Hapjeong izakaya for two: chamnamul flounder miso salad at Ppaeret

Maybe it's because the weather has been so hot lately, but I keep craving cool, fresh raw fish, haha. So this time I went to Ppaeret (빼레), a great-atmosphere izakaya (Japanese-style pub) in Hapjeong! It's close to Hapjeong Station and known for fresh seafood dishes, so I went in with big expectations, haha.

Ppaeret in Hapjeong: hours, reservations and parking

Ppaeret is open every day from 18:00 to 02:00, closing at 24:00 on Sundays. It's closed on the 5th Sunday of every month, there's no parking, and you can book through Catch Table. It's 460 m from Hapjeong Station Exit 6.

The exterior, day or night, makes you want to come with friends or people you know! You know that feeling of wanting to walk in and have a drink?

Is Ppaeret's seating good for solo drinks, dates and groups?

Inside, Ppaeret has counter seats, tables and window seats, so it looked workable for anything from drinking solo to dates and group get-togethers! The clean atmosphere made an impression as soon as we walked in. The kitchen is open so you can watch the cooking, and I liked that it wasn't rowdy, which makes it easy to talk, haha.

Ppaeret's menu and what we ordered

This day at Ppaeret we ordered the chamnamul flounder miso salad (₩38,000), the half sea bream, half flounder sashimi (₩58,000), and a cider (soda). Besides sashimi, there are skewers and plenty of other seafood dishes, so choosing was half the fun, haha. I couldn't decide, so I went with the best-reviewed items.

The complimentary seaweed salad is a surprise dark horse

Ppaeret's complimentary starters, which came out first after ordering, are seaweed salad, pickled chili peppers, soy sauce and chojang (sweet chili vinegar sauce). The seaweed salad was way tastier than I expected and I kept reaching for it~~ I tried it together with the chamnamul flounder miso salad that came later, and personally they went really well together, haha. The sea scent of the seaweed met the fragrance of chamnamul (a wild aromatic herb), and the flavor felt richer!

Our chamnamul flounder miso salad (₩38,000) and half sea bream, half flounder sashimi (₩58,000) arrived! Looks hearty and appetizing, right???

It was a bit much for two people, but we finished it all, hahaha. I'm drooling just thinking about it,, it was seriously so good T_T

How was the half sea bream, half flounder sashimi?

Ppaeret's half sea bream, half flounder sashimi (₩58,000) was cut thick, in bite-size pieces, so the chew was really good~ The sashimi that came out first was plated so neatly that it drew a gasp, haha. It was honestly a look you can't not photograph~!

The sea bream stood out for its soft, clean taste, while the flounder was chewier and nutty. The more I chewed, the more the freshness filled my mouth, and there was no fishy smell at all. It was sashimi where you can tell right away they use good ingredients.

Why is Ppaeret's chamnamul flounder miso salad so famous?

Ppaeret's chamnamul flounder miso salad (₩38,000) was personally my best dish of the day, haha. When I looked up reviews before visiting, lots of people raved about it and I was curious, and I got right away why it's famous!!

Fresh flounder sashimi was topped with a generous heap of fragrant chamnamul, and from the first bite I thought it was a really unique yet appealing combination, haha. Flounder carrying the freshness of the sea met chamnamul carrying the fragrance of the mountains, and it tasted like nature captured on a plate!! It had a different charm from eating raw fish alone, and the miso dressing smoothed out the whole flavor so I never got tired of it until the end.

I'd strongly recommend it to raw fish lovers, and also to anyone who likes unusual seafood dishes. I'd order it again next time too.

Who is Ppaeret in Hapjeong good for?

Hapjeong has a lot of drinking spots, but Ppaeret felt like more than just a place for a drink: the food itself is well made, haha. You can enjoy good food in a quiet atmosphere, so I thought it would also work for a blind date or a date course. If you're looking for an izakaya with a nice atmosphere in Hapjeong, where you can enjoy fresh sashimi and special seafood dishes, definitely visit Ppaeret~!