Boneless monkfish stew, level 2 heat and cheese rice cake: Sinseong

Here's my review of boneless monkfish stew at Sinseong Agujjim, a monkfish and seafood stew specialist in Mojong-dong.

It's a restaurant that really knows how to cook monkfish — the spicy seafood that's just so satisfying.

I stopped by Sinseong Agujjim Asan Branch, a monkfish specialty restaurant in Asan. For around ₩40,000 you get a really filling meal. Here's my review of the spicy boneless monkfish stew.

This Mojong-dong monkfish restaurant uses only fresh, delicious monkfish, giving you a stew that's both chewy and tender.

Location, hours, and parking at Sinseong Agujjim Asan Branch

• Location: 충남 아산시 삼동로 28번길 55-14, Sinseong Agujjim Asan Branch
• Hours: 10:30 AM – 11:00 PM
• Closed every Tuesday
• Parking available — dedicated lot on the left side of the building; street parking in front when full
• All menu items available for takeout
• Group reservations possible

It's located on the Mojong-dong restaurant street near the Asan Intercity Bus Terminal. Right across from the restaurant is Hankook Hospital. It's a great stop if you're craving spicy monkfish after visiting a place like Oeam Village or the Gangdanggol valley. If you're driving, it sits right at a central point before you enter downtown, so it connects easily no matter where you're headed.

Vinyl covers are laid over the 4-person tables, so you can eat cleanly and comfortably. It's also famous as a local favorite, so it's worth a visit whether you're stopping in for lunch or dinner.

Takeout orders get ₩2,000 off every menu item.

Baby chairs are available too, and the clean 4-person tables are great for chatting away over a meal.

A review of boneless monkfish stew at Sinseong Agujjim, a Mojong-dong monkfish and seafood stew specialist

Sinseong Agujjim Asan Branch is a great place to enjoy a hearty meal in a comfortable atmosphere, letting you try both Asan-famous agujjim and seafood stew at once.

Why you should add seafood toppings with your first order

After the meal, a mix coffee is a nice way to finish things off. You should add any extra seafood toppings when you place your first order, since asking for them mid-meal rather than upfront can actually change how the dish tastes — so it's best to add them from the start.

Menu and prices

Agujjim is ₩49,000, boneless monkfish stew starts at ₩36,000, seafood stew starts at ₩38,000, and monkfish clear soup or roe-and-milt stew starts at ₩31,000 — choose based on your group size. Extra seafood toppings include monkfish at ₩15,000, squid at ₩8,000, roe or milt at ₩7,000 each, and small octopus at ₩4,000. Add more if you like.

The basic side dishes are pickles, cabbage salad, white kimchi, and seasoned seaweed. True to a restaurant that specializes in healthy flavors, the sides are mild and easy to digest.

Spice levels 1–5: I chose level 2, mildly spicy

The spice level runs from 1 to 5, and you just tell them what you want. Since I usually struggle with buldak (fire noodle) spice, I thought about going even milder with level 1, or maybe just the plain regular flavor — but in the end I picked level 2, mildly spicy.

The side dishes tasted clean too.

I'm not really into level 3, which is spicy enough to make your mouth tingle, so I skip the 'enthusiast' levels 4 and 5 entirely. Level 2 was just right for me. The agujjim arrived on a large plate with bean sprouts and various ingredients. On top of the bean sprouts were heaps of monkfish, roe, and milt, and just looking at it got my mouth watering and ready to eat. 'Hearty' is truly the word for this monkfish specialty restaurant.

The variety of side dishes made for a great main course too.

Plump boneless monkfish with cheese and sweet potato rice cakes

At first I thought the white chunks scattered throughout were sausage, but looking closer, there were white ones and purple ones too, all different. They turned out to be rice cakes — cheese rice cake and sweet potato rice cake come standard, and their sweetness blended really well with the spicy sauce. The plump monkfish flesh was thick, so even though it was boneless, there was a lot to eat.

Monkfish, sometimes called a collagen powerhouse, is a healthy dish that always tastes great. Thanks to the well-balanced seasoning and ingredients, eating agujjim is genuinely fun. Using only soft, moist monkfish makes it easy to enjoy without any heaviness, and the sauce is appetizing without being too intense.

The sauce is slightly spicy and thick. I found the mild spice level just right for me, but this is where you should choose your spice level carefully at the start according to what you want. You can eat it with plain rice, or leave some sauce behind to mix with rice — there are different ways to enjoy it depending on personal taste, so pick whatever suits you.

The spicy aroma and flavor together made me want to keep eating.

Since I hadn't eaten breakfast, I found myself really craving plain white rice. Warm, freshly cooked rice paired perfectly with it — and of course, you can also order rice balls or fried rice if you'd prefer, whatever you're in the mood for.

There was plenty of milt too — it has a chewy exterior with a creamy inside, so you can pick and choose based on your own taste.

Biting into the rice cake topping, the cheese inside was soft and stretchy. The generous amount of cheese rice cake made every bite well-balanced. Dipping it in wasabi and soy sauce made the seasoning and flavor even better.

Good for family meals or group gatherings?

I really enjoyed my meal at Sinseong Agujjim Asan Branch, a monkfish and seafood stew specialist where the clean natural flavor of monkfish meets deep, well-balanced seasoning. With a full spread that goes from agujjim all the way to fried rice, it's a satisfying meal that works well for family outings or group gatherings. It's so delicious that I'd recommend it for a group trip too.