Hongdae seafood restaurant for raw shrimp and grilled gizzard shad

Raw shrimp and gizzard shad are in season these days, right! I found a great raw-shrimp spot and had to share it with you. It’s Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch (어사출또 홍대점).

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch information

Hours are 11:30–23:00 Monday through Saturday, and it is regularly closed on Sundays. Parking is unavailable, though one car can park if you contact the restaurant in advance; otherwise, you’ll need to use the paid Hyeonwoo Building parking lot opposite the restaurant. There is no parking support.

There are various coupons, including one for complimentary seafood ramyeon on rainy days, so definitely check Naver Place before visiting!!

A comfortable atmosphere for Hongdae gatherings

The restaurant felt clean and comfortable! Maybe that’s why there were lots of company dinners and gatherings going on~ It was busy even on a weekday evening, so I’m sad I couldn’t photograph more of the place!

For company dinners, they can push all the tables together, so it was a space where you could comfortably eat and talk~ Totally recommend it as a Hongdae seafood restaurant and drinking spot 🫶

Even the cute neon sign! Haha, could this be the Eosa Chulto owner’s philosophy for running the restaurant?

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch also has a separate lunch-special menu! The prices are reasonable, so the value is gooood 👍👍

There were lots of options too: live fish sashimi, premium sashimi, seasonal dishes, seafood, and side dishes you can order individually! Since it’s a sashimi restaurant, the seasonal items are posted on the wall rather than only on the menu, so be sure to check those wall menus too.

The review event is generous too—one complimentary bottle of soju or beer! Haha, you can’t leave alcohol out when you’re having sashimi~~

The table was neatly set with chojang (Korean sweet-tangy chili dipping sauce), soy sauce, and cups.

Ordering the grilled gizzard shad and raw shrimp sashimi set

• Grilled gizzard shad + raw shrimp sashimi set
• Draft beer
• Zero Cola

It was originally a raw gizzard shad and salt-grilled shrimp set, but they changed it at our request ❤️❤️ Such great service 😉

The first side dishes were aged kimchi, salad, beondegi (silkworm pupae), pickled scallions, ginger, raw garlic, peppers, and specially made ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste)! Haha, I bet lots of you love beondegi! There’s no better drinking snack, right? 😊

A refreshing glass of draft beer~~~ I’m kind of on a diet, so... Zero Cola to ease the guilt.

Next, while we waited for the mains, they brought corn cheese and a savory pancake one after another! The timing was so good: just as we were nearly done with one, the next arrived, so it felt like having a course meal hahaha.

Often sashimi restaurants bring all the seukidasi (small side dishes served with sashimi) at once, but these came out warm, one by one, so they tasted even better.

Springy raw shrimp sashimi and butter-grilled heads

First out were the raw shrimp sashimi and butter-grilled shrimp heads!! The presentation is amazing, right!! The shrimp were large and had such a springy texture haha, plus that rich flavor~~ It was exactly the taste I had been hoping for.

The nutty, crisp butter-grilled shrimp heads were a real delicacy of their own. With all that flavor filling my mouth, they were perfect with drinks ❤️

They were delicious dipped in chojang, and even better dipped in the house-made ssamjang—the sesame-oil aroma was so nutty~~

Gizzard shad grilled fresh to order

The hot grilled gizzard shad came out right after that. It had just been grilled, so it was totally great! It was bigger than the gizzard shad I had imagined, too? Hahaha. They gave us six fish, which was actually a bit much for two people!

What a fantastic full table haha. Thanks to it, I got to enjoy delicious seasonal raw shrimp and grilled gizzard shad.

The sweet, springy raw shrimp were truly a work of art. It was wonderfully fresh and great value too—a Hongdae sashimi restaurant where the drinks go down very easily.

I recommend it to anyone looking for a sashimi restaurant near Hongik University Station, or a place for a reunion, company dinner, or gathering near Hongik University Station 🌟