Noryangjin Fish Market
Joe Macpherson of Zenkimchi.com says” Noryangjin Fish Market should be listed as one of the number one places to visit when you come to Seoul. Andrew Zimmern went there for an episode of Bizarre Foods, Anthony Bourdain visited it, and it’s almost as famous as Tsukiji fish market in Japan. I think that it’s reputation is well deserved. I only wish that I had a Styrofoam cooler with me when I went!
If you are a foodie and like to discover new places to find the very best ingredients, this is the place for seafood. There is every imaginable kind of fish and mollusk. It is incredibly fresh, either being caught daily, or still alive in tanks. My 14 year old son said “Don’t you feel sorry for the fish Mom”? I guess if I thought about it too hard I might. My response to this kind of query is: Do you feel sorry for the cow you just ate? His response is always the same: “Well since you put it that way…” So I guess if your a vegetarian this place would be a little upsetting. I’m not, so I think it’s paradise.
check out the scallops, they were bigger than ping pong balls.
This tuna was being sold to everybody. You don’t have to own a sushi place to buy it here.
This sharks head kind of creeped us out, but if every part of the fish gets used, I guess I feel better about it.
eewww!
I really wanted one of these sashimi platters to take home and make my own sushi.
I wanted to buy some fish and take it to a restaurant in a place where they would prepare it for us. That is how they do it here. My husband and kids drew the line, and fear won out. I have visions of eating live octopus like my food hero’s did on TV, but alas, that is way beyond the kids comfort zone. My husband is more open to unusual foods, but that is way outside his box too, so it was a no go. We settled on a snack of fried shrimp, vegetable fritters and meat filled peppers. A dessert of hot fresh Hoetteok made for a fattening meal. Oh well you only live once!
Our lunch being cooked
I’m really happy we got to visit Noryangjin. I have been wanting to go since I visited my husband in Seoul two years ago when he was stationed on an unaccompanied tour in Yong San. It was one of the many things I had wanted to see but never got around to doing. It was harder then because we did not have a car. Now that the family has a little Hooptie ( a small junkie car) to get around in, there are many places that are easier to get to. It is about one and a half hours to get to Seoul from Camp Humphrey’s. It’s not such a bad drive when the traffic is light. But have good directions! we got lost and added an additional hour to the drive. Getting lost in Korea is a whole topic unto itself. It was seriously un-fun. I hope we can purchase a GPS so we can get around easier in the future. I thought Hubby was a real hero for finding it. He gets serious points for that one.
Noryangjin Fish Market is not too far from Yong San Garrison in Seoul, but I could never tell you how to get there. All I know is it’s across the Han river from the Army post and close to building 63. Building 63 is a monster tall skyscraper that is gold colored. It’s hard to miss so is a good marker for the much less visible fish market. Do your research before you set out to find it.
I also recommend that you suspend what you consider acceptable as an American. Seeing fish still moving while they are being cleaned is not for the fainthearted. If your not a fisherman it could seem really brutal. I just think that every culture has it’s own way of eating. It’s not wrong to sell and kill fish, it’s just different from the neat little packages we buy in our American supermarkets. That is what I am working on teaching my boys. I guess I’m bound to get some hate mail on this, but that is OK.
Still Moving
Lastly, above all, dress warm and wear junkie shoes that have good traction. The floors are covered in an icy slush. It is extremely slippery. It is also open to the outside, and in winter it’s freezing! It stinks on the outside, but smells fresh and oceany on the inside, so don’t let the smell in the parking garage turn you off. It is well worth the trouble to go and see. Just bring a cooler and about 20,000 won and you will go home with a really fresh dinner!
Tags: Noryangjin fish market, sushi, Yong San
