Nestled in the shadow of the 63 building on the edge of Yeoido lies the Noryangjin fish market. It’s a must see destination that shines  among the tourist spots in Seoul. It’s an all out assault on the senses from your first eager step inside the warehouses until you drag yourself away stuffed with seafood delights.

KICK ASS KOREA reason 6

Brace yourself for the smell. It’s like a slap in the face. The waxy squids and octopus, garish orange sea anemones, stark red salmon, ocher colored oyster meat, and the rainbow scales of dozens of various fish dazzle the eyes. You won’t know where to look first. The vendors bark out prices trying to lure you in with a good deal. Don’t worry about the language barrier. Broken English, Konglish, and calculators save the day for even those like me with even the most rudimentary Korean skills. Walking the multitude of aisles you’ll be swept away by the crowd or  jostled, tugged and pulled in different directions to look at so many every kind of cut, size, and types of fish imaginable.

Once you’ve picked out your goodies from the sea the next stop is to find one of the restaurants either downstairs in the basement or upstairs. Sometimes the vendors will direct you to the restaurant they work with or you can find one on your own. These places will cook up your newly purchased writing seas food and have it ready to be devoured in no time at all. There is of course a fee. We bought a kilogram of prawns and a lobster. The price to cook everything came to 25,000 KRW add that in to the price of the seafood, soju, cider, and rice and our total for the day for three people came to 73,000 KRW.

I was told after the fact that we could’ve haggled over the price of the seafood, but I didn’t realize that at the time. Next time I’ll find a savvy Noryangjin fish market goer to come with us. Still, for fresh seafood that fed three people I don’t think we came off that bad at all.

The Good:

Fabulous seafood that can be cooked right on the premises!

The Bad:

haggling is expected. If you’re not good at it then bring someone who is. Otherwise bite the bullet and pay! Also, the smell.

The Weird:

Sea cucumbers! Enough said.

Prices:

Hours:

01:00 ~ 18:00 (wholesale auction)
07:00 ~ 20:00 (dried fish)
24 hours (raw fish)

Phone:

02-814-2211

Address:

13-8 Noryangjin-dong Daehanmin-guk (대한민국 서울 동작구 노량진1동 13-8

Website:

Directions:

Go to Noryangjin Station. Outside there will be a walkway bridge that leads to an outside parking garage and the entrance to the market. You should be able to see the golden 63 building in front of you. There are also signs in English.