Gangseo raw fish restaurant for DIY sushi: Neoul Magok

The atmosphere at Neoul Magok near Balsan Station

It is at Unit 127, 1F, Magok I-Park, 90 Magokjungang 8-ro, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is close to Exit 2 of Balsan Station!

Hours are 17:00–02:00 Sunday through Thursday, with last orders at 01:00; on Friday and Saturday, hours are 17:00–03:00, with last orders at 02:00. You can register for up to three hours of free parking in the building basement—just ask a staff member to register your parking.

The atmosphere started right at the entrance, so I arrived with high expectations. As the weather gets cooler, lots of people were enjoying delicious aged sashimi and a drink at the outdoor tables in the evening, with that open-air street-stall vibe. haha

The inside had a lovely atmosphere too. The table setting, which looked as if it were covered in newspaper, was memorable. It blended an old-school local-restaurant feel with a casual mood just right, so it was easy to sit back and relax. The soft lighting would make it nice for a date, and it would suit drinks with friends just as well.

Ordering the aged sashimi platter and steamed scallops

Neoul Magok is known for aged sashimi and steamed seafood. From September, they were also selling plump grilled king prawns in season, along with raw shrimp and butter-grilled shrimp heads. There were so many tasty options that I debated what to get, then ordered the small aged sashimi platter and steamed scallops.

How I enjoyed the aged sashimi platter

Let me introduce the signature aged sashimi platter first. It arrived neatly arranged on a bamboo mat atop a large stainless-steel tray, with several kinds of sashimi including flounder, salmon, and tuna.

The accompaniments were generous too. There were plenty of perilla leaves, making it easy to wrap everything up, plus seasoned water parsley with soybean powder and a range of sauces—garlic, wasabi, chojang (sweet-tangy red chili dipping sauce), and soy sauce—so I could enjoy each cut differently. Side dishes such as dressed snow crab meat and stir-fried king oyster mushrooms also came with it, which were nice for refreshing my palate. A hot clam broth was included as well, and it was delicious by the spoonful.

On one wall, there was a guide explaining delicious ways to eat each type of sashimi in the platter, so I diligently followed it. haha

One especially delicious combination was a piece of tuna on seasoned seaweed. It also came with vinegared sushi rice, so I loved being able to make sushi however I wanted. 👍🏻

Steamed scallops with satisfyingly plump adductor muscles

The second menu item I want to introduce is the steamed scallops. The presentation alone was impressive: scallops piled high on a big plate. Their plump adductor muscles had such a bouncy texture, and every bite felt as though the juices burst right out.

Adding just a little of the chojang sauce served alongside made the scallops taste much richer. I was also happy that they were cleaned neatly with no fishy smell. Peeling them one by one was fun, and they were so plump that I was very satisfied.

Receipt review event

Neoul Magok was running a receipt review event. If you write a review, you can receive one of clam ramen, pineapple sherbet, or a highball, so it would be great to join in!

Both the aged sashimi platter and steamed scallops brought out the natural flavor of fresh ingredients so well that I can confidently recommend Neoul Magok to anyone looking for a raw fish restaurant in Magok. It would be excellent for a work dinner or a date with someone special, so if you are near Magok, I hope you give it a visit. 😊