Solo seasonal sashimi set in Millak-dong, Busan: The Bangpaje

The Bangpaje in Millak-dong, right by Millak The Market

After a lazy stretch of time at Café Buajang, I went to dinner. My destination was The Bangpaje (방파제), a sashimi restaurant in Millak-dong.

It was close to Café Buajang, about 5–7 minutes away, and very near Millak The Market too.

Oh, it has eight Blue and Red Ribbons in total! It's also a designated Hundred-Year Store, a certified Suyeong, Busan sashimi restaurant. I came without knowing any of this, so now I'm excited.

Three floors, good for group dinners

This Millak-dong sashimi restaurant has a whole three floors. The 1st floor is for à la carte and regular meals, the 2nd floor has dining rooms, and the 3rd floor is a banquet hall, so it looks like a good spot for a group dinner in Gwangalli.

I had reserved, and they recognized me right away and showed me to my seat. The staff were very kind and the place was spacious! Once I sat down, they brought a wet towel and sungnyung (toasted-rice tea).

Is eating sashimi alone at The Bangpaje okay?

When is the other person coming? Oh, it's just me.

Yep. These days I eat sashimi alone too. The good news is that the place feels upscale and, being a late weekday evening, it wasn't crowded. (So it seems fine for a solo à la carte meal or sashimi.) Nobody was paying attention anyway, but I probably didn't look pitiful.

This time I made sure to photograph the menu properly. There were à la carte items, set menus and drinks. I ordered the small seasonal sashimi set I had reserved.

While waiting, I looked around. The tables are spaced widely apart with partitions, so it felt comfortable. Unlike the many other sashimi places nearby, it has a rather upscale mood, so it would be good when you want something a bit formal.

The small seasonal sashimi set: sea bream, flounder, croaker and fin meat

The dishes came out quickly, one after another. Maybe because I had reserved, both the side dishes and the sashimi arrived fast. A neat, tidy spread! What I liked was that you could feel the care in the sauces too. There was a ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste) that seemed homemade and chili oil, perfect when the sashimi starts to feel rich. The chili oil is a secret favorite.

The sashimi was a perfect amount for two: red sea bream, great olive flounder, croaker and fin meat. It was listed in order so I could tell which fish was which, which was nice. The fin meat portion was generous (I love fin meat) and I was happy to get the olive flounder (I'd wanted it). Fin meat can often taste muddy, but this had none of that fishiness, only a nutty flavor. The best.

From sea squirt and sea cucumber in vinegar to marinated shrimp and spicy crab

Sea cucumber pickled in vinegar with sea squirt and cucumber. None of the seafood was fishy at all. People say not to eat sea cucumber in summer especially, but far from mushy, it was crunchy and tangy, great for stirring up the appetite.

Gimbap (seaweed rice roll), sweet potato fries, ankimo (monkfish liver) and gimbugak (crispy seaweed chips)!! The sweet potato fries were thin and crunchy, easy to nibble between bites. The gimbap had just a modest amount of sashimi in it, so it was light and clean. They told me to eat the ankimo together with the sashimi! They also gave me plenty of white kimchi and wasabi.

Marinated shrimp and spicy marinated crab! Both were fresh with no fishy taste and delicious, with nothing off-putting. Overall the seasoning was moderate, good enough to eat plain, letting the natural flavors come through, light and clean. I like this more than strong, stimulating flavors.

Red sea bream topped with a load of ankimo. Yum..

Croaker topped with white kimchi, ankimo and even wasabi. Yum... great combination.. By the way, the wasabi isn't harsh, so you can pile it on.

Finishing with maeuntang and sancho powder

Partway through, the maeuntang (spicy fish stew) came out too! It was a little bland, so I thought it could use more kick. But it seems they don't use much MSG, which I liked...

And with everything out, the perfect seasonal sashimi spread.. clean with no clutter. Oh, and the fish on top had no bones and was totally delicious.. Was it mackerel..?

Top gimbugak with sashimi, ankimo and wasabi. Ah, but why didn't I order alcohol.. By the time I regretted it, it felt too late, so I ate everything without a drink. Proud of myself!!

There's sancho powder (Korean pepper) on the table too, so you can add it to the maeuntang.

Ah, but I put in way too much; The maeuntang is packed with radish, tofu and more, and again it's just the right amount for two.. If you order alcohol, you could keep scooping up the broth. I even cooked my last two pieces of sashimi shabu-shabu style. (Eating a two-person set alone wore me out.. why didn't I order soju?)

The Bangpaje solo dining wrap-up

And that's how I demolished it. Fresh sashimi, no shortage of side dishes, a tidy spread, very kind staff, and a spacious, clean restaurant!!

• Freshness: no fishy taste, even in the fin meat and sea cucumber
• Side dishes: gimbap, sweet potato fries, ankimo, gimbugak, marinated shrimp, spicy marinated crab and more, no shortage
• Drawbacks: the maeuntang is a little bland, and as a two-person portion it got heavy toward the end for one
• Tip: a bottle of alcohol would let you enjoy the maeuntang broth to the end

Everything was top tier at The Bangpaje, a Millak-dong, Busan sashimi restaurant! There's clearly a reason it earned the Blue Ribbon. Sashimi in Gwangalli can be surprisingly pricey, but the price here was reasonable and the food so good that it's a shame to eat it alone. I came solo this time, but next time I'll bring someone and enjoy it even more.