Mixed seafood jjim for 28,000 won at Jjimgoeul, a Jinju restaurant

Jjimgoeul Main Branch, my fourth trip to this Jinju jjim spot this year

This is already my fourth visit this year to 'Jjimgoeul,' a 30-year-old local favorite for jjim (Korean braised dishes). It's even better because they do so many kinds — agujjim (braised monkfish), daegu ppolijim (braised cod cheek), and seafood assortment jjim.

There are a lot of dine-in customers, but plenty of locals order takeout too, so this is a must on any Jinju food trip!

Jjimgoeul hours and location

• Hours: 11:30–20:30
• Break time: 14:30–17:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Closed: every Tuesday
• Zero Pay (Jinju Love Gift Certificate) accepted

It's also right near Jinjuseong Fortress, so it's easy for visitors sightseeing nearby, and it's a solid pick for locals looking for a meal downtown too.

The Jjimgoeul menu — jjim types and spice levels

The jjim types are super varied — agujjim, seafood assortment jjim, kkotgejjim (braised crab), daegu ppolijim. Most places only do one kind of jjim, but here you get to pick and choose, which is fun!

Spice level is finely tuned from 0 to 5, and there are also 4 different sizes, so you've got plenty of options.

The storefront — watch for the entrance

The entrance is set slightly back inside, so watch for it carefully. Walk in this way and there's the restaurant!

Inside the restaurant, plus all the delivery orders going out

This is what the inside looks like! A space with that unmistakable local-favorite feel.

With so many dine-in customers plus delivery orders, the owner was seriously busy. You could see the traces of many satisfied diners everywhere. While we ate, delivery riders kept coming in and out constantly.

Seafood assortment jjim, small, ₩28,000 — the side dishes alone are solid

What we ordered was the seafood assortment jjim, small size, ₩28,000. Wait, seafood jjim for under 30,000 won — is that even real?! The value for money is amazing too.

The basic side dishes come out like this — stir-fried miyeok stems, pickled onion and cucumber, stir-fried mushrooms, cabbage yuzu salad, and gochujang-seasoned pepper. Each side dish pairs really well with the red-sauced jjim; the combination is genuinely great.

Soup comes standard too. It's bean sprout soup, and honestly the pairing with the jjim is amazing. The owner clearly knows what goes together.

30 years of secret sauce, ordered at medium spice

Ta-da! The seafood assortment jjim arrived. You can taste the 30 years of tradition right away in that special sauce. It's not an in-your-face MSG flavor, but it's got a savory depth that's really addictive... the bean sprouts were crunchy too, which I loved.

You can choose your spice level, and we went with medium (about Shin Ramyun spicy)! That level was just right for me — spicy enough but not overwhelming. If you like it hot, I'd guess going one level up would work well too.

The seafood lineup — crab, shrimp, mudfish octopus, scallops, mideodeok

True to its name, the seafood assortment jjim is packed with a real variety of seafood! You can see how loaded it is with seafood, right?

The crab had plump meat — the yield always seems solid whenever I come. And it pairs perfectly with the jjim sauce! I'm pretty sensitive to any hint of fishiness and can't eat it if there's even a little, but here none of the seafood was fishy at all — it was all delicious.

There were big chunky shrimp and mudfish octopus in there too. Scallops and mideodeok (sea squirt-like seafood) were also included. I didn't manage to get a photo of the mideodeok.

There was something that looked similar to mudfish octopus along with what I'm guessing was conch — chewy, appealing seafood packed in there!! Honestly every bit of seafood was delicious.

Finish with seasoned rice with gim flakes, and adding udon noodles is highly recommended

And you know rice topped with gim (seaweed) flakes is a must, right? Adding udon noodles and mixing them into the sauce is also super delicious (highly recommend). I was too full to add udon noodles this time though.

Business has been going so well that they recently opened another branch in Gajwa-dong — that's how many people come here!! Definitely make sure to visit while you're on a Jinju food trip.