Gizzard shad sashimi at a Jeonpo, Busan sashimi bar: Rigo Susan

Today I'm back with a review of Rigo Susan, a live-aged sashimi spot near Jeonpo Station.

Where is Rigo Susan Jeonpo Station Main Branch, and where can you park?

This Jeonpo bar, Rigo Susan, is a 5-minute walk from Exit 8 of Jeonpo Station. It's also not far from Jeonpo Café Street, so it's a convenient spot when you're looking for dinner or drinks in the Jeonpo area.

You'll need to use a nearby paid parking lot — Jeonpo 1-dong Public Parking Lot is close by.

What to order at Rigo Susan: the signature menu

Rigo Susan Jeonpo Station Main Branch sells everything from assorted sashimi to live raw shrimp, tiger prawns, salmon and more. It seems the seasonal fish, like gizzard shad and amberjack, change a bit depending on the time of year.

They also have seafood like sea squirt and live octopus, plus side dishes like mackerel-topped sushi rolls, so it's a great spot for a drink. You can get a spicy fish stew, too, if you take part in the review event!

Inside Rigo Susan: atmosphere and why reservations are essential

Right when you walk in, there's a tablet where you can register with Catch Table. I had a reservation and could sit right down, but it looked like there'd be quite a wait on weekends.

I visited on a Friday, not even a weekend, in the evening, and the place was already packed with customers.

I'd recommend booking ahead if you plan to visit.

The place holds a little over 10 tables, and the spacing between them is fairly tight! The interior is on the dimmer side too, which honestly makes it perfect for a lively drinking session... haha.

There's also a bit of charm (?) added with fishing net decor haha.

What we ordered at Rigo Susan and the first snack to arrive

• Assorted sashimi + live raw shrimp platter ₩59,000
• Tasting gizzard shad sashimi ₩20,000
• Soju ₩5,000 × 2

This is the caramel popcorn that comes as a basic snack. I don't usually like popcorn and rarely eat it, but why is this popcorn so good? 🙌 Popcorn info, noted haha.

The chopsticks and spoon came individually wrapped, which felt more hygienic.

How many free side dishes come with the sashimi?

Next up, the side dish spread! So generous...

Okonomiyaki and the classic corn cheese.

The corn cheese tasted just like the familiar flavor everyone knows, which somehow made it even more delicious haha. The okonomiyaki was topped with a generous amount of bonito flakes, giving it a nutty, savory taste.

There's fried squid and sweet potato, plus a cold udon. The fried items were warm and crispy — really tasty.

Honestly I didn't expect much, but the cold udon was seriously delicious... the noodles were perfectly chewy.

There was also tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), California roll, and various other side dishes, so you could easily finish a whole bottle of soju before the sashimi even arrives.

What's in the 59,000-won assorted sashimi and live raw shrimp platter

Finally, the assorted sashimi + live shrimp platter arrived. It took a bit of time, probably because they slice the fish and prep the shrimp fresh as soon as you order.

The assorted sashimi on the day I visited was flounder, salmon, and young amberjack.

The raw shrimp had clearly just been prepared (...) — it was still moving.

It was moving, it was moving, it was moving haha oh my god...

On the other side were lemon, pickled ginger, and pickled scallions.

And there's wasabi and sushi rice too.

The flounder was sliced thin, emphasizing its chewy texture. The young amberjack hadn't developed too much fat yet, but had a nice savory flavor and soft texture.

The live shrimp heads come back deep-fried

The raw shrimp comes with a pair of plastic gloves — meaning you're meant to pull off the heads and eat them with your hands haha.

If you put the shrimp heads in the bowl provided, they'll bring them back a bit later as fried shrimp heads.

The fried shrimp heads are so savory and delicious, they're basically the main event of the shrimp.

Gizzard shad sashimi for 20,000 won: how late-summer gizzard shad tastes

Since it had been a while since I'd had sashimi and I still wanted a bit more, I ordered the tasting portion of gizzard shad sashimi too.

I usually think of gizzard shad as an autumn fish, but apparently people eat a lot of it in late summer too! Compared to full autumn gizzard shad, it has less fat, so it tastes lighter and the bones are softer.

You've got to eat gizzard shad sekokoshi-style — wrapped in a perilla leaf with chili and garlic — that's the real way to enjoy it...

Ate well again today.

How Rigo Susan differs from Jeonpo's Japanese sashimi specialists

When you look for a place to eat sashimi in Jeonpo, you'll see a lot of Japanese-style sashimi specialty shops, but Rigo Susan felt more relaxed — like an old-school sashimi bar you can enjoy a drink at. That wraps up my review of Rigo Susan Jeonpo Station Main Branch, a Jeonpo bar with great seafood.