There are restaurants upstairs that will cook any fish that you choose from the vendors.
Seoul draws visitors from around the world due to its rich history, high quality of life, and famous culture. Seoul, the capital and largest city in South Korea, is also renowned for its diverse cuisine. As South Korea is one of the largest consumers of seafood in the world, it’s no wonder that there are numerous impressive fish markets there. Noryangjin is the largest fish market in Seoul and it is an excellent place to indulge in Korean cuisine and culture. Even if you are not a fan of seafood, coming to this market will provide a unique experience that you can share with your friends back home.
Claim to Fame
Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market is the largest fish market in Seoul. This market is open 24/7 and sees about 250 tons of seafood pass through it every day! You can find nearly every type of fish or seafood that you want here. From familiar seafood such as crabs, lobsters, and eels, to less recognizable options like sea cucumbers, sea squirts, and the aptly-named penis fish, you can spend hours perusing the wet corridors.
Luckily, the seafood at Noryangjin is very affordable. You will save a lot of money eating seafood here compared to at a restaurant out in town. If you truly want to save money, eating your seafood raw is the most economical way to do it. Just be sure that the food you choose is safe to eat raw. If the vendors give you a funny look when you try to eat an uncooked king crab, then that’s your cue to make sure you aren’t about to make a big mistake. If you do not speak Korean, make sure to have some kind of translator app on your phone, as the vendors here do not typically speak English. This will also be helpful if trying to bargain.
Noryangjin Delicacies
If you enjoy seafood and/or trying new foods, then Noryangjin is the perfect place. I visited Noryangjin on my second night in Seoul, and made sure to come back for at least one meal a day for the remainder of my trip. I didn’t get anywhere close to trying everything that I wanted to here, but that just gives me a reason to go back. Here are some of my recommendations.
Most Delicious
Sea cucumbers are some of the most unappetizing-looking animals that I can think of. This is why I had to try one when I saw them at Noryangjin. Surprisingly, they tasted great! The vendor picked it out of the tank, chopped it up, put hot sauce on it, and served it to me raw. If you are squeamish, you can get them cooked.
One of my favorite foods there was the sannakji, or raw octopus. Usually, the octopus is chopped up on a plate, where, to the shock of many foreigners, the octopus tentacles continue to move, giving the illusion of the octopus being alive. However, I once saw a video of someone eating a whole live octopus, so I knew I had to try it.
For the equivalent of about $1 USD, I grabbed an octopus out of the tank, wrung its tentacles to remove the seawater, and stuck it headfirst into my mouth. If you choose to eat it like this, you have to chew it thoroughly before you can swallow it. The octopus will also fight back, it was grabbing my nose and lips while I was eating it. After 8 minutes of chewing, I was able to swallow it. While I thought they were delicious, I personally won’t be eating them in this way again.
Worth Trying
The conger eel is another popular option at Noryangjin. You will often find large tanks full of these eels. Fortunately, these eels are quickly and humanely killed when they are removed from the tank. The vendor will quickly peel their skin, remove the bones, and serve you the meat. You can take the eel meat to a restaurant to be cooked, but I chose to eat them raw.
If you want something a little more conventional, there are large fish tanks that hold any kind of fish you can imagine. You will recognize popular ones like snapper, sea bass, and bream. I recommend finding the coolest looking fish and choosing to eat it. The restaurants upstairs will prepare it for you, and you may just find your new favorite fish.
Try These for Bragging Rights
When I saw the stingray sitting there, I knew I had to try it. I was pretty disappointed in the taste. The meat was extremely tough and difficult to chew as well. However, I heard that cooked stingray taste pretty good, so I will definitely give this another try in the future.
Another unique seafood I had to try at Noryangjin was the meongge. Also known as a sea pineapple or sea squirt, this small sea creature was calling my name due to its unique appearance. Like the sea cucumber, the vendor picked it up from its tank and cut it up for me. The taste reminded me of something rubbery dipped in chemicals. The vendor assured me that it tastes better with alcohol. I’ll take her word for it.
Honorable Mention
I did not get to try any king crab while I was there, but it seemed to be the most popular item among the vendors. It definitely seems worth a try.
Restaurants Upstairs
There are restaurants conveniently located in the floors above the fish market. You can simply purchase any seafood of your choice from the vendors and then have a restaurant prepare the food how you wish. You can either ask the seafood vendors for a recommendation on which restaurant to go to, or you can ask a restaurant worker for recommendations of a vendor. Either way, you an expect to pay about 3000 South Korean Won (about $2.30) for a restaurant service fee, along with about 8000-10000 ($6.10-$7.60) to prepare most crabs and lobsters. The prices at the restaurants are pretty competitive. I did not see much variation in price between restaurants for the same service.
If you are not sure how exactly you want your fish to be prepared, you can have it prepared multiple ways. I picked a large fish that I wanted to eat, and the restaurant prepared half of the fish in a soup, and the other half as hwe, or sliced raw (similar to the Japanese sashimi).
Make sure to grab a soju (Korean beer) to enjoy with your meal!
How to Get There
Recently, the fish market moved into another building. Anyone who visited the old fish market can remember how difficult it was to get there. Luckily, it is now much easier to get to the current fish market!
Take the subway in Seoul to Noryangjin Station (either Line 1 or 9). If you leave from exit 1, there is a bridge that will lead you over the train tracks. You will see signs (in English!) directing you to the fish market.
It is a good idea to download a map of Seoul onto your phone while you have WiFi. That way, if you happen to get lost, you will be able to pull up the offline map without using any data.
