Haeundae Market restaurant: mild hagfish after the beach, Hyejane San

Why Hyejane San Gomjangeo in Haeundae Market after a beach day

After swimming at Haeundae Beach, we had dinner at Hyejane San Gomjangeo (혜자네 산곰장어) Main Branch inside Haeundae Market, with a hagfish (gomjangeo, a chewy grilled sea eel-like fish) and steamed clam set. We went to Busan for beach time right as Haeundae Beach opened for the season, and Busan means Haeundae, of course! Swim by day, and in the evening the hottest spot is Haeundae Market.

Hyejane San Gomjangeo draws lots of foreign visitors as well as Koreans, and the fresh live hagfish is stir-fried right on the spot, so it tastes amazing. I debated getting grilled clams, but grilling is a hassle, so I went for the easy option, steamed clams. You can add udon noodles at the end, which made it even better.

The spice level of the seasoned hagfish can be adjusted, and if you're eating with a child, I recommend the salt-grilled version!

Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch: location, hours and parking

Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch is at 18 Gunam-ro 41beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan, on the 1st floor. Walk a little way into Haeundae Market and you'll see it. It's open 15:00–01:00. Because of the street layout there's no private parking lot, so we parked at our hotel and walked over.

Haeundae Market has so much food that you can't skip it!! All the tasty stuff is gathered right here.

It's recommended by celebrities, which made it even more tempting.

You can see the fresh seafood in the tanks~

Besides hagfish, there's live octopus, grilled clams, steamed clams, raw fish, grilled shrimp and more, so you can eat to your taste.

What are the inside and the restrooms like?

The Main Branch is quite big, and there are even larger tables further inside, so it's good for group gatherings too. The interior vibe, wow... I wondered whether I was in Southeast Asia or Haeundae.

Having separate men's and women's restrooms is a plus. Most shops in Haeundae Market have no restroom, but at Hyejane San Gomjangeo you can eat comfortably.

The Pick 2 set for ₩78,000

The Pick 2 set at Hyejane San Gomjangeo is ₩78,000, and you choose two from live hagfish, grilled clams, live octopus, seafood stew, steamed clams and abalone. We picked seasoned grilled hagfish and steamed clams. The steamed clams are great with noodles added at the end.

They show you the wriggling live hagfish, tell you that's what they'll cook, take it to the kitchen, season and cook it, and bring it out. Oh wow, seeing it, there's no question about the freshness.

The basic side dishes that come out

Mild seasoned hagfish: can a child eat it?

We ordered the seasoned grilled hagfish mild and tried it with my child, who said it was still a little spicy. For adults it isn't spicy at all haha.

It had the red look I love, packed with vegetables and hagfish.

Steamed clams

Steamed clams taste even better steamed thoroughly with bean sprouts. No need to travel far for clam dishes in Haeundae; you can eat them right inside Haeundae Market.

Free shrimp, live octopus and sea squirt

We even got shrimp, live octopus and sea squirt as a free service. Delicious as expected~ The live octopus with a little sesame oil on it is nutty and tasty.

Waiting while the clams steam, snacking on the free side dishes

How long does the food take?

The seasoned grilled hagfish is fully made in the kitchen and brought out, while the steamed clams cook at your table. After waiting about 10 minutes, both dishes were done.

The seasoned hagfish looks great in that red sauce! The chewy texture and the vegetables work really well together.

I already love hagfish, so eating it in front of the Busan sea tastes even better.

Wrap it in lettuce and chomp~ that's the taste!!! It makes you think of soju haha

What's in the steamed clams?

Once the steamed clams are done, a staff member prepares them for you. There's plump octopus, blue crab, scallops and a variety of clams, and the broth sits at the bottom, so after finishing we added noodles.

The best of the clams is of course the scallop. The octopus is tender too~

The surf clams pop in your mouth, so good

The crab is yum too~ and scallops dipped in soy sauce are the truth ><

Finishing with udon noodles

We added udon noodles to the steamed clam broth. It's full of bean sprouts, so the soup is refreshing. Slurping to finish~

Is Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch worth recommending?

Lots of celebrities have been here, apparently. We tried hagfish and steamed clams together at Hyejane San Gomjangeo in Haeundae Market, and you get tasty food in a pleasant space. With fresh hagfish, grilled clams, raw fish and every other menu you could want, picking is half the fun. The staff were friendly and the food was good, so I recommend it.