Jinju monkfish stew restaurant with 0-5 spice levels: Jjimgoeul
In short
Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch is a monkfish and seafood stew (agujjim) restaurant in Jinju, Gyeongnam, right beside the Top Mart parking lot at Jinju Station. Over dinner the writer ordered the small collagen monkfish stew for 28,000 won and picked a middle setting from the restaurant's 0-5 spice scale, and the bean sprouts stayed crisp rather than soggy while the sauce was seasoned for rice instead of just salt and heat. For a filling dinner near Jinju Station, the monkfish stew at Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch is an easy pick.
Good to know
- Address
- 1st floor, Ju 1-dong, 120-42 Gaeyang-ro, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do (right next to the Jinju Station Top Mart parking lot)
- Hours
- 11:00-21:00
- Break time
- 14:30-17:00
- Last order
- 20:00
- Regular closing day
- Every Sunday
- Boneless monkfish stew
- Small 30,000 won / Medium 37,000 won / Large 47,000 won / Extra large 55,000 won
- Monkfish stew & cod cheek stew
- Small 28,000 won / Medium 35,000 won / Large 45,000 won / Extra large 53,000 won
- Mixed seafood stew & blue crab stew
- Small 28,000 won / Medium 35,000 won / Large 45,000 won / Extra large 53,000 won
- Spice levels
- Level 0, the basic mild version, up to level 5, seriously spicy
- Other
- No outside food allowed per store notice; rice and kimchi listed as domestic
- Price reference
- ₩30,000 ≈ $22.5 · ₩37,000 ≈ $27.5 · ₩47,000 ≈ $35 (2026-09-15)
as written by the visitor on Aug 31, 2026
Where is Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch near Jinju Station?
Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch is a monkfish and seafood stew restaurant located at 120-42 Gaeyang-ro, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, 1st floor, right next to the Top Mart parking lot at Jinju Station. It's open 11:00–21:00, with a break time from 14:30–17:00, last order at 20:00, and closed every Sunday. Outside food is not allowed per store policy.
A while back I was craving something spicy but filling for dinner, so I headed to Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch. Monkfish stew is one of my usual favorites, and that day I was especially in the mood for it after a while. While looking for a good spot for monkfish stew in Jinju, I found Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch. It's listed as being right next to the Top Mart parking lot at Jinju Station, so it wasn't hard to find.
We went in the evening, so we had plenty of time to look over the menu.
Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch menu and prices
The menu at Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch had a variety of stew dishes beyond just monkfish. The boneless monkfish stew is ₩30,000 for small, ₩37,000 for medium, ₩47,000 for large, and ₩55,000 for XL.
- Boneless monkfish stew: Small ₩30,000 / Medium ₩37,000 / Large ₩47,000 / XL ₩55,000
- Monkfish & cod cheek stew: Small ₩28,000 / Medium ₩35,000 / Large ₩45,000 / XL ₩53,000
- Mixed seafood & blue crab stew: Small ₩28,000 / Medium ₩35,000 / Large ₩45,000 / XL ₩53,000
The menu noted that the rice and kimchi are domestically sourced. After some deliberation, we ordered the monkfish stew collagen small.
How the 0-5 spice levels work
One fun thing about Jjimgoeul was that you could choose your spice level. The menu said, 'If you'd like it spicy, please let us know in advance.'
- 0: Basic mild
- 1: Slightly spicy
- 2: A little spicy
- 3: Very spicy
- 4: Extremely spicy
- 5: Truly, seriously spicy!
This seems perfect for a meal with someone who can't handle spicy food and someone who loves it, since everyone can order to their own taste. I wanted to enjoy the flavor without anything too intense that day, so I went with a moderate level.
The small collagen monkfish stew arrives
The monkfish stew collagen small I ordered arrived. As always, monkfish stew seems to trigger appetite the moment it hits the table.
The spicy sauce coated the monkfish and bean sprouts beautifully, making it mouthwatering just to look at. And the moment I tasted it, what I liked most were the bean sprouts! Sometimes in monkfish stew the bean sprouts get overcooked and mushy, which is a letdown, but here they were genuinely crisp. That crunchy texture stayed alive with every bite, and it was so good.
Eating the monkfish and bean sprouts together, the soft fish and crisp sprouts combined for a really great texture. I kept thinking, 'these bean sprouts are seriously delicious' the whole time, haha.
How the monkfish stew tasted with rice
I also liked the seasoning at Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch. Monkfish stew can be hard to keep eating if the sauce is too salty or just spicy, but this one had exactly the right balance. It was pleasantly spicy, and the sauce flavor blended well with the monkfish and bean sprouts, making it great with rice too. In particular, the bean sprouts soaked up the sauce nicely while staying crisp, so my chopsticks kept going back for more.
The seasoning wasn't overly intense and was well-balanced, which made it pair nicely with rice too. The spicy sauce whet the appetite, making it perfect for a dinner menu.
Above all, what stuck with me that day was how fresh and tasty the monkfish was, how crisp the bean sprouts were, and how perfectly seasoned the sauce was. With all three coming together well, I was able to enjoy it to the very last bite. Adding monkfish roe, eggs, or sea squirts to the stew would probably be great too, and adding extra noodles to eat with the sauce also sounds delicious.
Is Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch worth it for dinner near Jinju Station?
If you're looking for a place to have dinner near Jinju Station, or searching for a good seafood stew restaurant in Jinju, Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch is worth considering.
I liked that the sauce wasn't overpowering and had just the right seasoning, and the monkfish was fresh and delicious, so I had a satisfying dinner. It tasted even better since it had been a while since I'd had monkfish stew! I had a hearty and delicious dinner with the monkfish stew collagen small at Jjimgoeul Gajwa Branch. ❤️
Where it is
120-42 Gaeyang-ro, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, 1st floor경상남도 진주시 개양로 120-42 주1동 1층
