Fresh cod vs pufferfish soup at Dongnae Bokjip, a Hanam restaurant

Now that the weather has turned chilly, I'm craving something hot and soupy, haha. At times like this I want a cool, clean-tasting broth rather than spicy, heavy food. So my husband and I headed to Dongnae Bokjip Hanam Misa branch (동래복국 하남미사점), a Hanam favorite! I wanted to remember it for family dinners or taking my parents out.

Where is Dongnae Bokjip Hanam Misa branch, and what about parking?

Dongnae Bokjip is at 592 Misa-daero, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea.

The parking lot is huge, so parking was easy^^

The pufferfish and flatfish by the entrance, hahaha. They look so fresh!

A restaurant with old Misa-ri charm: rooms and hall

I reserved for 5 p.m. at Dongnae Bokjip Hanam Misa branch. Being here brought back memories. It felt like the days before the Misa new town existed, when we'd drive out here to eat something good, hahaha. A bit of the old Misa-ri mood is still left, and I loved that^^

The restaurant was bigger than I expected, with separate private rooms of various sizes.

They seem good for anyone from families wanting a quiet meal to big group gatherings. If you're looking for a year-end family get-together or company dinner in Hanam, rooms like these would be really handy!

The large hall also seems great for company dinners^^

What pufferfish dishes does Dongnae Bokjip serve?

According to its own introduction, Dongnae Bokjip is a pufferfish specialist with 25 years of tradition. Besides pufferfish clear soup (bok jiri) and spicy pufferfish stew, it sells pufferfish sashimi, fried pufferfish, pufferfish skin salad and more. There are also seasonal dishes like fresh cod stew, so there's plenty to choose from.

That day we picked two clear-broth dishes.

• Fresh cod clear soup ₩24,000
• Fresh pufferfish clear soup ₩35,000

Side dishes and pufferfish skin salad

The basic table setting came with a variety of kimchi and side dishes, including napa cabbage kimchi, mustard leaf kimchi and green onion kimchi. Every one was delicious~ Sometimes only the main dish is good at a restaurant, but when the sides are good too, the whole meal feels much more satisfying. I liked Dongnae Bokjip for that! The staff were also friendly, so we could eat comfortably^^

The pufferfish skin salad (bokkkeopjil muchim) also came out. It was soft and slightly chewy, with a great texture, and above all it was delicious! Even better than at other pufferfish restaurants, hahaha.

Fresh cod clear soup ₩24,000, pot rice included

The fresh cod clear soup is a clear broth made with in-season fresh cod! They put plenty of mild cod meat in the hot broth. Cod is soft and mild, so it's a great fish for clear soups^^

Once the broth was boiling hard, they added minari (water dropwort). Before the cod, I dipped the minari generously in the sauce first. The sweet and tangy sauce was a treat too!

The broth is clean-tasting and soothing to the stomach, and it suited the chilly weather. Since it's fresh cod, the flesh breaks apart softly~

Best of all, the cod soup includes pot rice (solbap). A spoonful of hot broth, a spoonful of warm rice. Ah, now this is a proper meal! hahaha

Fresh pufferfish clear soup ₩35,000: how is it different from the cod?

We were at a pufferfish specialist, so of course we couldn't skip the fresh pufferfish clear soup! Bok jiri is boiled clear so you can enjoy the pufferfish's own mild flavor. It suits days when you want a cool broth that isn't harsh, rather than something rich and heavy.

Cod and pufferfish are both mild white fish, but each has its own charm, so ordering both worked well. Eating the cod soup and pufferfish soup side by side felt like really enjoying hot soup to the fullest^^

For days you crave hot soup

Fresh cod soup and fresh pufferfish soup with my husband on a chilly evening. It's not flashy or intense food, but the clean, mild broth with tasty side dishes made it a really satisfying meal. If you're looking for a family dinner or gathering spot in Hanam, Dongnae Bokjip is a good choice. Next time I want to try other pufferfish dishes! hahaha