Sanbon sashimi spot with croaker set & fried squid: Sokcho Fish Market

Newly opened, clean, great for group dinners. 3-minute walk from Sanbon Station. A specialist in fresh seasonal live fish.

What is Sokcho Fish Market Sanbon branch like?

Sokcho Fish Market Sanbon branch (속초어시장 산본점) is a seasonal live-fish restaurant that recently opened in the Sanbon central shopping district. I had dinner plans with a friend and headed out to the district, planning to just grab some grilled meat, but the weather was getting hot and I started craving raw fish. Then, walking around the shopping district, I spotted the newly opened Sokcho Fish Market Sanbon branch and went in!!

The clean exterior caught my eye, and there were quite a lot of customers inside, so I got curious and walked in. I like raw fish anyway, so I took a seat without much deliberation, and I came out really satisfied haha

What are the atmosphere and parking like?

The restaurant is spacious and clean, only a few minutes' walk from Sanbon Station, and right in front of the central shopping district public car park. Inside, it was tidy all over, as you'd expect from a newly opened place.

The tables were spaced generously and the space was bigger than I expected. Maybe that's why there were lots of families, and some tables looked like group gatherings. I could tell right away that it would work well for a group dinner in Sanbon. The location is great too. It's only a few minutes' walk from Sanbon Station, and it's right in front of the public car park, so driving is convenient too! The car park is a 10-second walk lol

What is on the menu at Sokcho Fish Market Sanbon branch?

The menu has a wide range of live fish: flatfish and rockfish, of course, plus mullet, black sea bream and striped beakfish. Looking through the menu after sitting down, I was surprised by how many choices there were, which made sense for a seasonal live-fish specialist.

While deciding what to eat, I ordered the croaker set (mineo hansang) that day. I'd had croaker before, but it had been a while since I'd had a proper croaker set, so I was looking forward to it.

There's seaweed soup at the self-serve bar too

The self-serve bar has a variety of side dishes and seaweed soup (miyeokguk). While waiting after ordering, I took a look around the bar. There was a good range of side dishes, and it was nice that I could grab whatever I needed without feeling awkward about it.

I ladled out a small bowl of seaweed soup and sipped it while waiting. It was richer than I expected and soothed my stomach. And before I knew it, the food started coming out!

How generous is the croaker set?

The croaker set at Sokcho Fish Market Sanbon branch brings croaker sashimi, croaker jeon (pan-fried fish patties) and croaker soup all at once, so generous that the table fills up. A staff member soon brought the set over, and I was surprised by how much more generous it was than I had expected.

Croaker sashimi, croaker jeon and croaker soup were all laid out in a row, and it looked filling just to look at?! I could see why this place comes up when people talk about Sanbon Station raw fish restaurants. I took a few photos first and then dug in haha

Croaker sashimi: thick and nutty

The first thing I ate from the set was the croaker sashimi, sliced thick and great to chew. I picked up one piece and the texture was really good.

It wasn't too thin, so there was a nice chew, and the nutty flavor spread softly in my mouth. The more I chewed, the more savory depth came through, and croaker clearly has its own charm. My friend said it was delicious right away and kept reaching with their chopsticks. One piece after another, and it disappeared faster than I expected haha

Croaker jeon: nutty outside, moist inside

The croaker jeon came out golden-brown and slightly salty, so it was great with beer. After eating a fair amount of the sashimi, I reached for the jeon, and it looked appetizing from the start.

Taking a bite, it was nutty on the outside and moist inside. The slight saltiness naturally made me think of a glass of beer. And when I actually had it with beer, the combination was really good. It has a different charm from eating just the sashimi, so my chopsticks kept going back!!

Croaker soup: a cool broth with radish and tofu

The croaker soup (maeuntang-style fish soup, but here a clear one) had radish and tofu in it, so the broth was cool and clean yet deep in flavor. I tried the broth first and it was really refreshing.

There was also more croaker in it than I expected, so fishing the pieces out was fun. After eating sashimi, a spoonful of warm broth settled my stomach and made everything taste even better.

Is the fried squid worth adding?

The fried squid I added was properly crispy and really satisfying. Honestly, a raw fish restaurant that does good fried squid is often the real deal, right?

You could hear the crunch the moment I bit in, and the inside was moist, so the texture was great. It's good with the sashimi and perfect as a snack with beer.

Is Sokcho Fish Market Sanbon branch worth returning to?

After the croaker sashimi, jeon, soup and fried squid, I was really full by the end of the meal. We ate so much that it felt like a proper meal.

The restaurant is spacious and clean, so it looked good for a group dinner in Sanbon, and being close to Sanbon Station makes it easy to come back! I think I'll return next time I crave raw fish, and if you're looking for a raw fish restaurant near Sanbon Station, I recommend Sokcho Fish Market Sanbon branch!