Mullet sashimi set and 5 abalone in Songdo: Songdo Jonghap Eosijang

Why I headed to Songdo Jonghap Eosijang on a rainy evening

Songdo Jonghap Eosijang (송도종합어시장) is a sashimi restaurant on the 1st floor at 165 Haedoji-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, and it's my neighborhood spot for a drink after work. It was one of those Songdo evenings when the rain was absolutely pouring.. I usually just order delivery from here, but it was raining and I didn't want to go straight home, so I headed over to Songdo Jonghap Eosijang.

Songdo Jonghap Eosijang hours and parking

Songdo Jonghap Eosijang was open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:40 (the original says '12:40 a.m.'). You can park in the restaurant's basement car park.

Main dishes and seasonal seafood at Songdo Jonghap Eosijang

The main menu includes a lunch special sashimi set for ₩12,000, plus wild seasonal barley mullet, croaker (minu), sea bass, squid sashimi and more. Seasonal seafood goes straight onto the menu, so you can enjoy something new every season.

There were all kinds of live fish in the tanks, and the tanks were neat and clean. Whenever I walk past Songdo Jonghap Eosijang, I notice new seasonal fish in them.

The inside is a big, bright sashimi restaurant. Even on this rainy evening there were after-work drinkers, people picking up takeout, and lots of delivery orders coming in.

Songdo Jonghap Eosijang menu

Let's take a look at the menu. There was flatfish, rockfish, mullet, salmon, flounder, striped beargrouper, red sea bream, sea bass and more, plus new items added each season. You can also get sets instead of single items, and they sell mixed platters too. Beyond sashimi there's mulhoe (cold spicy raw fish soup), sushi and more, and the lunch special is a very popular pick.

They say freshness decides 90% of how sashimi tastes: chewy first, then a clean, mild sweetness. Songdo Jonghap Eosijang says it serves top-grade live fish brought each dawn from Yeonan Pier and prepared to order, and does everything it can to keep things fresh, from keeping the tanks clean to the way the fish is prepped.

How were the mullet, flatfish and rockfish set and the side dishes?

What I ordered at Songdo Jonghap Eosijang was the mullet, flatfish and rockfish set. Once you order, the side dishes come out, and that cabbage salad was seriously good. It isn't just cabbage tossed in chili sauce; it's sprinkled with roasted soybean powder, so if you add a piece of sashimi and mix it up, it tastes like a sashimi salad. Best side dish ever.

The mullet, flatfish and rockfish came out, and since the fish is prepared live the moment you order, it was very fresh with firm, springy flesh.

You can't have sashimi without a drink. Songdo Jonghap Eosijang is open late so you don't have to worry about the time, and the dining room is large, so it's a good restaurant for company dinners and get-togethers too.

More side dishes kept coming. The steamed egg (gyeran-jjim) comes as standard and had puffed up nicely and springy, and the golden grilled Pacific saury was crispy outside, tender inside and seasoned just right.

A piece of sashimi and a glass of soju, and the whole day's tiredness just melted away. It went so well with the rainy-day mood. A perfect day, drinks included.

Abalone at Songdo Jonghap Eosijang: 5 for ₩20,000, how does it taste?

While looking at the menu, the abalone caught my eye so I added an order: 5 abalone, cleaned and prepped, for ₩20,000. They look really clean even at a glance, right?

Dip it lightly in sesame oil sauce and no words are needed: truly nutty, with a wonderfully crunchy, chewy texture.

I also put a piece of flatfish on the rice that came with the side dishes to make little sushi, and had steamed egg in between. I came for a drink but ended up with a proper meal and a full stomach.

How much is the spicy fish stew at Songdo Jonghap Eosijang?

If you order sashimi at Songdo Jonghap Eosijang, you can get maeuntang (spicy fish stew) for ₩9,000. I can't resist maeuntang! Going to a sashimi restaurant and skipping it is like skipping the fried rice at a Korean barbecue place; it just feels incomplete.

The broth was properly spicy and full of the aroma of fragrant vegetables. It's a great drinking snack, and such a rice thief that you end up ordering a bowl of rice automatically.

Verdict: after-work live sashimi and a drink in Songdo

I wrapped up the day with a drink at Songdo Jonghap Eosijang, and ducking in on a whim on a night of pouring rain turned into a really fun evening. If you're looking for live sashimi at a Songdo sashimi restaurant, give Songdo Jonghap Eosijang a visit.