Seogwipo seafood restaurant with mackerel sashimi: Tamra Hansang

What kind of restaurant is Tamra Hansang?

I went to Tamra Hansang, a spot on Taepyeong-ro in Seogwipo known for great braised cutlassfish. Its black glass storefront with strings of bare bulbs hanging under the eaves catches your eye right away — that's Tamra Hansang.

There's a fish tank on the left side of the building with fresh mackerel swimming around — this Seogwipo favorite is actually a place I'd visited before, and it's the real deal.

Where to park near Tamra Hansang

For parking at Tamra Hansang in Jeju, use the nearby M Hotel outdoor lot.

We walked over since our accommodation was close by, but if you're driving, the M Hotel outdoor lot is about 70m from the restaurant. There's also a Naver review event running right now — a free drink and a raffle for a 10,000 won coffee voucher, worth keeping in mind.

Side dishes and Jeju makgeolli at Tamra Hansang

Before the mains arrived, a generous spread of side dishes came out, so we ordered Jeju makgeolli.

Once we sat down, the table filled up with anchovy stir-fry, seasoned mung bean sprouts, hijiki seaweed, soy sauce shrimp, and cabbage kimchi. None of it was too salty — the seasoning was restrained enough that we kept reaching for chopsticks even before the sashimi or the braise arrived. The Jeju live probiotic makgeolli (750ml) we ordered was sweet and tangy, and it paired really well with the salty braised dish.

Fried cutlassfish and grilled Jeju black pork

A generous portion of fried cutlassfish and grilled Jeju black pork also comes with the set.

A heaping pile of fried cutlassfish.

Nicely grilled Jeju black pork.

The crispy fried cutlassfish came with a tangy dipping sauce — the batter wasn't thick, so it didn't feel greasy, and the soft cutlassfish inside kept us coming back for more. The Jeju black pork that came alongside wasn't a huge portion, but it meant something that they made sure we got to try Jeju food across the board haha.

The sashimi plate: spot shrimp, mackerel, cutlassfish and amberjack

You get to try spot shrimp, mackerel, cutlassfish, and amberjack sashimi, all straight from Jeju's seas.

What could this be? A plate arrived with four kinds of sashimi beautifully arranged.

Mackerel sashimi is only edible if it's truly fresh, otherwise it tastes fishy — but Tamra Hansang's mackerel sashimi was genuinely delicious, no exaggeration. Better than some restaurants that specialize in sashimi. Getting spot shrimp and cutlassfish sashimi on top of that meant we got to try just about every kind of sashimi you should have in Jeju, which was really great.

The star of the set: braised cutlassfish and stone pot rice

The braised cutlassfish arrived with thick cuts of fish in a spicy, rich broth.

The star of the set, braised cutlassfish, had thick cutlassfish pieces deeply soaked in a spicy-sweet sauce. The radish in particular was braised so soft it disappeared before the fish did — overall the seasoning wasn't harsh or too spicy, with strong savory depth, so it seemed like something even a kid could handle without much trouble.

Stone pot rice topped with ginkgo nuts and potato also came out. The rice was fluffy and separate-grained, and once you pile on some of the braised cutlassfish sauce and flesh and take a bite, the salty-sweet sauce soaks into every grain — total rice thief, you know what I mean?

Tamra Hansang pros and cons: is the set worth it?

The strength of this Seogwipo favorite is the sheer value: for 75,000 won for two (105,000 won for three / 115,000 won for four), you get sashimi, braised fish, fried fish, dombe pork, and stone pot rice all in one set. Each side dish is well made, and the sashimi is so fresh that a place specializing in braised cutlassfish still manages to feel like a proper sashimi restaurant.

The lack of on-site parking, which means walking over to the M Hotel lot, is a minor downside, but between the friendly owner and the delicious food, this is a 100% repeat-visit kind of place for me.

★★★★★ If you want to enjoy braised cutlassfish and fresh sashimi together in downtown Seogwipo, I'd recommend Tamra Hansang. It's a solid, filling meal for a family gathering or a trip with a partner.