Wolsan-dong sashimi restaurant with raw shrimp: Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha

It had been a while since I was last in Gwangju. I met up with a dear friend and asked, “What do you want to eat?” They said they were craving sashimi.

While searching for a great sashimi spot in Gwangju, Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Gwangju Wolsan Branch (황금회포차 광주월산점) in Wolsan-dong, Nam-gu immediately caught my eye. It was close to where we were, so my friend and I headed straight over for sashimi.

Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Gwangju Wolsan Branch 📍 104 Gunbun-ro, 1st floor, Nam-gu, Gwangju, South Korea ⏰ Mon–Sun 16:00–24:00

If you ask, “Can you get fresh sashimi in Gwangju too?” I think I can confidently say, “Of course!” There is a huge tank right in front of the restaurant, stocked with fresh fish and raw shrimp that are in season right now.

An Early Dinner Wait

Even though we came early for dinner, Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Gwangju Wolsan Branch had a wait. There was one party ahead of us, and since it was a sashimi restaurant, I thought we might be waiting a long time—but they called us after about 10 minutes, haha. Lucky!

• Salt-grilled king prawns ₩55,000
• Raw shrimp sashimi ₩55,000
• 2-person raw shrimp + live fish sashimi ₩65,000
• 2-person raw shrimp sashimi + salt-grilled prawns ₩65,000
• 2-person hamo (pike conger) sashimi ₩55,000
• 2-person hamo shabu-shabu ₩65,000
• 2-person flatfish makhoe ₩55,000
• 2-person dodari sekkochi ₩55,000
• 2-person sea bream yubiki ₩55,000
• 2-person assorted sashimi ₩55,000

Ordering Raw Shrimp and Live Fish Sashimi, Plus DIY Pancakes

There were so many kinds of sashimi that choosing was quite the dilemma. After studying the menu for ages, we ordered the raw shrimp and live fish sashimi set. While waiting for the food, we made our own buchimgae (Korean savory pancake). So much fun making it ourselves, haha.

It browned up beautifully, right? The pancake batter was so tasty that I think it would be delicious no matter how you cooked it.

Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha also puts out an incredibly generous spread of basic side dishes. They were perfect to snack on while waiting for the sashimi and raw shrimp.

The corn mayonnaise was seriously delicious too. Nom nom.

A sashimi restaurant that even serves grilled saury as a basic side dish! It was seasoned just right, and once I picked the meat off the bones, it was wonderfully savory and delicious.

I could not resist, so I immediately ordered a bottle of soju.

I was so hungry that I considered ordering a bowl of mulhoe (cold raw-fish soup), but although there was no fish, they brought out a chilled sweet-and-tangy salad dressed with vinegar sauce and packed with slushy ice. It was tart, sweet, and refreshingly cold—so good.

Thick-Cut Live Fish Sashimi and Bouncy Raw Shrimp

Our 2-person raw shrimp and live fish sashimi set arrived. The fish, sliced into easy-to-eat pieces on a long plate, had me drooling.

The live fish sashimi was thick-cut and so appetizing. Its clear, translucent flesh seemed to show just how fresh it was. The moment it hit my mouth, it melted away.

Delicious sashimi and soju are inseparable. One piece of sashimi in my mouth, then cheers right away ✨

I could not believe sashimi could be this fresh in Gwangju. You do not need to be at a restaurant by the sea to enjoy fresh sashimi at Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha!

And then it was time for the raw shrimp, which I absolutely love. Once autumn comes around, it is shrimp season, you know.

The shrimp were plump and already cleaned for easy eating, so I just picked one up, dipped it in chojang (sweet-tangy chili dipping sauce), and took a bite. Crunchy, bouncy raw shrimp. My friend discovered just how delicious raw shrimp can be, saying, “So this is what raw shrimp tastes like?” hahaha. I will never forget this flavor.

When you eat raw shrimp, fried shrimp heads are an absolute must too. How thoughtful that they fry up the heads as well 👍🏻 We thoroughly enjoyed the crispy, nutty fried shrimp heads.

₩5,000 Spicy Fish Stew with Hand-Torn Dough

After enjoying the sashimi and raw shrimp, we ordered maeuntang (spicy fish stew). It was ₩5,000, yet there was a generous amount of broth and they even gave us dough for sujebi (hand-torn dough soup).

I tore off little pieces of dough and dropped them in to bubble away, haha.

The spicy, warming maeuntang broth and chewy sujebi were a perfect match. I was honestly moved that we could enjoy this for ₩5,000 🥹

You know raw shrimp is especially delicious these days, right? Raw shrimp and gizzard shad sashimi season is back. From the fresh seafood to every single side dish, everything was so delicious that I left very satisfied with this Wolsan-dong sashimi spot, Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Gwangju Wolsan Branch! If you are looking for a sashimi restaurant in Wolsan-dong, Gwangju, I recommend it 👍🏻