Well good morning, good morning.
For today's outing we are at the Noryangjin Fish Market (노량진수산시장).
This is my first time here.
This is one of the most famous markets in all of Seoul (서울).
It is a fish market - a seafood market.
And we're going to check it all out.
There is six flours if you can believe it.
Plus two basement levels.
So technically eight.
If you can see all of those.
Yeah, so lots of fish.
I think we're also going to try to eat lunch here.
Have some seafood.
We've got a lot of exploring to do.
So here on the third floor we have the dried fish stores where everything is already pre-packaged.
You can take it home and do whatever you do with dry fish.
Next up we're going in to the live octopus stores and this is actually considered a delicacy
in Korea.
You eat the baby octopus while it is still like riggling around.
Um, I've never tried it before.
I've tried it like once about ten years ago.
Oh.
It is a fascinating experience.
We're not going to do that today.
We're just going for some normal fish but if you're up for a challenge then yeah that
is something you can consider doing here at this fish market.
Live baby octopus.
So it seems I can never win at the fish market.
The one time I visited a fish market in Busan I remember it was summer, I was wearing flipflops
and I ended up getting fish juice all over my toes.
It was gross.
And this time around I didn't wear proper footwear once again.
So the fish juice has been seeping in to my canvas shoes.
Now my shoes are wet and I've got fish juice in my socks.
This is really nasty and we just got here.
We've come down a level to the second floor and this is the fresh fish store level.
And we're seeing a lot of fresh fish.
We're seeing some huge fish.
Huge.
They have just about everything here to be honest.
They sell rain boots.
That is probably a really good idea in a fish market.
I'd suggest coming in with rain boots or at least at the very least wearing closed shoes.
We are now on the second floor and we have found a whole bunch of restaurants that specialize
in Hoe (회) and that is the raw fish.
Kind of like sashimi.
So we need to choose one.
We need to settle on one.
So we finally settled on a restaurant.
I mean there is a lot to choose from.
So we're just walking around and I'm like finally let's make a decision.
So we saw that this place had some people and it had some nice traditional seating.
So we're like 'yes' let's give it a shot.
And it had a relatively affordable menu.
Yeah.
Because seafood here appears to be quite expensive.
Well you can get really expensive seafood.
The stuff that we're getting isn't as expensive.
We're getting chobap (초밥) which is a kind of basically the best way to explain it is
kind of like Korean sushi and we're also getting Hoedeopbap (회덮밥) which is basically
sliced raw fish with rice.
So we've got those two dishes coming and man I can't wait to have them.
So what can you tell us about the Noryangjin Fish Market (노량진수산시장) Sam?
Well it is a very fascinating market.
Like first off it is massive.
It is open 24 hours of the day.
Wow.
And get this if you want to go see the live auction you've got to be here at three in
the morning.
Hahaha.
No way was that happening.
Yeah.
We're not quite the ambitious.
And the market moves 250 to 300 tonnes of fish and I guess you could call it marine
products.
Seafood.
Yeah.
Daily.
Every single day.
So just imagine that.
Yeah.
Gamsahamnida.
So the banchan (반찬), the side dishes, have arrived at the table and as you might
expect we're seeing lots of seafood here or what I think is seafood because it kind of
looks familiar.
Tour time.
Well we've got some kind of seaweed here.
That is familiar.
We also have the kimchi - the fermented cabbage which is a staple.
But then if you look over here this looks like it could be octopus.
Yeah?
Yeah, it could be octopus or squid.
Um, and this not entirely sure but it looks like a sea creature guys.
And we've got some wasabi.
So I guess.
So the only thing to do now would be to try it.
Yes, try some of the seafood.
You know what?
I'm going to start with my miso soup.
I'll drink the miso and you try the fish.
Miso soup approved.
So Sam the brave going in for the octopus.
Yeah, let's go try some.
Normally I would probably dip this into the red sauce but I'll just go for a bite.
How brave.
Mmmm.
What does it taste like?
It is really fresh.
It doesn't have a strong taste.
There has been absolutely no seasonings added.
So you would definitely want to add some of the red gochujang sauce (고추장) to make
it taste a lot better.
Is it chewy?
Yeah, it is chewy.
Okay.
My meal has arrived.
Sam actually chose this because I had no clue what to get.
But this is called Hoedeopbap (회덮밥) and it is basically rice with vegetables and
raw fish on top.
Um, the rice actually comes here on the side in this separate little bowl.
So what makes deopbap different from say bokkumbap which is the mixed rice is the deopbap you
get like your ingredients and then you get your rice so they're not mixed together.
They're not.
So yeah, lots of veggies here.
It looks like we got.
Look at all of the sesame seeds.
I know so many sesame seeds.
Some cabbage, some carrots.
Seaweed.
That looks delicious.
Cucumbers.
And apparently I need to add this.
Yeah.
Correct?
You need to put the gochujang sauce (고추장).
That looks like it is in a ketchup dispenser.
It is not ketchup guys.
Do you think that is enough?
Yeah, that is good.
Give it a try.
Try it with a little bit of rice.
Try a bit of fish with some vegetables and rice.
Let's grab a spoon.
This is my first time having this.
Ever.
Exciting times.
Ever.
There.
Oh.
Messy.
Make sure you get your fish.
It will probably be easier with chopsticks.
Haha.
Trying to get vegetables as well.
Yeah.
Rice, fish, vegetables, sauce.
Big bite.
Mmmm.
That is good.
How is that?
The fish is very mild.
Like the white fish it is not very fatty so it doesn't have a strong flavor.
It is like having sashimi with rice and veg.
It is good.
But it needs the sauce for sure.
Otherwise it would be a little bit bland.
Mmmm.
Maybe I should be adding wasabi to this.
Just mix it all in.
So your food is here now.
Yeah my dish has now arrived.
Yours came first.
So I'm having chobap (초밥) which is the Korean sushi.
So take a look down here.
I have ten nicely displayed pieces.
And as you can see you have of course the sushi kind of Korean chobap (초밥) appearance.
It has got the rice and then the fish on top.
So I'm just going to grab a piece.
Yep.
And let's take it for a dunk in the soy sauce.
Take it for a swim.
No wasabi?
Come on!
Mmmm.
I did put a bit on.
Yeah?
How is it?
It is good.
This is a really.
It is not.
It is a chewy fish.
It is not um.
It doesn't disintegrate in your mouth.
I'm really having to power through it.
It is very light.
I think we're both having the same fish.
Yeah it is very light.
It tastes good.
And but as you said it is the kind of fish that it needs a strong sauce to go with it.
Either the gochujang (고추장) or the soy sauce the kangjang.
With the wasabi.
Wow, there is some rice flying out of your mouth.
There.
Whoops.
Haha.
But yeah if I had to venture a guess I would say this is probably flounder?
Hmmm.
Would you say?
I think so.
So Sam is going to try my dish.
Yeah, I preformed a little switch-a-roo so I'm going to plop that all in.
I don't know if this is how you are supposed to do it but this is how I've decided to do
it.
I'm putting a bit more of the gochujang sauce (고추장) on.
And then let's give that a nice strong mix.
I guess I'm just used to like taking one spoonful of rice and then dipping that in to the soup
or whatever side I'm having with it.
Yeah.
That is probably more effective.
This is almost like a hoe (회) bibimbap (비빔밥).
There we go.
I don't know if we're supposed to do it like this.
From deopbap to bimbimbap.
We've created something new.
I've decided to eat it like this so I'm getting a bit of rice, I'm getting a bit of fish and
veggies.
Let's try that.
Mmmmm.
What do you think?
I actually prefer the cut of fish here.
It is a little bit thinner.
So it is easier to chew.
Yeah.
And I think having it with extra ingredients like with the salad and with gochujang (고추장)
does give it more of a flavor and taste.
So if I had to pick between the two dishes I would go with the Hoedeopbap (회덮밥).
I have to agree because I tried to the what shall we call it the sushi.
The chobap (초밥).
The chobap (초밥) and yeah the cuts are a little bit thicker which makes the fish
a little bit chewier once it is in your mouth.
So I like mine better too.
Yeah.
This is good.
It is a good order.
We also have another fish at the table that we haven't even gotten in to.
So if you take a look over here I think this was also part of our banchan (반찬) so it
came for free and it is a grilled fish and man using chopsticks this is going to be hard.
Let's use a spoon.
How do we break this apart?
Oh, there we go.
Nice.
Yeah, I have no idea what kind of fish this is but it has been grilled.
The bones are tiny so I think we can probably just eat them.
And we can probably have the skin as well to be honest.
Maybe I'll pull these bones out.
Just in case.
Mmmmm.
How is that?
That is nice.
Again.
No seasonings so you're just tasting the fish but because it has been grilled it has got
like that nice charcoal-y flavor.
It is good.
Just lots of little bones.
Be careful.
But I guess you can eat the little bones.
Yeah, it is good.
Mealtime over.
Look at this plate.
No more chobap (초밥).
I had it all.
And I just had a little bit of rice left.
Yeah.
We ate all of the fish.
We ate all of the fish from the deopbap.
So anyways in terms of price point the Hoedeopbap (회덮밥) was thirteen thousand Won (원)
and the chobap (초밥) was fifteen thousand Won (원).
So in total twenty eight thousand Won (원).
That is ₩28,000 KRW.
So you're looking at about probably twenty four US dollars.
So yeah, really not bad value when you consider that you know we had a seafood feast here.
It wasn't just the dishes that we had.
We also had a lot of different side dishes that included seafood and fish.
So overall it was a big meal and definitely stuffed.
And if you can come and visit the Noryangjin Fish Market (노량진시장) it is an experience.
You come and you walk around of course and you experience the market and then to come
out and have food.
It is definitely something we recommend doing in Seoul (서울).