Sokcho sashimi center near Cheongcho Lake stays: Jinmi Hwareo Center

Where is Jinmi Hwareo Center in Sokcho?

Jinmi Hwareo Center is a live-fish sashimi center in the basement of Sokcho Tourist Fish Market (Jungang Market), sitting right in front of gate 7 in Unit 145. Hours are 10:00-21:00 with last order at 19:30, closed the second Wednesday of every month (no regular closure from August through October). Today I'm sharing my takeout review of Jinmi Hwareo Center, a Sokcho sashimi-to-go spot that's also known as a local favorite at Jungang Market.

• Address: Underground Unit 145, Sokcho Tourist Fish Market, Sokcho-si Jungang-dong 471-4
• Hours: 10:00 - 21:00 / last order 19:30
• Closed: Second Wednesday of every month (no regular closure August-October)
• Parking: Market public parking vouchers provided

Sokcho Tourist Fish Market! A seafood sashimi center located underground at Jungang Market!

And right in front of gate 7 there, Jinmi Hwareo Center! I came to pack up some sashimi to go!

Jinmi Hwareo Center's menu and the state of the fish tanks

Jinmi Hwareo Center's menu had snow crab, king crab, and squid sashimi alongside the sashimi platter. Here's a photo of the menu board. I came to pack up the sashimi platter, but once I got there I saw they also sell snow crab and king crab! And squid sashimi too.

The tanks were completely clean too — can you tell how clear the water is, haha?

There's such a wide variety of live fish too!

While I was busy looking around, there were squid and king crab tanks right next to it — all part of Jinmi Hwareo Center too!

Snow crab, king crab, of course! Even scallops and octopus! I really should've come with a bigger group to try more of it — that's the one thing I regret.

Ordering the sashimi platter for two and the owner's recommended fish

I packed a farmed sashimi platter for two at Jinmi Hwareo Center, and the owner recommended the tastiest fish. They pulled them right out of the tank and prepped them — can you see how they were still flopping, so fresh, haha?

Can you eat in at Jinmi Hwareo Center? Group seats and table setting fees

It's a Sokcho sashimi-to-go favorite, but the space is spacious and varied enough that eating in looks pretty good too — it seemed like a solid spot for a group of tourists. And on top of that, the table setting and spicy fish stew are free! You only pay for the sashimi, so the value is great.

My stay was right nearby, so I parked there and walked over, but for people parking at Jungang Market, they also provide parking vouchers.

Cooler bag with ice packs: is the sashimi fine to eat 1–2 hours later?

For people who can't head straight home after packing up sashimi, Jinmi Hwareo Center packs it into a cooler bag with ice packs! Freshly caught fish, prepped and packed up completely — the packing was so tidy that I made it back without a hint of fishy smell, haha.

Farmed sashimi platter for two, ₩60,000. Whew, an incredible spread all ready to go! This much volume for ₩60,000 really felt like great value, haha.

I didn't eat it right away — I left it in the fridge for about 1-2 hours before digging in, and the freshness was still unbelievable.

How did the amberjack sashimi platter taste at the stay?

Maybe because it was so freshly caught, the texture was insanely bouncy. They sliced up amberjack and another fish, and there wasn't a hint of fishiness — just a slight sweetness that came through, seriously delicious.

The fish was sliced into just the right size, perfect for one bite, haha.

Side items included: lettuce, ssamjang, chili peppers and garlic

On top of that, lettuce, ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), peppers, and garlic! The owner clearly knows their stuff and made sure to include exactly what goes well with sashimi! It's always tricky to buy that stuff while traveling, so this was such a relief, haha. And the ssamjang wasn't just the plain store-bought kind either — it seemed lightly seasoned, and that extra savoriness was incredible.

There was even a fin portion, so chewy and crunchy that I was completely happy eating it.

And on top of that, sea squirt sashimi as a complimentary extra! A slightly bitter taste followed by sweetness — insane. I think it might be the best sea squirt sashimi I've had.

Eating sashimi while looking out at Cheongcho Lake... such a happy Sokcho trip.

Final verdict on Jinmi Hwareo Center

That's my takeout review of Jinmi Hwareo Center, a Sokcho sashimi-to-go favorite! It's also famous as a local Sokcho spot, so I visited with high expectations, and it was even better than expected — very satisfying, haha. There's such a wide variety of fish that you can pick exactly what you want when you visit, the packing is completely tidy, and the sashimi itself is so fresh that it comes out sweet and bouncy — really delicious, haha! If you're looking for a sashimi restaurant at Sokcho Jungang Market, I highly recommend this one~!