Gwangalli seafood bar in Busan: doenjang sulbap at Maenggu Pocha

A seafood pocha in Gwangalli, Busan, that blends Japanese and Korean vibes. Perfect for a seafood plate after a stroll along the pretty Gwangan Bridge. A pocha with fun little surprises hidden everywhere, not just food — this is Maenggu Pocha~

Yoshi!

Maenggu Pocha Gwang-an Main Branch: is the signature live sashimi or the seafood platter?

I had to order one of the signature menu items... and it was a real dilemma. Live fish sashimi or the seafood platter?

Inside the pocha: Crayon Shin-chan merchandise everywhere

As soon as you step inside, true to its name, you're greeted by a bunch of giant Maenggu (Crayon Shin-chan) figures. Hahahahaha, it really has that Japanese vibe. The owner seems really serious about collecting merch. Please put some Kirby in here too, next time — our Kirby and Waddle Dee are pretty cute too, you know...

Such tempting Shin-chan merch. How did they find friends with such good color and fluffiness? Dreaming of a trip to Japan at the end of this year... gotta go raid the shops haha.

How do the Maenggu coins work?

Once you sit down, you get the basic table setup and these Maenggu coins. You can trade them later for tasty snacks, and if you bet with a neighboring table and collect 5 coins, you can order a free side dish worth ₩15,000! You can also earn them by playing rock-paper-scissors with staff. Hahahaha — I should've tried that. Then I'd have had 3 coins, hoho.

We traded ours for Saekomjjang strawberry flavor, my old high school snack-shop bestie. Hahahaha

What's on the seafood platter: sea squirt, sea cucumber and abalone

Our first pick was... the seafood platter! We chose the one with sea squirt because my partner really wanted it. No regrets. The sea cucumber and abalone had that satisfying crunch. They even gave us abalone innards from a paired male and female. Well, as someone who studied marine science, I couldn't just let that go — I excitedly explained the differences between male and female abalone innards over drinks. The one letdown was that I wish the shrimp had been raw shrimp instead. But with such generous seafood and clean prep, I ate it with genuine admiration.

Busan Galmaegi soju and the hangover-drink event

Mid-meal — not sure if this is a Busan thing, hahaha, like a college-town promo — some Good Day soju promo staff came in and gave us hangover cure drinks as gifts. Yay. We were sort of forced to order Busan Galmaegi, but hahaha, I got a strike right away on the first draw, so exciting. There are also duds, but they said you get a second chance if you lose.

Oh, and I didn't know why Busan Galmaegi is a Good Day soju product, but apparently it's because they share the same manufacturer. The exact product name is Good Day Busan Galmaegi, and the maker (Muhak) developed it as a separate, region-specific product aimed at the Busan market. You might think that means it's the same as regular Good Day soju, but apparently it's not exactly the same drink either. Busan Galmaegi is classified as a general distilled liquor and uses domestic hutgae (Japanese raisin tree) extract to make it go down smoother. It also comes in 16 and 19 proof options. Hehe. Whew. This should count as making good on that hangover cure, right?! I got them two days in a row... hoho.

Doenjang sulbap: a full meal, not a side dish

I agonized over what extra side dish to order and landed on doenjang sulbap (soybean paste rice stew). It was simply the best side dish. Actually, this was really a meal. It came generously with two bowls of rice, plus reliable tofu, zucchini, onion, and meat toppings. Honestly, I ate a bowl and a half by myself. I don't usually eat much rice, but it was so good that day... A perfectly happy night in Gwangalli with menu choices on point. I'd also just won an outstanding presentation award at a conference that day, so I was extra thrilled haha.

Protect the players. Hahahahahahahaha