해물천국
Geumjeong seafood soups and set meals
A seafood specialist in an alley in front of Jangjeon Station. It opens at five in the afternoon and runs to midnight, so it leans towards drinking, with a mix of Jangjeon-dong office workers and families. The walls and ceiling used to be covered in visitors scribbles; the room has since been tidied up. A wait can form.
The house trades on seasonal seafood, with webfoot octopus and cockles at the centre in spring. Webfoot octopus shabu-shabu is KRW 55,000 for three live octopus, which the owner prepares at the table. Blanch them in the clean seafood broth and lift them out; the stock deepens as the meal goes on. For the poached plate only roe-bearing octopus are picked, so the seasonal roe is guaranteed, though anyone expecting a crunchy pop should know it is closer to dense rice than that. Live octopus is KRW 15,000 and an assorted seafood plate can be ordered separately.
The one thing not to skip is the seafood ramen at KRW 8,000. Scallop, mussel and octopus go in with bean sprouts and vegetables, and if you have had the shabu-shabu the kitchen builds it on that same broth. It is clean and bracing enough to work the morning after, and kimchi comes with it. Kalguksu is the other closing noodle, though it is made with kimchi, so ask in advance if you want the broth clear.
Steamed egg, a dressed salad and fresh kimchi arrive as standard, which suits drinking. The kitchen competes on the freshness of its ingredients, so service is brisk more than warm, and the price for the portion is higher than at a griddle house such as Choryang Grandma. Hours are 17:00 to 24:00 daily. There is no dedicated car park, so use public parking nearby.