Sea bream sashimi mini set and 1kg live shrimp at Yeongjae Susan

Long time no see!

I really do eat a ton so the photos keep piling up but I never have time. Busy busy modern life. Today I'm finally sitting down with my laptop open again, haha.

I already loved Noryangjin Fish Market, but it's just too far these days. But wait — there's another fish market close by? Yay, Gaklak Market. Obviously I love it. Went straight there.

Yeongjae Susan location and hours

• 1F C-10, Gaklak Mall Sales Building, 932 Yangjaedae-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• 58m from Gaklak Market Station Exit 2
• Hours 07:00 - 22:00
• Takeout, reservation, and delivery available
• Parking available (3 hours free)

Went and had another delicious time — visited Yeongjae Susan, a well-known spot in the Gaklak Market seafood market.

A different vibe from Noryangjin

It has a slightly different vibe from Noryangjin — more Seoul-ish, somehow? How do I put it. Maybe because there's barely any touting. Just a plain, clean, 'hello, this is a seafood market' kind of feel.

I originally only planned to eat sashimi, but once you're inside looking around, you end up wanting more of everything. That's just human nature. Haha, haha.

Locked eyes with a shrimp. Ah, guess I need to eat shrimp too.

There's also blue crab, lobster, king crab, abalone, conch, scallop, sea squirt, sea cucumber, octopus, and more — a wide range of options, which is great.

What to eat? The owner's fish recommendations

After looking at so much, I got even more confused about what to eat... Boss, I have no idea, please recommend something. There are two of us, but we also really want shrimp.

The owner recommended corvina as tasting more like aged sashimi, jack mackerel as fatty like yellowtail, and sea bass as having that fresh-off-the-water feel.

Since eating shrimp can get a bit heavy, I figured I should balance it with the fresh, live-tasting sea bass!!! Went with the sea bream sashimi mini set for ₩40,000!

The owner was so kind ☆ Even after we ordered, while we were poking around the tanks, he explained/introduced the fish to us. He told us all about the sea bass we'd be eating today.

He said this one's the sea bass. Hello... and also goodbye. A bit cruel, but I greeted it warmly all on my own. Sorry, thank you, and it's going to be delicious.

Ordering done, now waiting for the sashimi to be prepared. Zoning-out time. Besides what I asked about today, they also have bluefin tuna, sekoshi (thin-cut whole fish sashimi), and all kinds of combinations by fish type, so give it a try.

Eating at the restaurant — led straight there

When I said we'd eat at the restaurant, they told us we didn't need to wait and just follow the restaurant staff.

Hello! Trotting along behind her.

A short wait and it was set right up. Yay. The sea bream sashimi mini set. So clean, so nice.

Each one had a totally different texture, and it's exactly my style. So good. So fresh. Ah, this is what a seafood market is for. The freshness is on a whole other level — a neighborhood sashimi place just can't compete. The seafood market wins hands down.

1kg of live shrimp, and a messy shell-peeling session

Oh, and the shrimp we also ordered! 1kg for ₩30,000-something. I think it was either ₩35,000 or ₩32,000.

Went through a fairly chaotic process to get to...

...peeled. Actually this one was peeled by Bora.

Mine turned out a lot more mangled.

Butter-fried shrimp heads

The shrimp heads got butter-fried too. Though 'butter-fried' doesn't quite capture it — it was closer to a deep-fried crisp. So good.

Yay, this is it.

Personally I prefer wasabi with soy sauce, or ssamjang (thick dipping paste), over the spicy vinegar sauce. Mmm, so good.

How many people should come to eat this?

But honestly, the portion was waaaaay too much for two of us, haha. Such a shame to waste any, but we were so full. That's how generous the portions really are. If you're a serious eater, two people could manage it; otherwise three people is just right, or four with an extra fish stew on top.

It was so good that I went back again a week later. How could I resist a good Noryangjin-style fish market spot? Went back to a place I already loved. Called Yeongjae Susan and this time ordered just shrimp! Had another loud, messy shell-peeling session at the restaurant. Such a satisfying meal. Truly, fully satisfied — I'm definitely, definitely going back again.