Mild-level agu-jjim dinner with wife near Yongin Suji office: Nojak

My wife and I headed out toward Suji District Office for dinner. That day I was craving something spicy that would also work as a proper meal. So we went to Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim Suji District Office branch. I'd been searching for a good agu-jjim (braised monkfish stew) spot near Suji District Office, and this is where I found what people call the best monkfish stew in Suji!

We went on a weekend evening and customers kept streaming in — we nearly ended up waiting. Today's post: a review of Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim Suji District Office branch, a place I'd recommend near Suji District Office. Let's get into it.

Location, exterior, and hours

Hours are weekdays 16:30–00:00 and weekends 11:00–00:00, and parking is available.

What's the vibe inside?

Walking in, the whole place felt clean overall. You might picture an old-school restaurant for a place like this, but it was cleaner and more casual than expected, which made it a comfortable spot for the two of us to eat. With its clean atmosphere, self-serve bar, and partitioned seats, it also seems like a good choice for family meals or work dinners near Suji District Office.

Menu board and what we ordered

Among seafood jjim restaurants in Suji, Yongin, Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim also had plenty of reviews. Looking at the menu, there was more than just agu-jjim — seafood jjim, monkfish and octopus jjim, boneless agu-jjim, monkfish roe jjim, codfish cheek jjim, and more.

But we were going for the agu-jjim! Since agu-jjim alone felt like it might not be quite enough, we added a shrimp tempura, and of course finished with two servings of fried rice. This would also be a good spot for hosting guests near Suji District Office.

A fish side dish comes as a basic banchan (side dish) — it's more of an after-taste kind of thing, not something with a particularly strong flavor.

Small agu-jjim, 34,000 won, level 0 mild

The small agu-jjim costs 34,000 won. The first thing we had to choose when ordering was the spice level. Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim lets you pick spice levels step by step, which takes the pressure off for someone like me who can't handle spicy food well. I ordered level 0, the mildest, but the first bite still turned out a bit spicy. Still, as I kept eating, I surprisingly got used to it!!

The first thing that caught my eye when the agu-jjim arrived was how generously it was piled with bean sprouts. Monkfish is important in agu-jjim, but personally I love eating the sauce-soaked bean sprouts alongside it, and here they gave a really generous amount, which I loved. This is a great spot to visit for monkfish stew in Suji, Yongin.

The most important part of agu-jjim — the monkfish meat. You could tell right away it was going to be delicious, with white flesh piled on top. The monkfish's signature clean, chewy texture was intact, and above all, it paired really well with the sauce.

A chopstick-full of bean sprouts, a piece of monkfish, and a light dab of sauce — once you start, you can't stop. This really felt like a top spot near Suji District Office.

How was the shrimp tempura?

Personally it reminded me a lot of shrimp tempura you'd get at a sashimi restaurant. Crispy on the outside, and the first bite hits you with the nutty flavor of a thick batter. That batter itself was impressive on its own. Since the agu-jjim sauce is a bit spicy, popping a shrimp tempura in between bites felt like a palate reset with a completely different flavor.

Finishing with two servings of fried rice

First off, there's a generous amount of gim (seaweed flakes) mixed in. On top of that comes the nutty aroma of sesame oil, plus the salty flavor unique to gim, and the umami really kicks up a notch. It's a different direction of umami from the spiciness of the agu-jjim sauce, so it worked really well as a finishing dish. I especially liked how the sesame oil aroma lingered subtly while the salty gim flavor backed it up. That was our meal at Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim in Suji, Yongin!

A wrap-up for the spice-shy

This visit to Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim Suji District Office branch was satisfying all around, from the agu-jjim to the sides to the fried rice. If I had to sum up what I liked most: generous bean sprouts, not overly starchy, and white, fresh monkfish meat!!

If you're spice-shy like me, try starting with level 0, the mild option. The first bite might be a little spicy, but as you keep eating, that spiciness actually starts to taste good, haha. Come try Nojak Jinseong Agu-jjim, a Suji spot for seafood jjim and monkfish stew~