Korean Seafood Dining: Cooked Fish, Raw Fish and Seoul Restaurants

Choose cooked seafood, raw fish, or a course

Start with the meal you want, then choose the neighborhood. For cooked fish with rice, look for 생선구이 (saengseon-gui, grilled fish). For a shared plate of raw fish, look for 회 (hoe). A lobster course is a separate choice: check the sequence of dishes and the total per person before booking. These three Seoul restaurants give you different starting points rather than interchangeable seafood options.

If your group wants only cooked food, ask 익힌 해산물 요리만 주문할 수 있나요? (Can we order only cooked seafood dishes?). For a course, check every dish, not just the main. A seafood restaurant name alone does not tell you whether everything arrives cooked.

Before ordering, check whether the menu price is for one person, one fish, or a shared platter. Ask 이건 몇 명이 먹는 양인가요? (How many people does this serve?) and 밥은 포함인가요? (Is rice included?). For a mixed group, compare the smallest available order with the number of people who actually want that dish. Ask 최소 주문은 몇 인분인가요? (What is the minimum number of portions?) rather than assuming each person can choose a different main. Compare the final cost for your whole group.

Jeonjujip: grilled fish near Dongdaemun

Jeonjujip (전주집) is on Jongno 40ga-gil, between Dongdaemun and Jongno 5-ga. Its menu focus is grilled fish with rice. Use this option when you want a cooked main rather than a raw-fish platter. 고등어구이 means grilled mackerel, one of the fish dishes to ask about; confirm which fish is available before ordering.

The restaurant also has a stir-fried squid menu, 오징어볶음. If you are deciding between fish and squid, ask about the sauce and portion rather than assuming both come as the same set. Open the restaurant details for the Korean address and map, then check the current menu.

Jindongdun Hoejip: raw fish with a bone-in option

Jindongdun Hoejip (진동둔횟집) is in Jamwon-dong, Seocho-gu. Its focus is seasonal mixed raw fish and 세꼬시 (sekkosi). The distinction matters: sekkosi is raw fish sliced with small bones, not simply another spelling for a boneless fillet. VISITKOREA explains the bone-in preparation.

Ask 뼈째 썬 회인가요? (Is this sliced with the bones?) before choosing a platter. For the day's selection, ask 오늘 모둠회에는 어떤 생선이 들어가나요? (Which fish are in today's mixed platter?). Decide whether everyone wants raw fish and that firmer texture before ordering something to share.

Haecheonobu Seafood: a lobster course in Ikseon-dong

Haecheonobu Seafood (해천어부) is on Supyo-ro 28-gil in Ikseon-dong. Its menu centers on lobster courses, with grilled, steamed, and soup preparations. This is a place to investigate when you want several dishes built around lobster rather than one grilled-fish meal or a plate of hoe.

Ask for the current 랍스터 코스 (lobster course) menu. Check which dishes are included, whether any are raw, how long the meal takes, and whether booking is needed for your party. A course description is not a guarantee that the same dishes will be available on your date.

Marinated crab is still raw crab

간장게장 (ganjang-gejang) is crab marinated in soy sauce, not cooked crab. In VISITKOREA's preparation description, the sauce is boiled and then cooled before the crab is added. Do not count gejang as the cooked option simply because it comes in a dark sauce. Ask about a different dish if your group wants cooked seafood.

At a fish market, confirm the whole bill

Some market meals involve buying fish from a vendor and eating it at a separate restaurant. VISITKOREA describes this table-service arrangement, including the option of ordering spicy stew using heads and bones. Ask what applies at the stall and restaurant you choose; the fish purchase may not be the complete meal cost.

• 생선값은 얼마인가요? What is the fish price?
• 상차림비는 1인당 얼마인가요? What is the table-service fee per person?
• 조리비는 별도인가요? Is cooking charged separately?
• 매운탕과 밥까지 총 얼마인가요? What is the total including spicy fish stew and rice?

Confirm the total before the fish is prepared. Ask which fish is available today instead of ordering from an old seasonal photo. For meals outside Seoul, browse the seafood restaurant list or start with Busan restaurants and Jeju restaurants. Compare individual menus and map locations before planning the journey.