Incheon sashimi restaurant with corn cheese side spread: Veteran Guwol

A while back I had a get-together with friends near Guwol-dong, so I went looking for a sashimi restaurant known for fresh raw fish and seafood. I'd heard it nailed both value and quality, so I went in with high expectations — and honestly, the spread was even more generous and the sashimi even fresher than I hoped. Here's my honest review of Veteran General Fish Market Incheon Guwol Branch.

Where is Veteran General Fish Market Incheon Guwol Branch, and what are its hours?

Veteran General Fish Market Incheon Guwol Branch is about a 3-minute walk from Exit 3 of Yesulhoegwan Station. It's open daily from 11:00 to 23:00, with last order at 22:30.

• Address: 612 Injudae-ro, 1st floor, Namdong-gu, Incheon, South Korea (about 3-minute walk from Yesulhoegwan Station Exit 3)
• Hours: Daily 11:00–23:00 (last order 22:30)
• Parking: Dedicated lot behind the restaurant available (nearby public lot recommended if full)

Inside Veteran General Fish Market: the self-serve bar and the basic side spread

The hall at Veteran General Fish Market Incheon Guwol Branch is spacious with plenty of tables, making it a perfect spot for group dinners or gatherings. As soon as I walked in, the lively atmosphere and the large, well-kept tanks caught my eye. The tanks were so clean that I trusted the freshness of the fish from the moment I stepped in.

The basic spread (sudashi) here stood out from the start. Golden, fragrant griddled corn cheese, warm freshly-made pancake, and vivid red yukhoe (raw beef) salad were all served as basic side dishes. It was more than enough to sip a drink and whet the appetite before the sashimi arrived. The self-serve bar was also well stocked, so I could easily grab wrap vegetables and various sauces myself, which I loved.

What we ordered: raw shrimp sashimi, small size, 37,000 won

There's no menu board here, so I just photographed what we ordered, haha. True to having 'general fish market' in its name, the menu ranges from flounder, rockfish, salmon and red sea bream to seasonal seafood — the options are huge. Since we'd already eaten a full first round that day and this was our second stop, we wanted something light yet seasonal. We spotted fresh shrimp swimming in the tank and didn't hesitate to order raw shrimp sashimi (odori).

Shrimp sashimi (small) ₩37,000

The side dishes (sukidashi) were a fairly standard set — since the price is on the affordable side, there wasn't a huge amount. This was actually the first place I've seen that gives you pollock roe, and it turned out to be a real soju thief, haha. Eaten little by little for its salty tang, it's the perfect drinking snack!!!

How did the raw shrimp sashimi and butter-grilled shrimp heads taste?

After ordering, the neatly peeled raw shrimp sashimi arrived on ice. Even as the small size, the portion was generous, and freshly prepared as it was, you could see the plump, translucent texture with the naked eye.

Tasting a piece first, the sweet, savory flavor unique to raw shrimp spread through my mouth. There was no fishy taste at all, and the chewy, popping texture as I bit down was fantastic. Dipped lightly in spicy wasabi soy sauce or chili vinegar sauce, the drinks went down really smoothly.

And the real highlight of the raw shrimp sashimi was the separately grilled shrimp head with butter (fried)! Popping the crisp, richly grilled shrimp head into my mouth after snapping off the horns, the crunch of the shell blended with the rich, salty flavor of the innards for the ultimate savoriness. It was a great drinking snack with a totally different charm from the sashimi. Eaten little by little for its salty punch, it's the perfect snack!!! Alternating bites with it brought out the sashimi's flavor even more, and it was a match made in heaven with soju.

With snacks this good, you just can't not drink soju~!!! They also gave us lemon, so we tried squeezing it into the soju, haha.

Great meal today, I'll be back again!

Is Veteran General Fish Market worth it for a Guwol-dong group dinner?

Veteran General Fish Market Incheon Guwol Branch, which I visited today, nailed both value and flavor with fresh raw shrimp sashimi, wonderfully chewy grilled shrimp heads, a generous basic spread, and rich spicy fish stew. The staff were also really friendly, and the spacious restaurant made for a comfortable meal, so I'm definitely planning to come back for our next gathering. If you want to enjoy seasonal seafood with a good drink near Guwol-dong, I highly recommend giving this place a visit!