Daejeon monkfish braise (agujjim) lunch before a Yesan trip: Seommaeul
In short
Seommaeul Agujjim & Nakjibokkeum (섬마을) is a restaurant specializing in agujjim (spicy braised monkfish) and nakjibokkeum (spicy stir-fried octopus) on Yuseong-daero near Jaundae in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The writer stopped at Seommaeul with an older friend on the way through Gongju to a relaxing trip in Yesan, ordering the small agujjim for 32,000 won plus fried rice, and finished with sikhye (sweet rice drink) for dessert; the small portion was so generous it could pass for a medium. Even a companion with little appetite praised it: Seommaeul's agujjim has a gentle, not harsh, spiciness that makes it an easy meal for anyone.
Good to know
- Address
- 1F, 1163 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea
- Hours
- 11:00–21:30 (last order 20:30)
- Break time
- 15:00–17:00
- Closed
- Every Sunday
- Parking
- Free: 6 spaces in Lot 1 to the right of the restaurant, 10 spaces in Lot 2 in the alley to the left
- Ordered
- Small agujjim (spicy braised monkfish), 32,000 won
- Other menu items
- Braised octopus, braised seafood, braised abalone and octopus
- Seating
- Chair tables, floor tables, private rooms, baby table
- Price reference
- ₩32,000 ≈ $23.5 (2026-10-02)
as written by the visitor on Oct 3, 2026
Where is Seommaeul and how does parking work?
Seommaeul (섬마을) is an agujjim (spicy braised monkfish) restaurant at 1163 Yuseong-daero, 1st floor, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, on the main road at the intersection just before Jaundae. It is open 11:00–21:30 with a break from 15:00 to 17:00, last order at 20:30, and it is closed every Sunday.
Exterior
The mornings and evenings have been breezy and fresh lately, perfect weather for an outing. Today I'm heading to Yesan for a healing trip with a friend, going past Gongju! We decided to have a leisurely lunch first at Seommaeul, a Daejeon favorite near Jaundae in Yuseong known for good agujjim. La la la, we've arrived.
Seommaeul sits on the main road at the intersection before Jaundae, so it's not hard to find. Parking info is a must before you visit: there is free parking in Lot 1 on the right of the restaurant (6 cars) and Lot 2 in the alley on the left (10 cars).
Is the inside of Seommaeul good for group gatherings?
Seommaeul is a big restaurant with table areas on both sides of the kitchen, so it suits company dinners, group gatherings and family events. Put your shoes in the shoe rack and you'll see the semi-open kitchen straight ahead. The owner and staff greeted us warmly and were so kind that it put me in a good mood.
A big restaurant with table space on both sides of the kitchen! It looks perfect for company dinners, group gatherings, family events and lots of people together.
The left side as you enter is neat and tidy, with wood-tone tables and comfortable chairs with backs. You can tell how much they care about cleanliness, because there isn't a single flaw. The spacing between tables is roomy too, so it's easy to move around.
The warm pumpkins and cute little decorations give it a family-like, gentle mood. It felt as comfortable as visiting a relative's house, so there's no pressure.
The right side has floor-seating and standard tables, and there are also rooms, so a group can chat comfortably. You can feel the consideration for guests' preferences.
An adorable little baby table
I'm the type who always makes a mess at good restaurants, so I made sure to grab an apron.
How much is the small agujjim at Seommaeul, and how big is it?
The small agujjim at Seommaeul is ₩32,000, and the writer found the portion so generous that it looked like a medium. The octopus steamed dish, seafood braise and abalone-octopus braise sound interesting too, but I'll save them for next time.
The side dishes (banchan) came out right away, neat like Mom's home cooking! I was going to order steamed egg as an extra, but it came with the basic side dishes.
The agujjim has finally arrived! The tasty-looking dish already whets my appetite just from looking at it. Is this really the small? The portion is huge, I thought it was the medium, haha!
Is Seommaeul's agujjim spicy?
Seommaeul's agujjim is moderately spicy and not overly seasoned, so it's easy for all ages to enjoy. The plump monkfish has a soft texture that clings to your mouth so well it could bring back a runaway daughter-in-law, haha!
Bean sprouts are the best part of agujjim, right? These crunchy sprouts have just the right tasty spiciness that anyone, young or old, would like, thumbs up! The seasoning isn't harsh either, and I fell for it when I dipped a bite in wasabi soy sauce.
That magical time when you keep saying you're full, you're full, and yet the food vanishes. My friend, who has been low on energy lately with no appetite, said it was delicious, so I got lots of praise. I think choosing Seommaeul's agujjim was a good call.
What about the fried rice and dessert at Seommaeul?
At Seommaeul you finish with fried rice made in the agujjim sauce and topped with plenty of seaweed flakes, and house-made sikhye (sweet rice drink) comes as dessert. Skipping fried rice after agujjim would be a shame. With their generous hearts, a bowl of rice gets stir-fried, and the nuttiness is over the limit! Seaweed flakes piled on that tasty agujjim sauce: it's not optional, it's a must.
The sikhye is homemade with Mom's touch, so even dessert is perfect.
Seommaeul, a great agujjim place near Jaundae in Yuseong, is saved to my favorites so I can become a regular. Drop by, I recommend it.
Where it is
1163 Yuseong-daero, 1st floor, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, South Korea대전광역시 유성구 유성대로 1163 1층 섬마을
