Balsan seafood pub, blanched squid with minari salad: Neoul Magok

😋 Neoul Magok

After work I met up with a friend and her husband in Balsan for the first time in a while :) We wondered what to have for a first round, and ended up at Neoul Magok (너울 마곡본점), the aged sashimi place near Magok and Balsan Station that everyone (?) loves :)

Where is Neoul Magok?

Neoul Magok sits right in the middle of the Balsan Station pocha street (pocha = Korean street-style pub), on the first floor of Magok IPark. 🚇 Come out of Balsan Station Exit 1, go straight, then turn left right away, and you're in the center of Balsan Pocha Street!

Can you sit outside at Neoul Magok on a rainy day?

Neoul Magok is also famous for its outdoor seating (yajang), but sadly the rain kept coming and going that day, so only the seats under the awning were set up 🥹 On dry days the outdoor seating is even hotter, I hear 🫶

Is it squid season right now? A set made with seasonal squid and steamed whole squid seem to be the headline items :)

It's a Wednesday... it's 6:15... and it's THIS busy? 🥹 If we'd been any later we would have had to wait! The inside has a full pocha vibe too, so don't be sad about missing the outdoor seating when it rains~ 🤭

So this is where the fresh seafood lives :)

What's on the menu at Neoul Magok?

Neoul Magok specializes in seafood and aged sashimi, with mains like aged sashimi, seafood and steamed seafood, plus all sorts of drinking snacks such as soups, steamed dishes and jeon (savory pancakes) 🤗 Seasonal squid and raw shrimp dishes have been added too. Aged sashimi, seafood and steamed seafood are exactly what I like!

Check out the drinks menu too :)

What did we eat at Neoul Magok, and how much did it cost?

That day at Neoul Magok we ordered the aged sashimi set (small, for 2), squid sukhoe (blanched squid) with minari salad, and 3 bottles of Chungha (sake-style rice wine), which came to ₩94,000 in total. Popped corn came out as a free side, and while we munched on it, the main dishes arrived ⭐

• Aged sashimi set (small, for 2) ₩53,000
• Squid sukhoe + minari salad ₩23,000
• Chungha, 3 bottles ₩18,000

Here come our orders~! So gorgeous, wow! Both are my favorites, so I was already hyped from the first round 💙

We went all in on Chungha that day, and it really does go well with seafood! It had been a while, and it was sweet and tasty 😋

What comes with Neoul's aged sashimi set (small, for 2)?

The small aged sashimi set (for 2) at Neoul Magok is ₩53,000 and comes with 3 to 5 or more kinds of sashimi. That day I think we got flatfish, salmon, mackerel and sea bream? They explained it, but I forgot 🥹

There's vinegared rice (chodaeri-bap), aged kimchi, peppers, garlic, soy sauce, chojang (sweet-spicy chili sauce), radish sprouts, perilla leaves, lettuce, clam soup, corn salad and seasoned vegetables to eat with the sashimi!! It really comes out generous ⭐

The aged sashimi is super tender and full of flavor. My favorite combo is soy sauce + wasabi, followed by the aged kimchi combo 😋

I think this was sea bream..? and it was seriously so good! Fatty like tuna, rich, tender 🤍

You have to turn some of it into sushi now and then! I piled it neatly onto the vinegared rice 🤗 Live-fish sashimi is great too, but aged sashimi has its own charm..🤍

How does Neoul's squid sukhoe with minari salad taste?

The squid sukhoe with minari salad (minari = water dropwort) at Neoul Magok is ₩23,000, and comes as whole gutted squid with a spicy-tangy minari salad.

Maybe it tastes even better because it's in season? 😋 Definitely chewy and tender!

I usually love the squid body best, but at Neoul even the legs are delicious! Not tough at all, just tender, and dipped in chogochujang (sweet-spicy chili vinegar sauce) it's amazing 🩷

Squid is in season right now, so if you're craving good squid and aged sashimi, give Neoul, the aged sashimi spot by Magok and Balsan Station, a visit 🤗

Neoul Magok opening hours and parking

• Address: 1st floor, Unit 127, Magok IPark, 90 Magokjungang 8-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul
• Location: 241 m from Balsan Station Exit 2
• Fri–Sat: 17:00–03:00 (last order 02:00)
• Sun–Thu: 17:00–03:00 (last order 01:00)
• Groups welcome; reservations, takeout and corkage available (fee applies)
• Parking available (free for 3 hours): search "Neoul" (너울) on T map or Naver Map and park in the building's underground lot