Paldo Market sashimi restaurant in Busan: ₩55,000 platter for four

Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap, a bar near Paldo Market in Suyeong — generous portions, and the hoedeopbap was really good too.

Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap / 24 Suyeong-ro 725beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea / * Use nearby paid parking lots / Hours: Mon–Sat 12:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Going to Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap for jeoneo and ordering assorted sashimi instead

The reason I went to Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap was jeoneo (gizzard shad). It's a fish I keep thinking about from summer through fall. I'd heard summer jeoneo is especially good, so this time I headed to Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap for jeoneo.

But my daughters, who came along, said they wanted assorted sashimi and hoedeopbap more than jeoneo. In the end we went with their pick — medium assorted sashimi and hoedeopbap. We went in for jeoneo and came out with a completely different order, but everyone ate well, so it worked out.

What the family ordered at Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap and what it cost

• Medium assorted sashimi (모듬회 중) ₩55,000
• Hoedeopbap (회덮밥) ₩15,000

Going by the name alone, Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap sounds like an oyster soup and rice specialist. In person, though, it has a wide range of sashimi and seafood dishes.

From assorted sashimi to jeoneo, hoedeopbap, and mulhoe (cold raw fish soup), there's plenty for raw-fish lovers. We went in thinking jeoneo, but switched straight to the kids' picks. When you go as a family, everyone wants something different, right? It was nice being able to order sashimi for one and rice for another, all together.

How crowded is this well-known Suyeong sashimi restaurant?

There were plenty of customers when we went too. It's known as a sashimi restaurant around Suyeong, so the inside was pretty loud and busy. It felt less like a quiet restaurant and more like an old-school joint where people talk over their food comfortably. There was a certain charm to the bustle, and I didn't mind the vibe at all.

The free side dishes worth reaching for again

Once we sat down, the jjukkedashi (side dishes) came out first. At sashimi restaurants, sometimes there are so many side dishes that some just sit untouched. Here, it felt more like a clean lineup of things meant to go alongside the sashimi. Rather than a big spread, it was focused on dishes people actually pick at — perfect for nibbling while waiting for the sashimi to arrive.

Is the ₩55,000 medium sashimi platter enough for four people?

The medium assorted sashimi at Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap is ₩55,000, and it was plenty for our family of four to share. It was the dish my daughters picked, and when the plate first arrived, I thought — that's more than I expected.

With several types served together, it's more fun to pick and choose than eating just one kind of fish. The slices weren't cut too thin either, so each piece had a satisfying bite.

The medium platter was quite generous for a family of four to share.

Maeuntang came included, so we didn't have to order it separately. After finishing the sashimi, the stew showed up later, so we didn't need to add anything else.

Hoedeopbap loaded with raw fish and vegetables

Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap's hoedeopbap is ₩15,000, and ordering it alongside the sashimi turned out to be a generous move. Some hoedeopbap places pile on vegetables and skimp on the raw fish,

but here the fish was plentiful too. The vegetables were crisp and the fish was chewy, and eating them together made for a great texture combo.

When it comes to hoedeopbap, the sesame oil aroma matters a lot. Here, a nutty sesame oil scent kept wafting up. It wasn't just a strong chojang (vinegar-chili sauce) flavor — the sesame oil aroma came through too, which made it that much tastier.

Scooping up plenty of vegetables and fish with the rice, my kids emptied their bowls fast. The reason I went to Sintongyeong Gul Gukbap that day was jeoneo — it's jeoneo season, and I'd been craving it for a while — but growing daughters get to eat what they want.

'I want assorted sashimi,' 'I want hoedeopbap.' In the end, I put jeoneo off for another day and ordered what my kids wanted. Still, the sashimi portion was solid and the hoedeopbap was delicious, so I had no regrets about the menu choice.

Finishing the sashimi with the included maeuntang

After the sashimi, the maeuntang came out. Not having to order it separately was nice. One spoonful of that hot broth and suddenly you're craving rice again. It was a spicy stew with just the right hint of Sichuan pepper aroma. The broth was so good it made us reach for rice. Even though we were already full from the sashimi and hoedeopbap, the maeuntang and rice still went down. A hearty meal, all around.

With so many customers, the place was loud and busy, a bit different from a quiet restaurant, but it suited a sashimi outing well. Next time, I'll have to actually try that jeoneo I originally went for.