Jumunjin Fish Market sashimi takeout with free sides: Ilchul Hoetjip

Ever since we moved to Wonju, we've made a summer trip to the East Sea every year, but this time our second child was too young and we ended up missing the ocean entirely — so disappointing 😢 So a bit late in the season, I finally worked up the courage to take the family to Gangneung.

Since we were on the east coast, we absolutely had to eat fresh sashimi. But I wanted to avoid one of those crowded restaurants with kids in tow, where you can't even tell if the food is going in your nose or your mouth. So instead, after putting the kids to bed at our accommodation, my husband and I planned to enjoy a quiet, comfortable meal together — so I stopped by Jumunjin Fish Market to get sashimi to go. Here's my detailed review of the Jumunjin sashimi restaurant that gave us amazing value and a fantastic spread!

Parking at Jumunjin Fish Market and the 1-hour voucher from Ilchul Hoetjip

You can park right next to Jumunjin Fish Market at the Jumunjin Coastal Parking Tower. Rates are ₩1,000 for the first 60 minutes, then ₩300 per 10 minutes (max ₩10,000), and Ilchul Hoetjip (일출횟집) gives you a 1-hour voucher if you park there.

Parking is always the thing I worry about most when traveling, but thankfully this parking tower was spacious and clean.

The parking lines were drawn huge, sized for tour buses, which I really appreciated 🤭 The space is so wide you don't need to worry about finding a spot.

As soon as you step out, you'll spot a whale model and the entrance to the fish market.

Walk in between Chungnam Gongju Dried Seafood and Ganaan Dried Seafood, and that's where the touts start approaching you — steel yourself before you go in 😅

Where is Ilchul Hoetjip inside Jumunjin Fish Market?

Ilchul Hoetjip is the rightmost shop at the very back of the Jumunjin Fish Market alley. Among the countless shops, the one I chose was the most famous Jumunjin sashimi restaurant — 'Ilchul Hoetjip.'

This place apparently sweeps the top spot in the market for sales, repeat visits, and local recommendations.

The tanks in front of the shop were packed with seasonal seafood, large halibut, and lively swimming fresh squid. The tanks were spotless, without a trace of algae, which gave me real confidence in the hygiene here.

Ilchul Hoetjip specializes in takeout, but plenty of people were dining in too. If you order snow crab here, the table setting fee and steaming fee are free. The inside of the restaurant was huge and comfortable, with room for over 150 people. There were even certificates and photos on the wall from famous TV shows like KBS's 'Hometown at 6' and 'Korean Table.'

What comes free with a sashimi takeout order at Ilchul Hoetjip?

When you order sashimi to go at Ilchul Hoetjip, they throw in abalone, sea squirt, whelk, and steamed shrimp, along with wrapping vegetables (lettuce, chili, garlic), ssamjang, chojang, soy sauce, and even ingredients for spicy fish stew — all completely free. This incredible 'takeout service' was the biggest reason I picked this place out of all the Jumunjin sashimi restaurants!

No need to stop by a mart separately for wrapping vegetables or sauces — it really cut down on our luggage, and the whole package felt perfect.

There were plenty of other things I wanted to try, but I ended up getting the Ilchul Special Assorted Sashimi. It comes with halibut as the base, two or three seasonal fish, and a variety of seafood.

The other menu items looked great too.

How the Ilchul Special Assorted Sashimi tasted at our accommodation

Back at our accommodation, after bathing and putting the kids to bed, my husband and I finally set out the assorted sashimi we'd brought back — just the two of us, at last.

The glossy, pale sashimi looked so appetizing I couldn't help but gasp. The portion was so generous, stacked thick in layers.

I picked up a thick piece with my chopsticks and dipped it into wasabi soy sauce. The cold, chewy texture and the sweet, savory flavor unique to live-fish sashimi that comes out the more you chew it — absolutely superb. Maybe because the fish was just caught, there wasn't a hint of fishiness, just a springy texture that kept my chopsticks moving nonstop.

The seafood pack we got for free was also really substantial! Chewy abalone, fragrant sea squirt, and springy whelk — we got the full flavor of the sea from that alone.

Who is Ilchul Hoetjip best for?

If you're planning a family trip to Gangneung or Jumunjin, make sure to stop by 'Ilchul Hoetjip,' a Jumunjin sashimi restaurant where you can really feel the fresh fish and generous hospitality. You can enjoy a top-notch feast comfortably back at your accommodation!

• Family travelers who want to eat sashimi quietly at their accommodation after putting the kids to bed
• Anyone who wants to cut down on luggage by getting wrapping vegetables and sauces included in one order
• Anyone parking at the Jumunjin Coastal Parking Tower to explore the fish market
• Groups who want steamed snow crab (table setting fee and steaming fee are free)