12pm-reservation live shrimp dachi set at a Gwangalli seafood spot

I'd been wanting to try a dachi restaurant, a place where a whole spread of seafood dishes gets set out at once, and it turns out Busan has its own dachi specialists — so I headed to Gwanganda Jjji in Gwangalli. I usually prefer places that serve a variety of seafood dishes together rather than just plain sashimi, so I was excited even before I arrived.

It's especially known among Gwangalli seafood restaurants for its dachi han-sang set, so I was curious what would actually come out on the table.

Gwanganda Jjji's location and basics

Gwanganda Jjji is on the 6th floor of Sanbada Hoetown, 17-20 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 344beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea.

It's close to Minrak Subyeon Park, so it's a good spot to pair with a walk if you're looking for somewhere to eat in Gwangalli.

We booked the noon opening slot. We arrived a little early and there were no other diners yet, so we could settle in without any rush.

An ocean-view seat with Gwangan Bridge in sight

Walking in, the kitchen area was on the left of the entrance, with four private rooms across from it.

Further inside was an open hall with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, looking straight out at the sea.

Staff greeted us even from the kitchen and showed us to our seats.

We sat at a table in the middle, and the wide-open ocean view was exactly what I'd hoped for.

Nothing blocked the view, so Gwangan Bridge was visible in full — it put me in a good mood before we'd even eaten.

The weather was great that day too, which made the sea view even prettier.

Gwanganda Jjji's menu and prices

• Dachi han-sang (per person) ₩55,000 — a seafood-packed omakase-style set (drinks sold separately): banchan, seafood, mixed sashimi, stew, braised dish, fried food, porridge
• Live abalone porridge (large) ₩15,000 — nutritious porridge made only with live abalone
• Extra banchan ₩36,000
• Extra sashimi (small) ₩40,000 / (medium) ₩40,000 / (large) ₩80,000
• Extra live shrimp (5 pieces) ₩10,000
• Extra cheese scallop (6 pieces) ₩10,000
• Extra octopus (small) ₩10,000 / (medium) ₩15,000 / (large) ₩20,000
• Extra soy-marinated crab (5 pieces) ₩10,000
• Extra soy-marinated shrimp (5 pieces) ₩10,000
• Extra cream shrimp (5 pieces) ₩10,000

Ordering the dachi han-sang set

Gwanganda Jjji's signature dish is the dachi han-sang set, so we ordered the flagship ₩55,000-per-person set.

It ran like a course — banchan, seafood, mixed sashimi, braised dishes, fried food, crab stew and abalone porridge, one after another.

One thing I liked: the food isn't tied to how much alcohol you order. Food and drinks are sold separately here.

A generous first spread

The first spread came out looking really generous. Seasoned cockles, pufferfish skin, rolls, ginseng root, soy-marinated crab, grilled eel, grilled cheese scallop, vegetable salad and hoe-muchim (spicy mixed raw fish salad) — such a range.

Tasting each one, it didn't feel like the number of dishes was just for show. Everything was cooked cleanly and carefully.

Warm eel and cheese scallop

The grilled eel and cheese scallop came out warm, which made them even better. The cheese scallop especially — the cheese's savoriness and the scallop's flavor went really well together.

At some Gwangalli seafood restaurants there can be plenty of banchan but nothing you actually reach for. Here, there was real fun in trying a bit of everything.

Steamed abalone and cream shrimp too

Next came pan-fried chives, cream shrimp and steamed abalone. The cream shrimp was especially good that day — the smooth sauce paired well with plump shrimp.

The steamed abalone was cooked tender too, so it was easy to enjoy that distinctive abalone texture.

A seafood spread that felt genuinely fresh

Next came octopus tangtangi (chopped raw octopus), conch sashimi, sea squirt and live shrimp.

Anyone who loves seafood would really enjoy this part. The live shrimp especially stood out.

Live shrimp caught at just the right season

We happened to visit right in live shrimp season, so we got to try it fresh.

The peeled shrimp were still wriggling — fresh enough that it startled me a little at first.

But one bite in, the chewy texture was great, and the sweetness came through more the longer I chewed. Getting to try so many kinds of genuinely fresh seafood felt like the real appeal of this Gwangalli seafood restaurant.

Chewy octopus tangtangi and other seafood

Live octopus came out too. Eaten with sesame oil, the nutty flavor came through even more — I think it'd pair well as a drinking snack too. The sea squirt had that briny ocean scent, and the conch sashimi had a nicely chewy texture.

The main event: mixed sashimi

After all that seafood, the mixed sashimi finally arrived.

We got to try flounder, red seabream, halibut and sea bass. The slices were cut thick, so the texture was good, and everything felt fresh overall.

Flounder, red seabream, halibut, sea bass

Of all of them, the sea bass was my favorite.

It had just the right amount of fat, giving it a nutty flavor, and dipped lightly in soy sauce, the sashimi flavor really came through.

Enjoying proper sashimi at a Gwangalli seafood restaurant really made it feel like a seaside trip.

Sushi you make yourself with the sashimi

Rice was served alongside the sashimi. I placed a slice on top of the rice, dipped it in soy sauce with a bit of wasabi, and made my own sushi bite — more filling and tastier than I expected.

It was a nice change of pace from eating sashimi on its own the whole time.

Crispy fried shrimp and baby crab

By the time we got through the sashimi we were pretty full, but the course wasn't over yet.

Next up were fried shrimp and fried baby crab.

Eaten with tartar sauce, the crispy fried food and the sauce went really well together.

Braised rockfish that made me want rice

After that came braised rockfish. The fish was tender and the seasoning had soaked in well — the kind of flavor that makes you crave rice. Even though I was already full, seeing that sauce made me want a whole bowl of rice.

Finishing with crab stew and abalone porridge

The final course was crab stew and abalone porridge. The crab stew had a spicy yet refreshing broth, and the crab's flavor really came through.

The abalone porridge was smooth and nutty, going down easily even though I was full. Yakgwa (honey cookie) came out for dessert at the very end. With food coming continuously from start to finish, it really felt like a proper full-course meal.

Ocean-view photo spot and drone light show

The Gwangan Bridge view through the windows has a different mood by day and at dusk, making it a great photo spot either way.

On clear days the sea color is more vivid, and on rainy days you get a moodier atmosphere with quiet music playing.

On top of that, Gwangalli holds the Gwangalli M Drone Light Show every Saturday. In summer months (March–September) it runs at 8pm and 10pm, and in winter (October–February) at 5pm and 9pm, twice a day, each show about 10 minutes long. It's also free, which is a nice bonus. If you time your meal for dinner, you could fill up at Gwanganda Jjji and then head straight out to catch the drone show. Reservations reportedly fill up especially fast during firework festival season, so it's worth asking ahead.

Gwanganda Jjji parking and visitor info

• Address — 6F Sanbada Hoetown, 17-20 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 344beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea
• Hours — Sun/Mon/Thu/Fri/Sat 12:00–22:50, closed every Tuesday, Wed 16:30–22:50
• Break time — 14:10–16:30, last order 20:30
• Parking — free at the building's 1F lot; the Subyeon Park public lot and Subyeon Children's public lot offer 1 space per table, with a 2-hour discount during dining time
• Amenities and services — group seating available, baby chairs, corkage available for a fee

Booking tips worth knowing

If you reserve, there's a ₩5,000 per-person deposit, deducted from the final bill.

From 4th grade of elementary school up, one order per person is required; younger children can be covered with extra banchan or abalone porridge instead. Also, requesting a specific table isn't really possible, so if you want the ocean-view seats specifically, keep that in mind ahead of time.

Rooms and group seating good for family gatherings

Gwanganda Jjji also has private rooms and group seating, which looked good for family gatherings or a meal with parents. It seemed well suited to dates as well as hosting guests, reunions, group dinners, family gatherings, parents' birthdays, or even meet-the-parents dinners. Baby chairs are available too, so it's worth checking ahead if you're visiting with kids.

What does 'dachi' actually mean?

I got curious about the word 'dachi' itself while researching this. There's no officially recorded, definitive origin for dachi restaurants, which are said to have started in Tongyeong.

One theory traces it to the Japanese word 'tachinomi,' meaning a standing bar; another says it comes from the style of serving a whole spread of seafood at once. What stood out at Gwanganda Jjji was that food isn't tied to heavy alcohol orders — instead, the food itself is built to be a full, generous experience.

A good outing to pair with Gwangalli

After the meal, we walked straight to Gwangalli Beach nearby. The beach season was still running (through August 31), so a few people were swimming or sunbathing.

There was a strong sea breeze, which made it cooler than expected, and dipping my feet in the water made the hot day disappear completely.

I'd recommend eating at Gwanganda Jjji, then strolling along Minrak Subyeon Park toward Gwangalli Beach.

If you have more time, taking photos on Gwangalli Beach with Gwangan Bridge in the background and then resting at a nearby café is a nice option too. Being able to combine a meal and a walk makes it a solid pairing for a Busan trip.

Overall thoughts on this Gwangalli seafood restaurant

This visit let me enjoy fresh seafood, mixed sashimi, and a whole range of dishes plus stew and abalone porridge all in one sitting. What stuck with me most was that unobstructed ocean view of Gwangan Bridge. Gwanganda Jjji has also won the 2026 Korea Consumer Industry Evaluation's excellence award for sashimi restaurants in Suyeong-gu, Busan, three times, which added to my confidence in the place. The staff were all friendly too, which made the whole meal feel comfortable.

This Gwangalli seafood restaurant feels well suited to anyone who wants a range of seafood dishes rather than just plain sashimi, people who aren't big on raw fish but love seafood generally, and anyone who wants sashimi and banchan together. It's also a good reference if you're searching for Gwangalli restaurants or Minrak-dong restaurants. It's a solid choice for a special family meal or a proper sit-down meal during a Busan trip. Being able to walk to the sea afterward makes it a memorable stop on any Busan itinerary.