Beomgye Japanese restaurant: aged sashimi course, Namhae Mulgogi

I'm a sashimi lover, so the craving hit again, and I went looking for a Japanese restaurant in Beomgye. I ended up at Namhae Mulgogi (남해물고기) Beomgye and ordered the aged sashimi set : )

Where is Namhae Mulgogi Beomgye, and how do you book?

Namhae Mulgogi is on the 4th floor of Jungang Plaza, on the central fountain side of Beomgye Rodeo! Go inside and you'll see the entrance. There can be a wait at peak times, so you can book ahead on Catchtable, no phone call needed : )

What's the mood like? Good for group dinners and dates?

Inside, it isn't a chaotic vibe at all. The wood tones and dark colors make it calm and tidy overall! Maybe that's why lots of couples come on dates, and the group seats were full of company dinner parties in Beomgye.

We waited a bit too while they got our table ready, then went in! The standard dining time is limited to 2 hours, but they said they let you stay longer if there's no later booking, so keep that in mind 🙆🏻‍♀️

What's on the menu?

The signature menu at Namhae Mulgogi Beomgye is, above all, the sashimi omakase table! It comes out course by course as a set, and the price per person is listed separately.

You can also order à la carte, and if you visit at lunchtime, this Beomgye Japanese restaurant has sushi and a mulhoe (spicy cold raw fish soup) set meal that are great for a meal.

And in the evening there's sake and plenty of other drinks to go with it : ) Sashimi pairs so well with alcohol, so everyone was happily having a drink.

The aged sashimi set starts with abalone porridge and mini mulhoe

Right after you order the aged sashimi set, the starter porridge is set out quickly!

The abalone porridge wasn't too salty, so it was nice to have warm before the meal : )

Along with the porridge came a small tasting portion of mulhoe! It suits hot summer days like these, and the sweet-and-sour flavor went down really easily.

Mix it up with a quick stir and take a big bite, and your whole body feels cooler haha.

The main aged sashimi platter, with ankimo and shiitake soy sauce

Next came today's main, the aged sashimi platter! It arrives on a big plate, generously and evenly arranged, with one piece set out per person 🙋🏻‍♀️

They explained each cut one by one, and there was a variety from white fish to red fish. Plus shiitake mushroom soy sauce and ankimo to eat with it!

Ankimo, also called the foie gras of the sea, is monkfish liver, and eaten together with the sashimi, the sea aroma really came alive and it was rich and savory.

I also tried the shiitake soy sauce on top, and it goes well not only with meat but with sashimi too, which felt fresh : )

They say Namhae Mulgogi tries to use healthy ingredients, picking fish and vegetables at the source or fresh every morning. Maybe that's why the sashimi quality felt fresh overall!

They say they use only big, thick-fleshed fish of about 3 to 15 kg, and their own aging method at Namhae Mulgogi Beomgye removes the fishy smell while bringing out the savory depth special to aged sashimi.

Sushi, clam sake steam, yuringi and grilled Spanish mackerel

I understand futomaki (thick sushi roll) is supposed to come out here, but maybe they ran out, because we just got regular sushi!

Next up right away was the clam sake steam! It's salty-savory and a perfect drinking snack.

For the fried dish we got yuringi (Korean-style fried chicken in a soy-vinegar sauce), and as expected it was crispy and chewy, so good.

Near the end came the grilled fish, grilled Spanish mackerel that looked so appetizing! The flesh was plump and oily.

Finishing with maeuntang: can you add ramen noodles?

You can't skip the maeuntang (spicy fish stew) to finish the Namhae Mulgogi set! They said extra noodles can be added, so I added ramen noodles.

The broth was super clean. Probably because the fish in it doesn't have much meat, it was just a basic, clean flavor! I finished it all off, ramen noodles included haha.

Who is Namhae Mulgogi Beomgye right for?

As the notice in the restaurant says, Namhae Mulgogi is a Beomgye Japanese restaurant you visit for quality and atmosphere rather than quantity. Give Namhae Mulgogi a try for a tidy, course-style meal!