Sauce-grilled hagfish and fried rice in Choryang, Busan: Gyeongbuksan

This is a review written after visiting the restaurant in person, recording the taste and quality honestly.

Today I'm introducing a spot where you can enjoy real 60-year-old charcoal-fire flavor and plump wild hagfish without any tourist-trap overcharging — Busan's hagfish restaurant 'Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo,' perfect whether you're traveling or on a business trip to Busan.

Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo: location, hours and parking

• Address: 25 Choryang-ro, Dong-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 13:00–24:00 (last order 23:00)
• Parking: 1 hour supported at Sintaeyang Parking Lot

A 10-minute walk from Busan Station: outside and inside the restaurant

Located a 10-minute walk from Busan Station, Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo has the weight of a 60-year-old Busan hagfish institution evident right from the entrance.

The first thing that catches your eye is the tank at the entrance. The water was kept very clean, and the hagfish that had just come in that day were moving with plenty of energy.

The interior overall feels clean and well organized. There are around 10 tables, and each one has a tablet installed, making ordering easy.

The walls are covered with a storyboard of the restaurant's 60-year history since 1963 and three generations, plus TV appearance records and autographs from famous celebrities — genuinely fun to look through.

On one side there's a self-serve bar where you can freely help yourself to perilla leaves, chili peppers, garlic, and even Jitha leaves.

Menu and prices: sauce-grilled hagfish, medium for two, ₩55,000

The menu is simply organized into spicy-sauce grilled and salt-grilled. Since I was visiting that day with my girlfriend, who had never had hagfish before, I ordered the spicy grilled hagfish, medium (for 2, ₩55,000).

As soon as we ordered, the hagfish were pulled straight from the tank and prepped by the second-generation owner. After the initial prep, she even weighed the portion on a scale at the outdoor prep station — a level of honesty and trustworthiness that put my mind at ease. No need to worry here about the 'hagfish plate full of onions and barely any meat' you sometimes get at famous tourist spots.

Charcoal-seared on a cauldron-lid grill

The real 'kick' of this place is the grill itself. It's a self-made cauldron-lid grill that's been passed down through three generations, starting with the first-generation grandmother owner — made by cutting out the center of a cauldron lid and fitting it with a perforated steel plate.

On this special cauldron-lid grill, the hagfish and onions are first seared directly over charcoal, letting that charcoal aroma soak completely into the ingredients. It was impressive enough that even foreign tourists came out to take photos and watch.

Since the hagfish is fully coated in charcoal aroma outdoors and then tossed in sauce and cooked through before being brought to the table, the smell doesn't cling to your clothes — a hugely satisfying detail.

How the sauce-grilled hagfish tastes to a first-timer

Placing a well-cooked piece of hagfish on a perilla leaf, there was absolutely no fishy or off smell — just the plump, chewy texture of the hagfish and the perfectly applied charcoal flavor filling the mouth.

The sauce was sweet and spicy, so even my girlfriend, trying hagfish for the first time, enjoyed it thoroughly. If you want it spicier, you can request that adjustment when ordering.

Topping a fragrant perilla leaf with Jitha leaf to taste, then adding a plump piece of hagfish, sweet onion, and garlic, and wrapping it all up — the sharp aroma of the Jitha leaf combined with the smoky sauce was truly excellent.

Non-alcoholic beer and ₩2,500 fried rice to finish

Even though I visited for lunch, the flavor practically demanded a drink, so I ended up having a beer. The rich charcoal aroma and sweet-spicy sauced hagfish made the perfect pairing.

I was especially impressed by the owner's thoughtfulness in stocking non-alcoholic beer for those who can't drink or who are driving. Living up to its reputation as a true Choryang restaurant with both great taste and great sense, it would also make a perfect spot for evening gatherings or work dinners.

With some sauce and onion left on the grill, I added the must-have finishing course: fried rice (₩2,500). Stir-fried with perilla leaves, seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, and even sweet corn kernels, it was a delicacy you absolutely couldn't skip, even on a full stomach.

Is Gyeongbuksan Kkomjangeo worth it? Final verdict

A place where everything satisfies — the charcoal-fire flavor proven by 60 years of tradition, honest portions, and the plump texture of hagfish with no off smell whatsoever. Highly recommended for anyone near Busan Station in Choryang-dong who wants to try proper hagfish.