Raw fish restaurant near Yaksu Station, Seoul: ₩55,000 lunch course

Every day at lunchtime it's the same question — "what should I eat today?" Picking a menu is work, and honestly, I was getting sick of it. I was craving something different when I stumbled on this place by chance! I'd heard the lunch course was seriously packed, so I headed straight over. Today's destination: Ido Hoetjip (이도횟집).

Location and amenities at Ido Hoetjip

11 Dongho-ro 12-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Sindang-dong 381-11), South Korea. Group seating, takeout, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, high chairs, and parking are all available.

The ultimate value: a ₩55,000 course for two

The place was pretty spacious when we walked in, and it felt comfortable. It looked like it could work for solo diners, dates, and groups alike.

The moment we sat down and looked at the menu, I doubted my eyes. The lunch course for two was just ₩55,000! Given today's prices, that's genuinely a steal. We picked the flounder + salmon + spicy fish stew course. We were chatting for a bit after ordering, and then dishes just kept flooding onto the table nonstop. The table really was groaning under the weight of it all.

What about the sukidashi side dishes?

Even the basic banchan (side dishes) earned a passing grade right away. The lineup was way sturdier than I expected — high-protein beondegi (silkworm pupae) and green peas, plus crunchy cucumber and carrot, all generously laid out.

There was also gyeranjjim (steamed egg) as bouncy as pudding. Scooping a big spoonful felt like it melted the tension away — so soft, it was the perfect warm-up before the main event. Add in a clear, spicy fish cake soup, and even the basic dishes alone kept our chopsticks moving nonstop.

A neat bouquet of sashimi on a stone plate

Finally, the main dish — the sashimi — arrived. It came piled thick on a chilled stone plate. It stayed fresh and chewy down to the very last piece.

I dipped a piece of flounder into wasabi soy sauce. Chewy texture and a sweetness that came out more the more you chewed! Not a hint of fishiness — genuinely fresh.

Wrapping it in white kimchi with a dab of ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) was a whole other delicacy.

The vivid orange salmon was unbelievably soft, too. The moment it hit my mouth, the savory fat spread out and melted away. The yellow sea squirt in the middle was packed with ocean fragrance that filled the whole plate with a briny scent.

Crispy-outside-tender-inside grilled mackerel and addictive corn cheese

Next came the grilled mackerel, sizzling as it arrived! Beautifully browned and crisped on the griddle. Crunchy on the outside, packed with moist, fatty flesh inside. Usually when you order grilled fish outside, it's so salty you have to chug water afterward, right? This one wasn't seasoned heavy at all — clean and mild, and I really loved that.

It was the kind of flavor that made you crave a spoonful of rice automatically. And you can't skip the corn cheese — it would feel wrong not to have it at a raw fish restaurant. The golden-browned corn kernels popped in your mouth. Sweet and salty, so good we scraped the dish clean with our spoons.

Spicy fish stew and flying fish roe rice that pops in your mouth

The grand finale of the course is the spicy fish stew, maeuntang. It's a bubble-it-yourself system, simmered on a burner right at the table. Loaded with fragrant minari (water dropwort), the broth was truly refreshing and clean. It wasn't a broth that just imitated the flavor — it was the real thing.

Thick chunks of flesh clung generously between the fish bones. Picking it apart bite by bite was genuinely fun.

The hot stone bowl of flying fish roe rice that came with the stew was perfect too. Piled high with roe, it passed the visual test right away. The popping texture and nutty flavor filled my mouth completely.

If only this weren't lunch — soju o'clock energy

Every sip of broth, every bite of sashimi drew an involuntary sigh of admiration. "Ah, if only this weren't lunchtime..." — this was the kind of spread that made me desperately crave a cold bottle of soju. Value for money, freshness, and generous portions, all nailed by Ido Hoetjip! A guaranteed dose of happiness in the middle of a dull lunch break. Next time I'm coming back properly in the evening for a drink. If you're looking for a special, filling meal, this place is definitely worth a visit!