Sokcho seafood restaurant with small assorted sashimi: Sinhaeburi Hoejip

During a rainy late-August trip to Sokcho, I stopped by Sinhaeburi Hoejip (신해불이횟집) at Daepo Port. I ordered the small assorted sashimi platter, and I remember not only the sashimi but also the generous seafood and side dishes that came with it.

Are parking and takeout pickup available?

The restaurant is at 37 Daepo-hang-gil, around the middle of Daepo Port. During my visit, I could park right in front, and parking support at Daepo 1 Public Parking Lot was also listed. The posted hours were 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM daily, with last orders at 9:00 PM.

Takeout is available, and I was told that if you reserve by phone in advance, you can pick it up right away.

What was the restaurant like in the early evening?

I arrived earlier than usual, at around 4:30 PM, and the spacious restaurant was quiet. After 5 PM, other families began to come in. I was told that the owner, who was born and raised in Sokcho, and the owner's mother prepare the sashimi here.

What side dishes came with the assorted sashimi?

The banchan-style seafood sides, called seukkidasi, arrived in several rounds. After the first six plates, another four were set down, including mulhoe (cold raw-fish soup), boiled sea snails, clams, sea squirts, and squid. I felt as if I would be full before the sashimi even arrived.

The sea squirts had a strong ocean flavor. The boiled sea snails became chewy and mildly sweet as I chewed, and the clams also had a briny flavor.

The mulhoe was tangy and whetted my appetite. Although it was a side dish, it contained a generous amount of sashimi. The perilla leaves went well with the broth, so I tore up the separately served leaves and added more. The squid was mildly sweet, and I dipped it in chojang (sweet-spicy vinegar sauce) and fresh wasabi.

What were the small assorted sashimi platter's selection and portion like?

The small assorted sashimi platter is for two. When I visited, it included flounder, olive flounder, mullet, and yellowtail. With the sashimi and side dishes together, it felt generous enough for three adults by my standards.

Each piece of sashimi was chewy, and every type tasted different. I ate it with just wasabi, with soy sauce and wasabi, and with mulhoe broth. It could also be wrapped in perilla leaves with garlic, chili pepper, and doenjang (fermented soybean paste). I liked it best with just a little wasabi, which let the sashimi's own sweet flavor come through.

Did I eat the spicy fish stew too?

The assorted sashimi also comes with maeuntang (spicy fish stew), but I was already full from the sashimi and side dishes, so I did not eat it. I therefore cannot comment on how it tasted.

By the time I left, the rain had stopped, so I took a walk around Daepo Port. I walked slowly while watching boats come into the harbor. What I remember most from this meal was getting to try several kinds of sashimi and the generous seafood sides.