Spicy boneless monkfish stew in Seohae, Incheon: Haemul Teukbyeolsi

Why we looked for boneless monkfish stew in Cheongna

There was a great monkfish stew place in Cheongna where you can adjust the heat, so I went with my son. He is in middle school and absolutely loves spicy food. He eats monkfish stew well too, but naturally prefers boneless fish because it is easier to eat.

While looking for a monkfish stew restaurant where we could switch to boneless and adjust the heat, I found Haemul Teukbyeolsi Cheongna Direct Branch! When you order a full monkfish stew set, the basic spread is so generous that we left completely full :) There was such a huge amount that we asked to pack up the leftover monkfish stew too, haha.

Haemul Teukbyeolsi Cheongna Direct Branch information

• 23 Cheongna Emerald-ro 41beon-gil, Seohae-gu, Incheon, South Korea
• Fri–Wed 11:30–22:00; closed every Thursday
• Weekday break time: 15:00–16:30
• Parking is available in front of the restaurant

There is a break time on weekdays, but not on weekends, so we came comfortably on the weekend. Even at an in-between time, there were lots of customers, and the interior was spacious and pleasant. There was plenty of space between the tables too.

My son and I took a seat at a separate four-person table :)

There is also a restroom inside the building. You can reserve a room in advance for a gathering or company dinner, and the rooms have plenty of seating, so a group gathering should be no problem. They also had baby chairs for families, haha.

Ordering the small iron-plate monkfish stew at level 3

This is the menu at Haemul Teukbyeolsi Cheongna Direct Branch. You can have seafood kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) as a lunch special, and the main dishes are seafood stew sets and monkfish stew sets. My son and I chose monkfish stew.

There were three sizes and heat levels to choose from, so we ordered the small iron-plate monkfish stew at the hottest, level 3 heat. The menu said level 3 was about as spicy as Teumsae Ramyeon :)

You order through a kiosk. Cups and soy sauce were ready on the table.

The utensils came individually wrapped, which made me feel even better about the hygiene :)

A full spread of side dishes and clam soup

Four basic side dishes, including pickles and kimchi, come out first. They also serve napjak mandu (flat dumplings) as a side dish. It was my first time trying them, and they were such a treat with the monkfish stew! They were pleasantly chewy, and they gave us plenty even though there were only two of us, haha.

Corn cheese is included in the set too. It is loaded with cheese, so it calms down the heat of the monkfish stew.

It had been ages since I had corn cheese, and it was so good 🤭 I thought it only came at raw-fish restaurants, so I was happy to see it at a monkfish stew place, haha.

You can get more side dishes at the self-service bar. There was instant mixed coffee there too :)

A mussel and clam soup also comes as part of the set. With finely sliced Cheongyang chili peppers, the broth had a lovely spicy kick! Exactly my kind of flavor, since I love spicy food :) You can keep it simmering on the burner, so it stays warm even if the meal takes a while.

Boneless monkfish stew at level 3 heat

Once the monkfish stew from Haemul Teukbyeolsi in Cheongna arrived, I took an overhead shot of the whole spread. It is generous for two people, right? There was so much monkfish stew that I think it would be enough for three people too!

Boneless monkfish stew (small), level 3 spicy

Haemul Teukbyeolsi Cheongna Direct Branch's monkfish stew looked so appetizing! We ordered the hottest level 3, and the spicy aroma really got my appetite going :) It was piled generously with bean sprouts and minari (water dropwort).

It arrives on an iron plate, so you can keep eating it warm. Once you finish the clam soup, you can put it on the burner and heat it again. My son and I tend to eat quickly, haha, so we finished it before it cooled, but it would be great for staying warm even if you eat slowly while chatting :)

I deliberately changed it to boneless monkfish stew so it would be easier for my son to eat. All the fish was boneless, so there was no need to pick out bones. The monkfish was so tender, and there was lots of it despite this being the smallest size :)

It also had goni (soft roe), which I love! Haemul Teukbyeolsi Cheongna Direct Branch sells algoni-jjim, a steamed roe and soft roe dish, too, and I thought I should come back with my husband next time to try that, haha. The heat was nicely spicy as well 🫶

The deep, clear clam-soup broth was so delicious whenever I spooned some up in between bites ❤️ It was not salty, and its seafood-based flavor paired especially well with the monkfish stew.

It was packed with clams and mussels like this. This clam soup had the quality of something you would order separately, not just a complimentary soup. The mussels were good too, with none of that fishy taste :)

Eating the monkfish with minari adds its distinctive fresh aroma and makes it even tastier :) I am very good with spicy food, so I enjoyed level 3, but if you are not great with heat, I think level 1 would be plenty!

I really loved these fins. They had a chewy texture, and because the fin pieces were not coated in sauce, I dipped them in wasabi soy sauce or ate them with the monkfish. There was absolutely none of the characteristic fishy odor, the seasoning was not salty, and it was so delicious 👍

This is how you eat the complimentary flat dumplings with the monkfish. The flat dumplings also mellow the heat. It was a surprisingly good combination, haha. Before eating, I bravely said we had to have fried rice too, but there was so much food that I was completely stuffed.. Next time, I will come with my husband and make sure we get the fried rice too 😅

This is a place with appealing spicy seasoning and generous portions. I would visit again, and I recommend it 🫶✨️