Hagfish grill in Haeundae Market, free seafood at opening: Hyejane San

Hyejane San Gomjangeo (혜자네 산곰장어) in Haeundae: a Busan restaurant for hagfish (gomjangeo) and seafood dishes.

This was the day I headed back to Seoul, and I had a combined lunch and dinner at Hyejane San Gomjangeo in Haeundae Traditional Market! It's the biggest hagfish restaurant in Haeundae Market, so I'm introducing it to you ✨

Where is Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch?

Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch is inside Haeundae Traditional Market, about halfway along, when you come out of Exit 3 of Haeundae Station. It has a whopping 13,000 Naver reviews, so it's a long-established place.

I'd always wanted to eat hagfish whenever I visited Busan! I go to Busan every year but never had the chance, so this time my wish (?) came true, and it was delicious :)

Hyejane San Gomjangeo menu and set prices

Hyejane San Gomjangeo has not just live hagfish but all kinds of seafood ready, so you can really enjoy hagfish and seafood dishes to the fullest. It's packed with celebrity autographs and has been on TV several times.

The pick-two set menu starts at ₩78,000 for the smallest size, and lets you have hagfish plus another dish. I was happy that a set lets you try several things.

Restaurant size and busy hours

I'd heard the Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch was big, and it was even bigger than I expected! Inside there are large semi-private group rooms, and I saw foreign groups as well as lots of Korean diners.

The outside area also has fairly wide tables, so it can handle a crowd ✔️ I went at opening time so it was quiet, but I hear it fills up by around 6 p.m., which shows how famous it is.

What does the basic table setting include?

The basic spread at Hyejane San Gomjangeo includes silkworm pupae (beondegi), sweet braised soybeans, pickled radish, green peas and corn, all tasty! Hagfish is really a dish you have with drinks in the evening, so good side dishes are a must, and they were nicely done.

Nicely prepared vegetables (refills available) and soybean paste soup come too. The hagfish is brought out pre-grilled (you can also choose no pre-grill), and if you cook it from raw at your table, you can see it wiggle (?) too!

How do the 500g salt and seasoned hagfish taste?

This is what the hagfish looks like before cooking,,, (❁´◡`❁) I chose the pre-grill, so they lightly cooked it in the kitchen and brought it out. It was cleaned really well and bright pink, so I got excited.

My order that day was salt-grilled and seasoned hagfish, two kinds, for ₩66,000. It's a set where you try both of Busan's famous hagfish styles, and the generous 500g went well with drinks.

They bring it pre-cooked once and you grill it again at the table, and the freshly eaten seasoned hagfish in particular was the best of the best! I want that chewy hagfish and sauce again!

Hagfish is known for a crunchy, chewy texture like cartilage (odoppyeo). It was my first time, and it wasn't tough at all but really pulled me in. I thought, this is why people come to Busan for hagfish ✨

Is there a freebie for arriving at opening time?

Because I was an opening-time customer, the owner of Hyejane San Gomjangeo gave us free seafood-🥹 It's a hagfish place with high turnover, and they hand out freebies generously. I guess that's why people love these old-school spots, hehe.

I had it with the new Toxoda Lemon soju, and alternating between the seasoned and salt-grilled hagfish kept everything perfectly balanced. Hagfish and seafood, a paradise of delicious things, it's a Busan specialty!

What should you eat at Hyejane San Gomjangeo?

Hyejane San Gomjangeo is (actually) a hagfish restaurant where you can also find grilled clams and seafood, seafood stew and abalone, live octopus and sashimi. If you're curious about Busan hagfish, I highly recommend coming for the seasoned grill!

• Address: 18 Gunam-ro 41beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan, 1st floor, Hyejane San Gomjangeo Main Branch
• Hours: daily 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.