Busan monkfish pub in Suyeong: small suyuk plus 10,000 won jjim

Where is Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang, and what are its hours?

Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang is a monkfish restaurant at 24 Suyeongno725beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea, 1F. It's open Monday to Saturday, 15:00–23:00, and closed Sundays.

It's been a while since I had agujjim (spicy braised monkfish), a Suyeong, Busan favorite, so I went out to eat monkfish again. This time I visited Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang. There are so many good restaurants around Suyeong, haha.

What is the atmosphere like? Better for drinks than a solo meal

The atmosphere at Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang wasn't too formal — it felt like a comfortable place to eat and have a drink. There's another Sintongyeong right next door, apparently the same owner, with the same feel.

Monkfish dishes are great for a meal, but they really shine as drinking food, so it's perfect to stop by in the evening for a bottle of soju. The owner and staff were friendly too, which made the meal pleasant from start to finish.

I've had plenty of agujjim before, so this time I tried something a bit different: the agu suyuk (small size). They also have raw shrimp and gizzard shad — it's gizzard shad season, so a lot of people were ordering that. I had sashimi at Daetongryeong right next door last time, and it was really fresh and delicious too. Honestly, every kind of seafood seems good at this Suyeong, Busan monkfish spot.

Ten side dishes: enough to carry two bottles of soju

The side dishes at Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang were acorn jelly, chive pancake, cucumber and carrot, sweet potato, steamed sea squirt, corn salad, stir-fried anchovies, seaweed, seasoned bellflower root, and silkworm pupae. Every single one of them was tasty.

• Acorn jelly
• Chive pancake
• Cucumber and carrot
• Sweet potato
• Steamed sea squirt
• Corn salad
• Stir-fried anchovies
• Seaweed
• Seasoned bellflower root
• Silkworm pupae

They're all exactly the kind of side dishes that keep your chopsticks moving during drinks. Honestly, the side dishes alone are good for two bottles of soju. There's not a dull moment before the main dish even arrives.

Is the small agu suyuk enough for two people?

We ordered the agu suyuk (small). The first thing I thought when it arrived was, "Wait, this is the small size?" haha — it was way more than I expected.

There were plenty of big, chunky monkfish pieces packed with solid meat, way more than two people could finish. Above all, the monkfish felt really fresh. The flesh was firm yet tender, and I couldn't stop reaching for it.

How to eat it: dipped in the broth or in chojang

Agu suyuk is good eaten plain, but I especially liked dipping it lightly in the broth. One dip and the monkfish turns moist, sliding down soft and smooth.

Dip it in chojang (vinegar-chili sauce) instead and the flavor completely changes. The tangy, spicy kick of the chojang paired so well with the monkfish that this ended up being my favorite way to eat it.

There are bean sprouts and minari (water dropwort) mixed in too, which add nice aroma and texture.

Monkfish intestine, the best bite with a drink

There was a portion of monkfish intestine, and it had a genuinely chewy texture like real large intestine — totally my style. This is a real treat as a drinking snack.

Since it was a proper meal, we ordered rice too.

Add 10,000 won to switch the suyuk into agujjim

At Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang, once you're getting a little tired of the suyuk, you can add ₩10,000 to switch it into agujjim. I assumed they'd just add some sauce to the suyuk we'd already been eating and give it a quick stir-fry.

But once it actually turned into agujjim, it came out as a completely different dish. The portion seemed to double — it looked like they'd freshly made a whole new order of agujjim, which genuinely surprised me, haha.

How spicy is the agujjim at Sintongyeong?

This agujjim is genuinely spicy. The heat hits from the very first bite, and by the time you're a few bites in, your tongue goes numb. If you're not great with spice, be careful, haha.

Going from mild, clean agu suyuk to finishing with spicy agujjim like this — the combo is excellent. Getting to enjoy both the light, moist suyuk and the numbing-spicy jjim in one meal makes this a great fit for anyone looking for a Suyeong, Busan agujjim spot to grab drinks at.

Next time I might start straight with agujjim, but honestly, thinking back on the suyuk I had this time, I'll probably order suyuk first again, haha.