Busan sashimi restaurant for a special dinner: Geumrang Hoetjip

Even well-known restaurants often end up being one-and-done visits, but places I truly loved somehow come back to mind every now and then. Especially when I want sashimi in Busan, I often find myself looking toward Gwangalli.

I went back for a second visit to Geumrang Hoetjip Gwangalli Main Branch, where I had been happy with the food before—and especially loved the view of Gwangan Bridge right in front of me. Since I had enjoyed my first visit so much, I did wonder a little, “Will it still be good this time?” But to give away the conclusion: Geumrang Hoetjip really is a restaurant that Busan locals approve of too!!

Geumrang Hoetjip location and parking

Geumrang Hoetjip is on the sixth floor of the Marine Rich building, right near Gwangalli Beach. It is practically right in front of Suyeon Park Public Parking Lot, so parking is no worry at all :)

Park, then straight up to the sixth floor—let’s gooo~~

Inside Geumrang Hoetjip, with a view of Gwangan Bridge

Geumrang Hoetjip is popular not only with Busan locals but also with travelers visiting from all over Korea. It is also a truly great restaurant that plenty of celebrities visit :)

There are quite a lot of tables inside, and about half have a direct ocean view. You can take in both the Gwangalli sea and Gwangan Bridge while you eat, so Geumrang Hoetjip is somewhere I would definitely want to bring anyone visiting Busan!

I absolutely loved the view on my first visit, and the scenery outside the window was just as lovely on my second. If you want to properly enjoy the sea along with sashimi in Gwangalli, it is a pretty solid choice, right?

Subyeon Hansang menu and how to order

Here is the Geumrang Hoetjip menu. You can order from the tablet at each table! The Subyeon Hansang is what most people order when they come. It is ₩60,000 per person, or ₩120,000 for two, and it is seriously an excellent-value course!

They also have a variety of lunch specials apart from the course menu.

What comes with the Subyeon Hansang?

Geumrang Hoetjip’s Subyeon Hansang includes a premium fish assortment, steamed abalone, mero steak, konowata (salted sea cucumber entrails), nakji tangtangi (chopped live octopus), soy-marinated shrimp, assorted seafood, seaweed soup, assorted banchan (side dishes), butter-grilled scallops, sushi rice, fried shrimp, griddle dishes, albap (fish roe rice), grilled fish, and spicy fish stew. Amazing, right? And you can even get sashimi refills on a small plate!!! The first appetizer is abalone porridge, which is rich, delicious, and such a treat.

Even before the sashimi arrived, there were so many seafood dishes to enjoy slowly, one by one. Sea cucumber, sea squirt, gaebul (spoon worm), shrimp, octopus, and nakji tangtangi all stood out, and the mulhoe (chilled raw-fish soup) was generous too—so I was already pretty full before the main sashimi came out.

This mulhoe is absolutely heavenly with noodles added to it!!!

The salmon was really soft and delicious too.

The table was practically groaning with all the banchan—steamed abalone, steamed egg, soy-marinated shrimp, jeon (savory pan-fried dishes), corn cheese, cheese-grilled scallops, and more. Every side dish at Geumrang Hoetjip is genuinely delicious.

I have been to several sashimi restaurants in Gwangalli, and at many of them I have thought, “Why serve so many pointless side dishes that are not even good? Focus on the main dish instead!” But Geumrang Hoetjip is truly different. Even the steamed egg is rich and delicious, and the grilled scallops are outstanding.... This is a place you need to visit fully prepared to eat a lot.

And then, finally, the main sashimi arrived! Each kind was served on different ceramicware, and it looked unbelievably elegant! The plating was so beautiful, and the fish was incredibly, incredibly fresh!!

Eating the sashimi with the konowata served alongside it is seriously... exquisite.... The sashimi is so wonderfully chewy and delicious!!!!

Next came the mero steak. This is such a special treat. How can the sauce possibly be this good? ㅠㅠ

The albap, too... was honestly as delicious as the kind from a restaurant that specializes in it. Nothing misses the mark at Geumrang Hoetjip!!

The grilled tongue sole and fried corn are treats too :)

After all this, the spicy fish stew finally comes out. It was seriously packed with good things too... with lots of fish in it. I was already full, but it was so refreshing, spicy, and delicious that I could have easily finished a whole bowl of rice with it.

Why I was satisfied on my second visit too

When introducing a good restaurant, I think saying “it was delicious” after one visit and actually returning are slightly different things. If the first visit was more satisfying than expected, a second visit means that satisfaction was genuinely good enough to make you come back.

My satisfaction on the first visit was quite high too, which is why I returned to Geumrang Hoetjip this time. After visiting a second time, I understood all over again why I had been so happy with my first visit.

The delicious food is great, but so is being able to dine while looking at the Gwangalli sea and Gwangan Bridge, and being able to enjoy such a variety of seafood and sashimi at leisure. Everything comes together here, so I thought it would be a nice spot for a special day, a family meal, or dinner with your parents. If you are looking for a truly excellent sashimi restaurant in Gwangalli that Busan locals approve of, I confidently recommend Geumrang Hoetjip!!