Bucheon Station monkfish restaurant, milt, sea squirt & cola: Haemul

Where is Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch, and when is it open?

Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch (해물특별시 부천역본점) is a stone-plate monkfish stew (agujjim) restaurant near Bucheon Station, at 440-6 Buil-ro, 1st floor, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi, South Korea. It is open daily 16:00–04:00, with last order at 03:00.

• Parking: park in the basement of Sangnok Free Zone Building, up to 2 hours free
• By car: search for Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch in your navigation
• On foot: leave Bucheon Station by Exit 3 and go straight along Buil-ro, about 5 minutes

I visited Haemul Teukbyeolsi, a Bucheon Station favorite. The stone-plate monkfish stew here is seriously good.

How does Haemul Teukbyeolsi make its stone-plate monkfish stew?

Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch became well known after its stone-plate monkfish stew was shown on KBS's Saengsaeng Jeongbotong. They say the monkfish is rubbed with salt by hand to remove the slime, then boiled with cheongju (rice wine) to get rid of any fishy smell. The seafood that goes into the stew is cleaned carefully and isn't boiled in advance, only once the order comes in.

They also remove the bones from the monkfish by hand. Still, a few may remain, so eat carefully. Come try the stone-plate monkfish stew and stone-plate seafood stew, which are made with real care. It was so good! Everything is stir-cooked in the kitchen before it arrives, but heat it once more on the stone plate and enjoy it warm.

What we ordered (provided by the restaurant)

• Stone-plate monkfish stew set (small) x1
• Boneless upgrade x1
• Stone-plate cheese fried rice x1
• Bottled cola x1

What comes with the small stone-plate monkfish stew set?

The stone-plate monkfish stew set comes with the stone-plate monkfish stew (small), steamed egg, corn cheese, flat dumplings, seaweed snack, seaweed soup and white kimchi. The stew is piled with bean sprouts and plated with boneless monkfish, milt (gonie), sea squirt (omandungi) and minari (water dropwort).

How mild is the level 1 boneless monkfish stew?

You can adjust the spice level. I ordered the default level 1, and it's not spicy at all. The crunchy bean sprouts were so good, and the boneless monkfish was very tender with hardly any bones, so I ate comfortably. Still, I'd recommend watching out for bones. The crunchy sea squirt and chewy milt were wonderful. It's fully cooked in the kitchen before it comes out, but I found it even better warmed once more on the stone plate.

Side dishes: flat dumplings, corn cheese and steamed egg

The flat dumplings (napjak mandu) are crisp and thin, and they're great with the monkfish stew. Just wrap them up like a ssam. The corn cheese had soft corn and a rich, nutty cheese, and it was so good.

The steamed egg was barely salty and as soft as pudding. When you're eating spicy monkfish stew, steamed egg is the best. The white kimchi is crisp and tangy and cuts the richness. The seaweed snack is salty and a little crispy, and it was tasty. Wrap it around white rice and it's great, and wrap it around the fried rice and it's even better.

Bottled cola, for the first time in ages

I finished with a bottled cola, and it's been ages since I last saw one! A total nostalgia cola, and the fizz wasn't too sharp, so it was lovely. From the stone-plate monkfish stew to the stone-plate cheese fried rice, I ate until I was completely full.

Is the stone-plate cheese fried rice worth ordering?

Even if you're full, the stone-plate cheese fried rice is a must to finish at Haemul Teukbyeolsi. On request, a staff member stir-fries it for you right to the end. They leave a little of the sauce, fry it up deliciously, and finish with a sprinkle of snow cheese as the final touch.

They do a torch fire show, so definitely add the smoky, nutty, chewy snow cheese. The flavor is a proper sweet-and-spicy sauce, and the crunch of the bean sprouts was so good. I was full but kept eating. It was delicious stone-plate cheese fried rice.

When I ordered the stone-plate cheese fried rice, they put on the fire show for me. They sprinkle on snow cheese, torch it for a smoky flavor and melt the cheese so it tastes even better.

How to get squid and octopus toppings at half price

At Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch, if you write a Naver receipt review, you can get the squid and octopus toppings at half price. The squid topping goes from ₩18,000 to ₩9,000, and the octopus topping from ₩10,000 to ₩5,000.

Haemul Teukbyeolsi menu and how to order

You order on a tablet kiosk at Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch. The menu runs from stone-plate monkfish stew to stone-plate seafood stew, seafood monkfish stew, seafood hot pot, mini monkfish stew, sides, and alcohol and drinks. Switching to boneless costs ₩2,000 extra. There's a good range of alcohol too. I plan to come back for monkfish stew again, it was that good.

Is there a wait at Haemul Teukbyeolsi?

At Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch, if there's a line you must sign the waiting list with your name, phone number and party size. I got in right away. On weekends, I recommend booking on Naver before you go.

Is the dining room good for group dinners or dates?

The inside of Haemul Teukbyeolsi Bucheon Station branch is spacious and clean. It's great for group gatherings, and I strongly recommend it as a Bucheon date spot too. The portion of monkfish stew was generous and it was so tasty. I ate until I was stuffed.