Seafood soup with sancho pepper and soju at a Jeonpo bar, Busan: Rigo

After work I was craving fresh, chewy sashimi with a cold highball, so I headed back to Jeonpo-dong for the first time in a while. This time I visited Rigo Susan Jeonpo Station Main Branch, an aged live-fish sashimi bar near exit 8 of Jeonpo Station in Busan. I loved the fresh catch brought in every morning and the cozy vibe — let me introduce it~

Where Rigo Susan Jeonpo Station Main Branch is and when it opens

They're open 17:00–01:00, until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. This Jeonpo bar is close to exit 8 of Jeonpo Station, so it was easy to get to by subway. I took the subway too, thinking about that first drink!

Inside Rigo Susan: how busy is it on a weekday evening?

The inside of Rigo Susan has a warm, homey feel overall — perfect for chatting comfortably over drinks with friends or a partner.

The place is actually pretty spacious, but it was packed with customers! Even though the interior is fairly large, it was completely full on a weekday evening. Clearly living up to its reputation as a Jeonpo Station favorite for aged sashimi.

Sashimi platter prices and how tablet ordering works

You order comfortably by browsing menu photos on the tablet at each table. They also sell the trendy fresh raw shrimp sashimi, which I briefly considered, but I went with the signature dish — the sashimi platter.

Ordering through the tablet at every table was easy and comfortable.

• Sashimi platter, small ₩49,000
• Sashimi platter, medium ₩69,000
• Sashimi platter, large ₩89,000
• Spicy fish stew ₩5,000

I ordered the sashimi platter and the spicy fish stew!

Rigo Susan says they bring in fresh live fish from Busan every morning and age it at the optimal temperature before serving. Maybe because of that aging process, the flesh had a texture that was both tender and chewy, with deep umami the more you chewed — that's the appeal.

Interior and the restroom amenities at Rigo Susan

The interior is so cute too~

I left touched by how thoughtful the restroom entrance was. Mouthwash, floss, hair ties, cotton swabs, even a hair straightener and hair dryer — they had it all!

Daesun soju and the free side dishes that come first

Before the sashimi arrived, I ordered a drink. Since I'm in Busan, it has to be Daesun.

The banchan that comes with the sashimi platter arrived first!

Sautéed sausage, sushi rolls, shine muscat grapes, squid, sweet potato fritters, udon, corn cheese, seasoned squid, and okonomiyaki. Such a generous banchan spread that I was already filling up on delicious food before the sashimi even came out. Honestly, I was gulping down soju as a snack even before the main dish arrived. Everything was thoughtfully prepared, which made picking through it all really fun!

Seafood soup with sancho pepper added on request

The seafood soup arrived first, still bubbling away! There was a sichuan pepper option, so I asked for it separately~ Insanely savory seafood soup.

The moment I took a sip of the broth, I thought, oh, this is truly a soju thief.

Aged red seabream, salmon and young amberjack platter

At last, the main event — the sashimi platter I'd been waiting for arrived! Today's fish lineup was red seabream, salmon, and gizzard shad, generously arranged.

I couldn't believe I got to try amberjack already — I cheered internally the moment it arrived. One bite in, and I felt both tenderness and chewiness at the same time!

The more I chewed, the more the fish's natural sweetness and rich umami came through — truly delicious. The seabream's chewy texture, the salmon's softness, and the gizzard shad's clean flavor — today's combo was a great one~

A cold sip of soju, then a thick slice of sashimi — that's the ultimate combo, you all know it right?

They also gave us sushi rice, so I made my own salmon sushi and enjoyed that too.

Is Rigo Susan worth it for drinks in Jeonpo-dong?

From the quality of the fresh aged sashimi, to the generous banchan spread, to the deep-flavored seafood soup — every dish was delicious.

If you're in Jeonpo-dong looking for a good-vibe bar for proper aged sashimi and a glass of soju, I strongly recommend Rigo Susan Jeonpo Station Main Branch, a solid Jeonpo bar!