Hagfish BBQ for two in Dunchon Market, Seoul: Ppalgan Kkomjangeo

Why we chose Ppalgan Kkomjangeo, an old-school hagfish spot in Dunchon Market

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo (빨간꼼장어) is a famous hagfish (kkomjangeo) restaurant even in the old-school alley of great eateries around Dunchon Market by Dunchondong Station. My husband really, really likes hagfish, so after we voted in the early election, it was just the two of us heading to Ppalgan Kkomjangeo for a glass of soju.

Some women say it looks like a snake and find it gross, so they can't eat it. Lots of men can't either, I hear... Luckily I like it too, hahaha.

Dunchondong Station, Dunchon Market favorite Ppalgan Kkomjangeo giant hagfish

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo gives you the hagfish already seared over charcoal. Old-school vibes to die for, ahh >_<

The inside has serious old-school charm too, right? There were already older gentlemen soaking in their daytime drinks, haha. Still, it's a Dunchon Market favorite with lots of younger customers too.

What to order at Ppalgan Kkomjangeo

We originally planned to have the regular hagfish set, but oh no, sold out today! So we ordered 2 servings of giant hagfish with garlic.

Side dishes and tofu with kimchi while the hagfish is charcoal-seared

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo sears the hagfish over charcoal the moment you order, so the food doesn't come out fast, okay? Instead, neat little side dishes come out first.

Maybe that's why... they brought us tofu with kimchi. My soju-loving husband started sipping with the tofu and kimchi, hahaha.

The geotjeori (fresh, lightly seasoned kimchi) here is also crazy good. We refilled it 2 more times, so we had it 3 times in total. They toss it fresh each time, so you can eat it crunchy before any water seeps out. The cold cucumber soup is so good too, so refreshing to drink :)

How do you grill 2 servings of giant garlic hagfish?

This is the 2 servings of giant hagfish with garlic flavor we ordered. Being giant hagfish, it's nice and meaty. It must have been even bigger before the searing, right?

The owner explained how to grill hagfish. And when I put it on like this

he came back and rearranged it like this for us! Hahaha. You gather it in a circle over the hottest spot.

The giant hagfish cooking bit by bit, getting tastier bit by bit.

We ate the rice cakes that cooked first too. *I hear the rice cakes don't count toward the weight in grams ☺☺

How about my husband grilling the giant hagfish for us? Wherever we go he always does the grilling, so I didn't realize, but I hear lots of men don't grill the meat... Thanks, honey.

Cut it up one last time and now you can really eat the hagfish >_<

Cheers with my husband! I can't drink, so honestly I always have water, hahaha. What do you think of a wife who clinks glasses with you?

How does the giant garlic hagfish taste?

The garlic hagfish at Ppalgan Kkomjangeo comes pre-seasoned, so it's super tasty even on its own. Nutty and so good! My husband was satisfied and said several times that the hagfish here is delicious, hahaha.

Eating hagfish with sesame-oil sauce and pickled perilla leaves

The sesame-oil dip (gireumjang) matters when eating hagfish, right? I especially like piling on lots of garlic and chili. The dip makes it even nuttier and tastier, a real treat!

Wrapping the hagfish in a pickled perilla leaf is delicious too. Having giant hagfish after so long was just so good. We were already fairly full, but we added 1 serving of spicy giant hagfish.

Spicy vs garlic giant hagfish: which is better?

The spicy giant hagfish at Ppalgan Kkomjangeo comes with the seasoning already coated on the seared hagfish.

We put it on the grill and cooked it well. Flip the seasoned pieces carefully so they don't burn.

The spicy giant hagfish is good too. But if I were eating again, garlic! We both love hagfish, but garlic is tastier for us. This is really just personal taste, I think. I like my meat raw and unseasoned too. In that sense, one more vote for garlic!

3 servings of giant hagfish for two: would we go back to Ppalgan Kkomjangeo?

We finished everything to the last bite at Ppalgan Kkomjangeo. The two of us put away 3 servings of giant hagfish. We meant to add kimchi noodle soup too, but we were too full, so pass, pass, hahaha. We walked home to Amsa from Dunchondong Station.

Ppalgan Kkomjangeo, the Dunchon Market favorite by Dunchondong Station, where I finally had really good hagfish after a long time. The giant hagfish is great, but I also loved the geotjeori served as a side. We promised to come back with my husband, so I recommend Ppalgan Kkomjangeo.