Haeundae hagfish restaurant for two with abalone innards: Hyejane San

Hagfish (gomjangeo, a chewy grilled sea eel-like fish) is a must-eat on a Busan trip, right? I went to Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch (혜자네 산곰장어 본점), known for its big dining hall and good reviews, in Haeundae Market's hagfish alley. Let's go together again today!

Can you see Hyejane San Gomjangeo's menu at the entrance?

At the entrance of Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch there's a menu board and very realistic food models, which made things easy to understand. You can take your time deciding on dishes and prices outside before you go in.

Waiting, seating and group dinners at Hyejane San Gomjangeo

There's a spot set up in front for waiting. It was a weekday, so we didn't have to wait.

Hagfish places inside markets often have tightly packed tables that feel stuffy, or you hear the neighboring tables too much. Hyejane San's hall is open and airy, and the tables are spaced generously, so it didn't feel cramped at all.

It has everything from 4-person tables to long multi-person tables made by pushing several together, so it easily handles family meals, friends' get-togethers and company dinners.

Group seating is at the back of the restaurant. It holds 40 or more people, so a big company dinner would be no problem. You can even draw curtains to be private from other tables, which seems perfect for groups.

How to order at Hyejane San Gomjangeo, plus the menu

You order through the table-order tablet at your table.

There are so many dishes, so think it over well before ordering!

Best order for two: the small Pick 2 Set

Hyejane San has a 'Pick 2 set' where you choose two dishes. At most hagfish restaurants you have to order one dish in a big portion, which is a dilemma if you also want seafood, so the Pick 2 set was really reasonable.

The two of us ordered the small size with grilled abalone + seasoned hagfish.

Side dishes and complimentary live octopus

After a short wait, the side dishes were set out right away. Simple, no-fuss sides with only things you'll actually eat, plus live octopus (sannakji) given as a free service. We were already blown away by this alone!

The octopus was cut into just the right size, one bite per drink, and it was really fresh!

How does the seasoned hagfish taste?

They bring the live hagfish to your table in a bucket so you can check how fresh it is first. It was so fresh you could see it wriggling, which instantly built trust. It's fully cooked in the kitchen, so there's no smell to worry about, which was nice.

The seasoned hagfish we'd been waiting for came sizzling on the hot plate, stir-fried with the house sauce and vegetables.

The crunchy, chewy hagfish texture was alive, with zero fishy smell or off-taste, just spicy-sweet. Wrapped in assorted leafy wraps (ssam), I could keep eating forever.

Grilled abalone and abalone innards: worth ordering?

The grilled abalone at Hyejane San was nicely golden with a subtle butter aroma. One bite and it wasn't tough at all, just tender and chewy. The texture was art.

Dipped in soy sauce or chogochujang (sweet-sour chili sauce), it was mild yet nutty, a great side to alternate with the spicy seasoned hagfish, spicy then mild, spicy then mild.

I don't usually eat abalone innards, but I strongly recommend eating the innards of Hyejane San's grilled abalone. The rich, nutty flavor filled my mouth and went perfectly with soju.

A Haeundae hagfish restaurant with a clean restroom

Midway through eating I couldn't find the restroom, and since it was decorated so prettily I had to ask the owner where it was. At a restaurant, especially one handling seafood, how clean the restroom is tells you how hygienic the place is, and Hyejane San earned my trust on that too.

If you're looking for a proper hagfish restaurant in Busan, I recommend Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch near Haeundae!

📍 18 Gunam-ro 41beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea, Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch, 1st floor (lot-number address: 1394-108 Jungdong, Haeundae-gu, Busan)