Osandae Station Korean pub: live squid sashimi at Galgot Pocha

Live squid sashimi

Where is Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch, and is there parking?

Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch is behind Exit 1 of Osandae Station, right in front of The Sharp Osan Central. For parking, just use the very large public lot next door.

I had a drinking date with a childhood friend who lives far away in Osan, so I stopped by this pocha near Osandae Station. He's the type who never goes farther than his own front door, so I'm the one who travels all the way out there. He told me there's a decent pocha right in front of his place, haha.

What's the atmosphere inside Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch?

The inside is a retro interior straight out of the '80s and '90s. Haha, what is this? It's a lot of fun.

I once visited a pocha near Gangnam Station with this kind of old-school interior, and Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch has put in a lot of effort to get that retro feel too. It's totally '80s and '90s vibes, right?

Haha, he'd already finished half a bottle of soju by himself before I got there. He's holed up at home writing all the time, so of course I'm the one who has to go to him. Still, it's been a while since I enjoyed a pocha, so the long trip isn't so bad, haha.

How much is the live squid sashimi at Galgot Pocha?

The live squid sashimi (sanojingeo-hoe) at Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch is at market price, and when I visited it was ₩40,000 for 2 squid. The tanks were keeping all kinds of seafood fresh.

And the moment I looked at the menu, there it was: the squid sashimi I hadn't had yet this year!! Market price is a little scary, but ₩40,000 for 2 squid isn't bad, haha. I ordered the squid sashimi first, and since I was a bit hungry, I added grilled mackerel to go with rice and drinks.

The grilled mackerel is ₩13,000, and a whole, very big mackerel comes out. Good value, right? Haha.

What basic side dishes come out at Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch?

The basic side dishes were bean sprouts, sweet corn, zucchini jeon (pan-fried zucchini) and soft tofu stew. The bean sprouts were a bit random, but they go well with rice.

Sweet corn that everyone digs into with no complaints, zucchini jeon, and even soft tofu stew~ haha. Nice. I think you could polish off a bowl of rice with just these.

The zucchini jeon is soft, and there doesn't seem to be anything much in it, yet it's surprisingly good. You get one plate, and after that it costs extra...

The soft tofu sliding down my throat feels great. And finally it arrived: today's star, the live squid sashimi!

How do the taste and texture of the live squid sashimi hold up?

The live squid sashimi at Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch comes sliced very thin, so the legs are chewy and the body sashimi is tender. Oh~ live squid sashimi really is the golden rule, and it looks so fresh.

I really love how different the textures of the body and the legs are in squid sashimi. It reminds me of going to Sokcho with my staff about 20 years ago: I bought ₩10,000 worth of squid sashimi and they gave me a whole drum of it, haha. There was so much that we couldn't finish even a quarter and ended up packing it all back up...

Squid sashimi is best dipped in chojang (sweet chili-vinegar sauce) like this, haha. So good. It's good because it's been a while, good because it's fresh. The squid sashimi at this Osandae Station pocha is cut really well.

Now the squid body sliced thin like noodles! Nice. My wife loves squid sashimi too, and I'd love to take a plate home for her.

Haha, this live squid sashimi might even be better than what you get cut in Sokcho. I had live squid sashimi in Pohang last year, and this is much tastier.

The squid legs I love are, needless to say, great. So chewy~

Now wrapped in a perilla leaf~ haha. Yes, this is it. The perilla aroma blends with the squid sashimi so nicely.

How big is the grilled mackerel at Galgot Pocha?

The grilled mackerel (₩13,000) at Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch is frozen, but it's very big and thick-fleshed. I think one order is enough for two grown men to each have a bowl of rice. While my friend and I caught up on everything that had piled up, the mackerel arrived. Haha, that mackerel is huge.

What free service dishes did Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch bring out?

At Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch, the owner sent out grilled salmon head and mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) as free service dishes. They came while we were well into the soju, and it's honestly too much =,.=;;

Hmm... we'd already finished the squid sashimi when the mulhoe arrived. What a pity.

Under the vegetables is a mulhoe broth full of slushy ice, haha. If you have leftover sashimi, toss it in and mix, and it instantly becomes mulhoe... The service at Galgot Pocha is great.

This is the grilled salmon head. In a way it's even better than the grilled mackerel. The salmon head was grilled crispy on both sides. Awesome. Next time I stop by, I'll be eagerly waiting for this service dish.

Instead of squid sashimi, I mixed in rice and it was great. The ultimate way to finish mulhoe is with somyeon (thin wheat noodles) or cold rice stirred in like this.

Galgot Pocha Sucheong Branch near Osandae Station: great free side dishes and really delicious squid sashimi. If you're nearby, how about stopping in for a glass of soju at an indoor pocha full of old memories?