Jongno seafood bar, mulhoe makguksu & cuttlefish: Parang Haenyeojip

I visited Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch (파랑해녀집 종로본점), a great seafood restaurant near Jonggak Station for a drink with some seafood dishes. I ordered the refreshing mulhoe makguksu (chilled raw fish and buckwheat noodles in a cold, tangy broth) and the whole steamed Yeonggwang cuttlefish. The spacious dining room, the ocean-inspired interior and the generous seafood all made for a happy meal.

How do you make a reservation at Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch?

You can book through Naver Reservation or CatchTable until 7 p.m. For later times, just call the restaurant.

What is the atmosphere like?

It's a wide, open, sea-themed space, so it looked great for going with a group. I arrived just before opening, waited a bit, and then went in.

At first the place looked pretty quiet, but when I looked at the tables, most of them were marked as reserved.

A cool ocean video plays on a screen on the wall, and the ceiling is decorated to look like a ship's masts, which caught my eye. With the sea theme, it's a fitting mood for enjoying seafood dishes.

While I was eating and drinking, customers started trickling in. Even though it was a weekday evening, the reserved seats filled up one after another and the place got lively very quickly.

The vibe was like a Jongno pojangmacha (street tent bar) and an izakaya combined, and it felt like a spot people often choose for company dinners or evening get-togethers around Jongno's Jonggak Station.

Menu at Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch

The menu is really varied: aged sashimi and all kinds of seafood, but also bossam (boiled pork wraps), soups, steamed dishes and even gimbap (seaweed rice rolls). There are seasonal items too, so you can pick by taste, and it looked fine for a bigger group sharing lots of different dishes.

With such a wide choice, it's a Korean-style izakaya that's popular as a Jongno or Jonggak Station drinking spot for company dinners and gatherings.

What I ordered and the side dishes

• Mulhoe makguksu ₩38,000
• Whole steamed Yeonggwang cuttlefish ₩23,000

The basic side dishes were seaweed soup, fresh seaweed and gracilaria served with chogochujang (sweet-and-sour chili sauce) and soy sauce. They were nice for whetting the appetite before the main dishes arrived.

How was the mulhoe makguksu?

The mulhoe makguksu (₩38,000) came loaded with a colorful variety of fresh seafood: conch, abalone, octopus, sea cucumber, sea squirt and more. Lots of types, and a generous amount.

The sweet, sour and cold broth really got my appetite going, and the buckwheat noodles and seafood were perfect with drinks.

The cold broth spread through my mouth and finished clean. I was already fairly full when I arrived, but the chilled broth and seafood were so good that my chopsticks kept going back.

How long is the wait for the steamed Yeonggwang cuttlefish?

I was told the whole steamed Yeonggwang cuttlefish (₩23,000) takes about 40 minutes to cook. It took so long, and we heard nothing for a while, that I thought the order hadn't gone in. Finally, the cuttlefish arrived, steamed whole.

The squid, steamed with its ink melted right in, was rich and incredibly nutty. Dipped in the special mayonnaise sauce, the sticky, chewy flesh tasted mild and delicious the more I chewed.

The cuttlefish is thick, so the chewiness came through even more than with ordinary blanched squid (osuksoe).

Rather than relying on strong seasoning, this dish lets you enjoy the cuttlefish's own texture and nutty flavor.

Corkage and group booking tips

• Corkage allowed: ₩10,000 per bottle of wine, ₩20,000 per bottle of whiskey
• Group bookings: available for office dinners near Jongno, wedding invitation gatherings and group drinking parties

Location of Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch

Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch is on Ujeongguk-ro 2-gil in Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's about a 2-minute walk from Exit 4 of Jonggak Station, so it's easy to reach by public transport.

Things to do near Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch

• Cheonggyecheon: after drinks and delicious seafood at Parang Haenyeojip, it's a perfect course to walk the Cheonggyecheon stream path and enjoy the night breeze.
• Bosingak: Bosingak Park, right in front of Jonggak Station, is nice for a light stroll.
• Insadong Ssamziegil: browse Insadong street or Ssamziegil in the daytime, then come for fresh seafood in the evening.

Final thoughts

Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch, a Jongno seafood restaurant, impressed me with its spacious dining room and ocean-inspired interior. The cool, sweet-and-sour mulhoe makguksu piled with seafood was delicious, and the whole steamed Yeonggwang cuttlefish stays in my memory for its chewy texture and the nutty flavor of the ink.

Seeing reserved seats fill up fast even on a weekday evening, it seems many people come here for gatherings and drinks. If you're looking for a good seafood restaurant near Jonggak Station, Parang Haenyeojip Jongno Branch is worth a stop for its wide range of seafood dishes and sashimi in Jongno.