The aroma of minari (water dropwort) rose fragrantly, and the crunchy texture of mideodeok (sea squirts) was the best. After one bite my Busan friend said, "This sauce is the real deal," and kept exclaiming, while I silently shouted yes! Haha.

To tone down the heat midway, we added a side of fluffy steamed egg, and the combination was totally nice! Also, after tasting this generous portion and savory sauce, I naturally thought I must try their seafood stew (haemul-jjim) next time.

Is the fried rice finish worth ordering?

We were about to burst, but no matter how full you are, a meal isn't properly finished without fried rice, right? Here the fried rice comes out already stir-fried in the kitchen, with the surface slightly crisped and stuck to the pan, so the texture is art. Adding a bit more of the leftover sauce on top made the nuttiness and spiciness explode. T_T

Seriously, I would have regretted it for life if I hadn't ordered the fried rice. The two of us clinked soju glasses and scraped the rice clean. Taste, portion and service were all satisfying, and we left patting our bellies and laughing happily.

Would I go back to Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim?

This place lacked nothing, from the side dishes to the main dish to the closing fried rice: a perfect neighborhood restaurant. Thanks to the clean atmosphere and friendly service, I will surely come back for a gathering with friends or family soon. Next time I plan to add the fish roe and go for a spicy seafood stew combo with soju! If you're looking for agu-jjim or seafood dishes with truly tasty sauce near Suji-gu Office, don't hesitate, I highly recommend it! Thumbs up!

There are lots of karaoke rooms nearby too, so that was round three, and we ran until 1 a.m. The end of the review.