Whale meat and tuna dinner in Dong-gu, Busan: Gorae Gajok

Trying whale meat properly in Beomil-dong

Did you know that people in Busan have long enjoyed whale meat as a delicacy? I hadn't really tried whale meat properly myself, so I went to Gorae Gajok, a good restaurant in Beomil-dong, Busan, determined to give it a proper try this time 🐋💙

1F, 23-13 Busanjinseonggongwon-ro, Dong-gu, Busan · Open year-round · Daily 15:00–05:00 · Parking available

Gorae Gajok, a whale meat restaurant in Busan, was tucked a little way in from the busy area.

Inside, the clean, modern mix of black and white created an overall warm yet calm atmosphere.

It felt polished and upscale, so it looked well suited to family meetings before marriage in Busan, an important hosted meal, or a group company dinner in Beomil-dong.

Ordering Gorae Gajok Special B

There were all sorts of options, including whale, tuna, fermented skate, and uni (sea urchin). I ordered the ₩55,000 Gorae Gajok Special B, which lets you try several things at once!

First course

First was chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) to gently awaken the appetite. It was fluffy and warm, softly seasoned without being heavy, and really lovely as a pre-meal appetizer.

Braised octopus + squid roe. The sweet octopus with the little popping beads of squid roe was an incredible combination.

Yellowtail + konowata (salted sea cucumber innards). Isn't this basically omakase?.. Each piece felt so precious that I savored it slowly, and it was moist and tender—honestly, it made the drinks taste even better.

The uni was so fresh that, while I was eating it, I even heard someone at the next table say, “The uni is really fresh.” As expected, everyone recognizes delicious food right away 🤭

How were the whale meat and tuna?

Gorae Gajok's main dishes in Beomil-dong

At last, the beautifully colored tuna I'd been waiting for appeared, along with the star of the day: whale meat!

First, a piece of tuna! 🐟 I loved its tender, moist texture and its subtle, savory richness.

The tuna had such vivid color, too. My top pick was definitely eating it with seasoned seaweed—the slightly melted texture was... sooo good.

Whale meat is such a rare thing to come across in everyday life!!! I do remember trying it once, maybe five years ago?.. But it was so long ago that the memory was hazy, so my expectations were sky-high ♥

My dining companion was trying whale meat for the first time, so they were even more excited hahaha

For the first piece, I dipped it very lightly in salt to taste the whale meat itself. Wow... the clean finish of that mild yet gently rich flavor the moment it hit my mouth was something else.

Then I gave it a generous, almost marinating dip in the mildly spicy house sauce. The slightly spicy, savory sauce went so well with the clean richness of the whale meat that I personally liked it better than the salt. My companion, on the other hand, was firmly on team salt!

I started out eating it out of curiosity, then before I knew it I was having more with the sauce, then more with salt... and I understood why people keep coming back for whale meat.

Third course

At Gorae Gajok, a good restaurant in Beomil-dong, Busan, grilled eel + Nagasaki jjamppong soup arrived as the meal course. The ₩55,000 Special B is such amazing value, right?

A generous complimentary serving of fermented skate

And that wasn't even the end. The owner generously gave us fermented skate as a complimentary extra, too!!!! I was intoxicated by its distinctive sharp, nose-tingling kick, and by the lovely service!

That was my wonderfully filling visit to Gorae Gajok, a whale meat restaurant in Beomil-dong, Busan 🐋💙 With its clean overall atmosphere, how about Gorae Gajok if you're looking for a slightly different, special menu for a family meal, an important occasion, or a group company dinner?