Ansan seafood restaurant for a filling lunch: Eochongye 1beonji

Eating out has gotten so expensive lately that you start worrying about the price before you can even enjoy a proper sashimi meal, right? But the place I visited this time let us feast on assorted sashimi, hoe-deopbap (rice mixed with raw fish), and seafood ramen, and the whole time I kept thinking, “This is seriously such good value!”

It was Eochongye 1beonji, a great restaurant on Bandal Island. The sashimi was fresh, every dish was tasty, and the staff were kind too—I was already thinking about coming back as soon as we left.

Eochongye 1beonji Information

• Address: Units 109, 110, 111, 112, 23 MTV 17-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do
• Hours: 11:00 AM–1:30 AM the following day
• Break time / regular closing day: None
• Parking: Underground parking in the building

On the way out, I noticed a sign outside saying, “A place with delicious spicy fish stew.” I only spotted it after we had finished, so that was a little disappointing, haha. Everything we ate that day was good overall, so naturally I became curious about what their spicy fish stew would be like!

There is a fish tank in front of the restaurant, and it was being kept exceptionally clean. Freshness matters so much at a sashimi restaurant, so details like this naturally catch your eye. I think people who care about cleanliness in both the food and the restaurant itself will like it here!

Inside, it has a slightly different atmosphere from the typical sashimi restaurant. The stainless-steel tables and tiled walls work well together, giving it a clean yet polished feel. The chandelier lighting on the ceiling is a subtle highlight too. Overall, it was clean and comfortable, with an easygoing setting for a family meal or a gathering with friends.

Ordering Salmon Assorted Sashimi, Hoe-deopbap, and Seafood Ramen

The menu was much more varied than I expected. Along with the sashimi selections, there were child-friendly items such as children’s pork cutlet, so it seems like a nice option for anyone looking for a place to visit with kids. After some deliberation, we ordered the salmon assorted sashimi platter, hoe-deopbap, and seafood ramen.

The side dishes started arriving one by one. The salad was so sweet and addictive that I kept reaching for it without even realizing.

It was nice to see beondegi (silkworm pupae), which I had not had in a while :) The seaweed soup was also unexpectedly memorable among the side dishes! The air conditioning was blasting when we came in, almost enough to make us cold, but one spoonful of hot seaweed soup made me feel instantly warmed through. Seaweed soup at sashimi restaurants can sometimes be bland, so I was not expecting much, but the broth here was quite rich and deeply savory.

A group of older guests at the next table even asked for refills of the seaweed soup before their main dishes arrived. So apparently it was not just us who found it delicious :)

A Generous Small Salmon Assorted Sashimi Platter

And finally, the small salmon assorted sashimi platter we had been waiting for arrived! At first glance, I could not help thinking, “Is this really the small size?” The plate was filled so generously that I would have believed it was a medium.

At first, I debated ordering the mini size, but chose the small instead. When I saw the amount, I briefly wondered whether we had ordered too much—but that thought changed as soon as I tried a piece. I was so glad we went with the small! The sashimi was fresh and delicious, so it disappeared more easily than expected.

The salmon assorted sashimi platter included salmon, flounder, and two seasonal fish varieties. We were told one was sobangeo, or young yellowtail; I do not know exactly what the other was, but it had an incredibly chewy texture. I really love sashimi, but I do not know the different kinds very well... haha.

Once the hoe-deopbap and seafood ramen arrived too, the table was completely full and we had a truly generous spread.

After such a filling lunch, we kept dinner very simple that day. Maybe I should start eating lunches like this more often, haha. You naturally eat less at dinner, so could it even have a subtle diet benefit?

How Did We Eat the Flounder, Salmon, and Young Yellowtail?

Now it was time to properly dig into the sashimi. First up, flounder! I normally like dipping sashimi in soy sauce mixed with wasabi, but that day I also gave it a good dip in chojang, a sweet-tangy red chili vinegar sauce. Perhaps because the flounder was so fresh, its clean flavor and pleasantly chewy texture really came through. The more I chewed, the more subtle sweetness I tasted, and I loved that springy texture in every bite.

With wasabi soy sauce, the flounder’s naturally clean, nutty flavor stood out; with chojang, the sweet-and-sour note gave it a different charm. Since the sashimi itself was delicious, it seemed to work no matter how we ate it! My husband, who normally loves flounder, gave it a thumbs-up as soon as he tried it.

And then, finally, time for my favorite—salmon sashimi! There were three especially thick slices of salmon at the end of the platter, and just looking at them made me happy. When I put one thick slice in my mouth, its soft texture and salmon’s distinctive rich, nutty flavor filled my whole mouth.

The rich flavor deepened as I chewed, then at the end it felt as if it simply melted away! Eating it with the sauce and onions added a crisp texture and fresh taste that went so well with the salmon’s richness. The salmon sashimi was more than delicious enough on its own, too!!

This time, the young yellowtail! The owner suggested dipping it in sesame oil with salt, then wrapping it in gim (roasted seaweed), so that is exactly how I ate it. And this combination was really delicious.

The chewy young yellowtail, rich sesame oil dip, and savory gim brought the flavor to life, and I kept reaching for more. Even my husband, whose favorite is flounder, said the young yellowtail was the best thing he ate that day. Being able to taste flounder, salmon, and seasonal fish all on one plate was another appealing part of Eochongye 1beonji’s assorted sashimi. Each kind had a different flavor and texture, making it fun to choose pieces one by one—a solid choice for sashimi lovers :))

Because I love salmon so much, my husband gave me plenty of his. Thanks to him, I got to eat salmon to my heart’s content that day, haha. My son takes after me and loves salmon too, so I kept thinking of him while we ate. There are plenty of dishes for children, including the children’s pork cutlet, so I think we should come back together soon!

₩10,000 Hoe-deopbap and Seafood Ramen

And when talking about good-value sashimi restaurants in Ansan, it would be a shame to leave out this hoe-deopbap!! It costs ₩10,000, and I was honestly surprised when it first arrived. It was topped with so much sashimi that I thought, “Is it okay for there to be this much fish?” and the rice portion was generous too. Considering the price, I was very satisfied with the amount. That may be why it seems like people in the area come here for lunch often. If you are looking for a filling lunch that will not feel like a burden, the hoe-deopbap seems like a great choice.

Drizzle a round of cho-gochujang, sweet-tangy red chili paste, over it, then mix the rice, vegetables, and sashimi well, and it is ready! The crunchy vegetables and chewy sashimi combine with the sweet-and-sour sauce to really wake up your appetite.

Best of all, every big spoonful came with a generous amount of sashimi, so it really felt like I was having a proper hoe-deopbap. There was plenty of rice too, and one bowl left me completely satisfied.

Last but not least, we could not leave out the seafood ramen. For some reason, after eating lots of sashimi, I always crave spicy ramen :) The noodles were cooked nicely, still chewy rather than soft, and above all, the broth was wonderfully refreshing. I think there was a whole blue crab in it, and perhaps that was why the clear seafood flavor had infused the broth so well.

The spicy yet clean-tasting broth felt like it cleared my palate after the sashimi. A piece of sashimi, a big spoonful of hoe-deopbap, and a sip of hot seafood ramen broth in between—the combination was so good. We finished with a refreshing carbonated drink :)

Eochongye 1beonji was satisfying overall, from the freshness and generous portions of the sashimi to its varied menu. The small salmon assorted sashimi platter was plentiful, and the ₩10,000 hoe-deopbap was also loaded with both sashimi and rice, so I could not help saying, “This is the level of value you get at an Ansan sashimi restaurant?” We sampled flounder, salmon, and seasonal fish, then added spicy, refreshing seafood ramen, and the two of us ate until we were completely full. Next time, I am planning to try the spicy fish stew we missed this time :)