Jinju seafood restaurant with boneless monkfish stew: Jjimgoeul

Where are Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch and its opening hours?

I visited Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch (찜고을 가좌점) on Gaeyang-ro in Jinju for boneless agujjim (spicy braised monkfish). The hours listed in the original post are 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with a break from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Last order is at 8:00 PM, and it is closed every Sunday. There is space for about three cars in front of the restaurant.

At the time of my visit, the restaurant had only recently opened, so it was neat and clean. I heard this was the second branch after the Dongsseong-dong main branch.

What is the atmosphere like for a meal with family or friends?

The interior was spacious and clean. It seemed like a comfortable setting for a family meal or eating with friends. Each table was covered with a disposable tablecloth.

Which steamed dishes are available, and can you adjust the spice level?

There were agujjim, daegu ppoljjim (braised cod cheek), assorted seafood jjim (steamed dish), and steamed crab in different sizes, and the spice level could be adjusted. Rice is ordered separately. I had the agujjim, and I liked that it was boneless, so there was no need to pick out bones.

How much boneless agujjim was there, and what was the texture like?

The agujjim came with side dishes. I was looking forward to the combination of monkfish and bean sprouts with the spicy sauce, since I enjoy it.

The generous portion caught my eye first. There was plenty of monkfish and bean sprouts among the red sauce, especially a generous amount of bean sprouts.

The side dishes were varied as well, and they went nicely with the agujjim.

The monkfish was tender yet springy, while the bean sprouts were crunchy. My favorite combination was monkfish topped generously with bean sprouts and eaten with the sauce. It tasted spicy at first, but the savory depth of the sauce came through as I kept eating. The sauce had soaked into the monkfish well, too.

What is it like with a bowl of rice?

I ordered a bowl of rice separately, and it came with bean sprout soup. The soup was refreshing, and mixing a little of the agujjim sauce into the rice worked well too. To my taste, the sauce was not just intensely spicy; it went well with rice.

The crunchy bean sprouts coated in spicy sauce, paired with rice, made for a filling meal.

Above all, it was easy to eat because it was boneless. I thought it would also mean less hassle of removing bones when sharing it with several people. If you like agujjim but find picking out the bones tedious, this is a dish worth considering.