서울양어장 Seoul Fish Farm

서울양어장 literally translated means Seoul Fish Farm/Market.

The ‘head’ of the octopus is cut off using a pair of scissors right before your eyes.

The oysters are from Tongyang - the most famous place for the freshest/best oysters. Here they’re plump and juicy - and sometimes given for free - as side dishes!

Yes it might seem strange to others in South Asia; that something so prized is given away as a side dish, but it’s true. I’ve had this over the decades in Noryangjin, Garak-dong - but this place does it best thus far. They’ve a reputation to keep - diners won’t return if they’ve had a bad oyster (meaning - it has to be 100% fresh and on point!)

The sashimi platter was typical Korean style ; expect thicker cuts and sauces include wasabi, gochujang, ssamjang, soya sauce and others. This is as fresh as it gets - swimming in the tanks outside (brrr - that night was the coldest in recorded history at -12c), straight onto your table.

Again, there’s no English menu, but you might get by with Google Translate and/or the new AirPods 3 feature of live translation.

Definitively Seoul, and Korean. 7/10

Google and Apple Maps doesn’t really work in Korea - but at least the translation services are still available. Everyone is on NAVER or Kakao.