Busan Korean restaurant, non-fishy abalone liver rice: Songjeongok

We arrived a little earlier than our reservation, but they showed us up to the second floor and we got to eat at a relaxed pace. The person serving us was friendly too, so it felt good right from the start.

What we ordered this day was the abalone seafood hinoki set, ₩23,000 per person. Adding octopus costs another ₩20,000, but for two people the basic set was more than generous enough. Each person gets one square hinoki steamer, and the seafood was clean with no fishy smell. The bean sprouts weren't tough either, so they were nice to eat alongside.

In the abalone pot rice the abalone was tender and not fishy, the nutty flavor came through, and there was plenty of it. Being able to properly enjoy a full Korean spread in a quiet, calm atmosphere made the whole meal a satisfying one.

Songjeongok's hanok-style exterior

The first thing that caught my eye as soon as we got to the restaurant was the understated, hanok-style (traditional Korean house) exterior. The wooden timbers and roof tiles together gave it a real Korean-restaurant feel, and I was already looking forward to it before we even went in.

Songjeongok Songjeong Main Branch (송정옥 송정본점) is at 54-1 Songjeonggwangeogol-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, and uses both the first and second floors. There's parking too, so it's fairly convenient to come by car.

A calm, classic interior

Inside, the old-fashioned interior matched the exterior well. It's not decorated in a flashy way — more calm and comfortable — which made it easy to focus on the food.

The little props placed here and there suited the Korean-restaurant mood too. Everything was kept clean and tidy, so it felt comfortable from the very first impression.

There's a second-floor space as well, so it looks fine for eating with a group. It's an atmosphere that would especially suit visiting with family or having a meal with older relatives.

What's in the abalone seafood hinoki set

We sat down to wait, and the food came out faster than I expected. First the salad and ojingeo-muchim (spicy seasoned squid) arrived, and then the generous main dishes were laid out.

Served on a big round platter, the food looked plentiful just at a glance. The bossam (boiled pork slices) in particular kept a gentle warmth and had such a glossy shine that it looked delicious from the visuals alone.

Moist bossam with no off smell

I tried a piece of the bossam first, and I liked how clean it tasted, with no porky off smell. The meat wasn't tough at all — silky, moist, and it went down smoothly.

The bossam was mild and tasty on its own, but eating it with the side dishes gave it a whole different feel. There were sides like geotjeori (fresh kimchi), mumallaengi (dried radish strips) and baek-kimchi (white kimchi), so it was easy to mix and match to your taste.

Side dishes that don't overpower

The banchan (side dishes) were, on the whole, not overpowering. From the crunchy kimchi to the seasoned greens, each one tasted clean, with that comforting quality Korean food has. I also liked that you could add garlic, chili, salted shrimp, ssamjang (dipping paste) and so on however you prefer.

Nutty abalone pot rice with abalone liver

And the other star of the meal was the jeonbok sotbap (abalone pot rice). Even the look of it in the pot was a bit different from ordinary pot rice, which got me more excited.

Among the soft egg, chopped scallions and radish sprouts there's a generous amount of abalone and abalone liver. I mixed the rice through and took a bite, and a nutty flavor spread gently. Even with the abalone liver in it, the fishy taste wasn't strong at all. If anything, the rich flavor had soaked into the grains, so it tasted full without needing much extra seasoning.

Pot rice and side dishes together

The abalone pot rice was subtly nutty, so it went well with the side dishes too. The abalone you bite into here and there was chewy and the egg was soft, so the contrast in textures was fun. Putting a slice of bossam on top of the pot rice and eating them together worked really well too.

Once we'd scooped out most of the rice, we could pour in broth and finish it off like nurungji (scorched rice). With warm broth added to the nutty rice, we could round off the meal feeling full right to the end.

Korean food in Songjeong to eat at your own pace

Overall I liked that the spread was generous and the flavors weren't overpowering. Having the bossam and the abalone pot rice together in particular, there was nothing lacking as a full meal. It felt like a Korean set meal to enjoy slowly and at leisure rather than just something to fill you up.

I think it would suit people who want a clean, neatly presented menu. It's good for a relaxed meal with friends, but it also struck me as a solid option when you're looking for somewhere to visit with family or to eat with older relatives. If you're in Songjeong on a day when you're craving hearty Korean food like pot rice or bossam, stop by Songjeongok Songjeong Main Branch. The nutty flavor of the abalone pot rice especially stuck with me, and I'd like to have it again next time. I'd recommend it for a day when you want a filling meal from a neatly presented Korean spread.