Jinju monkfish restaurant packed at late dinner: Jjimgoeul Main Branch

We headed to Jinju in a bit of a rush. After wrapping up various errands, we stopped by Jjimgoeul Main Branch late in the evening — my husband's favorite agujjim spot in Jinju. He loves agujjim (spicy braised monkfish), and this is the place he's been attached to for a long time. Being from Jinju, he told me this restaurant has been famous for ages. In fact, this is the very place he brought me to after we got married, saying there was a great agujjim spot he had to show me!

Where is Jjimgoeul Main Branch in Jinju, and what are the hours?

Jjimgoeul Main Branch is located at 12-4 Namgang-ro 659beon-gil, Jinju, Gyeongnam. Hours are 11:30 - 20:30, with a break time from 15:00 - 17:00 and last order at 20:00.

• Hours 11:30 - 20:30
• Break time 15:00 - 17:00
• Last order 20:00
• Address 12-4 Namgang-ro 659beon-gil, Jinju, Gyeongnam

It's great that Jjimgoeul Main Branch offers a boneless agujjim option. Agujjim is delicious, but picking out the bones as you eat can get surprisingly tedious — having the boneless version meant we could just relax and eat.

Walking along a Jinju backstreet, the warm glow of round bulb lighting caught my eye.

Jjimgoeul Main Branch — the entrance alone screams local favorite!

What we ordered and how the spice levels work

We ordered the boneless agujjim small size for 30,000 won (spice level 2, twice) with two bowls of rice. Jjimgoeul Main Branch offers a range of jjim dishes besides boneless agujjim — regular agujjim, braised cod cheek jjim, mixed seafood jjim, crab jjim, and more. You can also pick your spice level, which is a nice touch. We went with level 2, and my husband, who loves spicy food, said it was just right. For someone like me who's not great with spice, level 2 was already pretty hot.

What is Jjimgoeul like late in the evening? Every seat full

On our way in, the owner warned us it'd be a busy night because of a lot of reservations — and sure enough, every single seat was taken. Looked like there was a work dinner happening. Each table was covered in plastic sheeting, which gave the place a clean, tidy feel.

And here it comes!

Side dishes served at Jjimgoeul Main Branch

First up, a warm bean sprout soup. Taking a spoonful between bites of the spicy agujjim helps balance out the heat.

A crunchy cabbage salad also comes out with the meal. The cucumber-and-onion pickles were tangy and crisp, pairing nicely with the jjim dish.

The sautéed mushrooms and seaweed stem stir-fry were also tasty! Every side dish was good, which made them great companions for the spicy main.

How does the 30,000 won boneless agujjim taste?

Finally, the boneless agujjim arrived! With such a packed schedule that day, we were starving and had been waiting for this moment. The small size costs 30,000 won.

No agujjim is complete without bean sprouts, and this dish had plenty. That's me — a bean sprout enthusiast eating agujjim for the crunch! They were well seasoned, tasty on their own or paired with the monkfish.

Boneless agujjim is genuinely easy to eat since there's no bone-picking involved. Springy monkfish, crunchy bean sprouts, fragrant herbs, and that spicy sauce all together — it's the kind of flavor that keeps you reaching for more.

The sauce is spicy with a touch of sweetness, so it went down easily with rice.

The monkfish itself was springy yet tender.

Is the small size enough for two people?

For two people, the boneless agujjim small size plus two bowls of rice was plenty filling. What I loved most was how easy it was to eat since it's boneless. With regular agujjim, you often have to stop and pick out bones one by one, breaking the flow of the meal — but with the boneless version, there's none of that hassle! If, like me, you find bone-picking a nuisance, I highly recommend the boneless agujjim.

Verdict: worth it for a monkfish dinner in central Jinju

Jjimgoeul Main Branch was our dinner pick during a trip to Jinju, and it delivered — plenty of bean sprouts and water dropwort, springy boneless monkfish, and a spicy sauce that paired perfectly with rice. What I appreciated most was being able to eat comfortably without dealing with bones. If you're looking for agujjim in Jinju and prefer the boneless option, this place will absolutely win you over. It's also a great fit for those days during a Jinju food trip when you're craving something spicy for dinner.