Suyeong Busan monkfish restaurant dinner: Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang

Walking Paldo Market Again with Mom

My husband was a little sulky(?) that we were having something delicious without him! It had been ages since Mom and I went on a Paldo Market date amid the signs and bustle of a traditional market in Busan.

Mom says that when I was a newborn, she used to bring me here in a stroller, going back and forth through Paldo Market as though it were today’s department store. She remembered every little detail of how it used to look.

I barely remember any of it, but apparently I was friends with the daughter of a gomejang-eo (sea eel) restaurant... Do you happen to remember me!? My friend :) So, for a little memory-lane stroll, we decided to have dinner near Suyeong Station.

Monkfish Suyuk Near Suyeong Station

It had suddenly turned chilly lately—just the kind of weather where you could catch a cold before you know it. While looking for something nourishing, this great monkfish suyuk place popped up on my radar.

Sintongyeong Agu Suyuk.Tang (신통영 아구수육.탕). Not long ago, my husband and I had an amazingly good assorted sashimi platter at the raw-fish restaurant right next door, under the same ownership, so I came back with confidence.

Parking and Talk of Our Next Meal

There is no separate parking lot, but the Paldo Market public parking lot is not far away, so we parked there. We were told you only need to arrive by 7:30 p.m. We were having an early dinner, so there was plenty of time; we parked without worry and walked down. The moment Mom saw the fresh horegi (small squid) in the tank, she was so happy, and said we should come back with the whole family for horegi next time!

Seeing the shot glasses set out, I thought this really seemed like the perfect meal for dinner with a drink. But we both had to drive, so sadly we could not have even one drink.

Still, there was so much to eat and it was so generous that, as a dinner table, it truly filled us right up. If we had added drinks too, I think our stomachs might have burst^^

Monkfish Suyuk Loaded with Flesh and Innards

The monkfish suyuk (poached monkfish) arrived to boost Mom’s energy and recharge mine too. It came with just enough broth to coat everything, so I wondered if we might run short on soup, but...

If you want more broth, they bring out another serving of warm soup like this, so there is no need to worry.

I was shocked by how much monkfish flesh there was. The bones might make you flinch at first, but they were all large bones, so they were easy to pick around.

Mom and I each grabbed a piece and tore into it in big bites, and there was just so much flesh. If two women order the small size, most people would look at the portion and think, wow, this monkfish suyuk is huge..!!

They truly serve it generously. It is already great value, but even just looking at the amount, I could not begin to guess how much there was~

It was not the kind piled high with bean sprouts; there was more monkfish flesh and more innards, so you would never complain, “Why is monkfish jjim nothing but bean sprouts?”

Looking at the soju refrigerator, I deeply missed having a drink with dinner, but I held back well. Next time, when it is a little darker out, I think I will be craving this as a proper drinking snack to pair with alcohol.

A Hearty Dinner with Market Memories

There are so many places near Suyeong Station where you can line up a first, second, and third stop for the evening. But if you are looking for a special, satisfying meal among them, I hope you enjoy all the seafood you can at Sintongyeong, a longtime fixture of Paldo Market alongside the raw-fish restaurant :) If you are tired of monkfish dishes overflowing with only bean sprouts, come here for fresh monkfish packed with innards too~

I had a perfect weekday with Mom, sharing old memories for the first time in ages and enjoying a restorative meal too. The little kid who once fussed while lying in a stroller through the market is now buying Mom a delicious meal—how moving~ It made the evening feel even softer and warmer. I should buy her lots more delicious things from now on.

Next time, let’s bring my husband too and properly raise a glass. Warm broth and soju are an impossible-to-stop combination, you know~