Best Seafood Restaurants in Seoul: A Foreigner's Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Seoul's Best Seafood Restaurants

After three years here, I've learned that Seoul's seafood scene is seriously underrated. If you've been sticking to the usual Korean BBQ spots, you're missing out. Let me walk you through some genuinely excellent seafood restaurants that actually welcome foreigners and won't leave you confused.

Why Seafood in Seoul?

Korea is surrounded by water, and you can taste it in every coastal dish. Whether you want to sit at a counter watching ajummas (아주머니) expertly slice raw fish, or enjoy a fancy sashimi platter, Seoul delivers. The prices are way more reasonable than you'd think—especially compared to Western countries.

Noryangjin Fish Market (노량진수산시장)

Let me start with the most authentic experience: Noryangjin Fish Market. This isn't a single restaurant, but rather a massive market where you pick your fish and an ajumma cooks it for you.

How it works:

1. Walk through the ground floor market and point at what you want (flounder, octopus, sea urchin—whatever looks good)
2. Pay the market price (usually 15,000-40,000 KRW depending on what you choose)
3. Take your receipt upstairs to any of the dozens of small restaurants
4. They'll grill, steam, or sashimi your fish for a cooking fee (around 5,000 KRW)
5. You get unlimited side dishes (banchan/반찬)

Pro tip: Go early on weekends (before 11 AM). It gets absolutely packed by noon. The subway ride from central Seoul takes about 20 minutes to Noryangjin Station (Line 1).

Jjim and Jorim Spot: Myeongdong Seafood

For something more upscale, head to Myeongdong where you'll find restaurants specializing in jjim (찜—steamed dishes) and jorim (조림—braised seafood).

My favorite: A cozy spot near Exit 8, Myeongdong Station that serves incredible abalone jjim (전복찜) for around 35,000-45,000 KRW. The meat is so tender it melts in your mouth. They'll have an English menu, or just point at pictures on the wall.

Casual Sashimi: Gangnam's Hidden Gems

If you want sashimi (회) without the fancy restaurant vibe, Gangnam has excellent small sashimi restaurants where a generous platter costs 25,000-35,000 KRW. I usually download the Naver Map app (English available), search "회 맛집" (hoe-matjip—sashimi restaurant), and check the ratings and photos.

What to order:

• Jungbap (중밥) - mixed rice with sashimi on top
• Hoedup (회덮) - similar concept, super filling
• Seasoned side dishes come free

Mulhoe Restaurants: The Ultimate Summer Move

My personal favorite discovery: mulhoe (물회)—basically sashimi in an icy, slightly sweet broth. It's perfect for summer and costs around 15,000-25,000 KRW per bowl.

Look for signs that say "물회" or use Coupang Eats/Naver Map to find spots near you. Most deliver, but the restaurant experience is better.

Practical Tips for Foreigner Dining

Ordering: Many seafood restaurants don't have English menus. Use your phone's Google Translate camera feature—just point at the Korean text.

Payment: All major restaurants accept card payments through both card machines and Naver Pay or Kakao Pay. Cash is fine too.

Etiquette: Remove your shoes when sitting on ondol (온돌—heated floor seating) if applicable