Let me just start by saying: nothing prepares you for your first visit to the Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul. I’d heard stories, of course. Friends told me, “Oh, you’ve gotta go, it’s wild.” But “wild” doesn’t even begin to cover it. The moment I stepped inside, my senses were completely overwhelmed—in the best way possible.
It’s a sprawling, multi-level labyrinth pulsing with energy. You’ve got the constant sound of bubbling water from hundreds of tanks, the energetic calls of vendors (known as ajummas and ajusshis), and the incredible, briny smell of the fresh-from-the-ocean air. And the sights… my goodness. Tanks are overflowing with gigantic King Crabs and Snow Crabs, squirming webfoot octopus (jjukkumi), and fish I couldn’t even name.
My mission? To not just see the market, but to experience it the local way: buy seafood on the main floor and then take it upstairs to one of the special restaurants to have it prepared for me. This, my friends, is the “chojangjib” experience, and I’m here to give you the full breakdown, from haggling for crab to that first perfect bite of fresh sashimi.
Welcome to the Arena: What You’ll See at Noryangjin
The main floor of the Noryangjin market is the “sales” area, and it’s a spectacle. I’m talking aisle after aisle of vendors, each with their own specialty. One stall, like the “Mokpo” one I saw, was just overflowing with crabs. Next to it, “Gwangju Susan” had tanks packed with flatfish, and a big sign advertising “Natural Yellowtail” (Bangeo). I was honestly surprised, since I always thought yellowtail was a winter-only thing, but they had a whole specialty shop going strong!
It’s not just fish and crab, though. My eyes just about popped out of my head when I saw the other offerings. There were colossal tiger prawns that were easily the size of my hand, skewers of massive, pearly-white scallops (gwanja), and buckets filled with sea snails, cockles (saejogae), and clams.
And the tuna! Oh, the tuna. You’ll see massive, silver-blue giants just resting on ice, waiting to be processed. I even saw a (thankfully, not real) crocodile head displayed next to one as a decoration! I’ve heard if you time it right, you might even catch one of the famous tuna-cutting shows. Everywhere you look, there’s a new, incredible sight.
The Noryangjin System: A Two-Part Seafood Battle Plan
Okay, so here’s the most important thing to understand. You don’t just walk into a restaurant and order off a menu (though you can do that in some places). The real Noryangjin experience is a two-part process. It’s a “buy it yourself” adventure.
Part 1: The Hunt (Buying Your Treasure)
First, you walk the market floor and buy your seafood directly from the vendors. This is the fun, chaotic part. You’ll see hundreds of stalls. My advice? Do a full lap before you buy anything.
You pick what you want. “I’ll take that king crab,” “Give me 500g of that flounder for sashimi,” “A skewer of those scallops, please!” The vendors weigh it right in front of you. This is also where you’ll want to have a sense of the “market price” (shisega), which changes daily. When I was there, Snow Crab was around 50,000 KRW (about $40 USD) per kg, and King Crab was in the 90,000 – 100,000 KRW (about $75-85 USD) per kg range. It’s not cheap, but for this quality, it’s an amazing deal.
💡 Pro Tip: Ask for “Service” (서비스)!
In Korea, “service” (seo-bi-seu) means “freebies” or “on the house.” When you’re making a big purchase (like a whole king crab), it’s totally normal—and expected—to politely ask for some service. You can say, “Service jom juseyo” (Please give me some service). The vendor will likely throw in a handful of shrimp, some clams, or a few abalone for free! I got a whole plate of shrimp and clams this way.
⚠️ Watch Out! Wet Floors & Price Fluctuations
This is a working fish market. The floors are wet. Seriously, don’t wear your new white sneakers or high heels. Wear shoes with good grip. Also, prices are not fixed. They fluctuate based on the day’s catch. Don’t be afraid to (politely) haggle or, at the very least, shop around at a few stalls to compare prices before you commit.
Part 2: The Feast (Finding Your ‘Chojangjib’)
Once you’ve paid for your haul, the vendor will bag it up. Now, you head to the restaurants. At Noryangjin, these are mostly located on the 2nd floor (as the handy map I saw confirmed). You’ll see a long hallway with places like “Hwangje Sikdang” (Emperor Restaurant) and many others.
These aren’t restaurants in the traditional sense. They are “Chojangjib” (초장집). “Chojang” is the sweet and spicy red chili sauce served with sashimi, and “jib” means house. So, you’re going to a “sauce house”!
You walk in, hand over your bag of raw seafood, and they do all the work. This is the part that costs extra, and it’s all broken down on a menu, which brings us to…
Demystifying the ‘Chojangjib’ (Table-Setting Restaurant) Menu
This is where most foreigners get confused, but it’s actually super simple. You are not paying for the seafood here (you already did that downstairs). You are paying for preparation and a place to sit.
I peeked at the menu at the restaurant we went to, and here’s the typical breakdown:
- Basic Table Setting Fee (기본 상차림): This is a per-person cover charge. On the menu I saw, it was 5,000 KRW (about $4) per person. This gets you your seat, chopsticks, soy sauce, wasabi, the all-important chojang, lettuce and perilla leaves for wraps (ssam), and some basic side dishes (like kimchi and pickled onions).
- Cooking Fees: This is an à la carte menu for how you want your food cooked. You pay these in addition to the setting fee.
Here’s a look at the typical cooking/add-on prices I saw:
| Item | Typical Price (KRW) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Table Setting (1인) | 5,000 | The per-person cover charge for sauces, veggies, and a seat. |
| Steaming Fee (찜) | ~10,000 – 20,000 | A flat or per-kg fee to steam your crabs, shrimp, or clams. |
| Maeuntang / Jiri (2인) | 10,000 | Spicy or clear soup made from your fish bones (for 2 people). |
| Haemul Ramyeon (1인) | 10,000 | Seafood instant noodles (they’ll use some of your seafood). |
| Fried Rice (게딱지 볶음밥) | 3,000 | Rice fried in your leftover crab shell with the tomalley. A must! |
| Bowl of Rice (공기밥) | 1,000 | Just a plain bowl of white rice. |
So, for our group of two, we paid 10,000 KRW (2 x 5,000) for the table setting, a fee for steaming our crab, and then 10,000 KRW for a spicy fish soup (maeuntang) at the end. It’s incredibly reasonable.
What My Epic Noryangjin Meal Looked Like
About 20 minutes after we sat down, the magic started to happen.
First, the Modeum Hoe (모듬회), or assorted sashimi platter. We had bought this along with our crab. The restaurant had sliced it beautifully. There was pearly-white flounder (gwang-eo), some pinkish sea bream (dom), and—my favorite—some gorgeous, marbled tuna belly (chamchi). The freshness was just… unreal. It had a clean, slightly sweet taste of the ocean. Totally different from anything you get at a standard sushi restaurant.
Then, the main event: the steamed crab. They brought it out perfectly cooked and broken down for us. The legs were packed with sweet, tender meat. But the real prize is the greenish-gold “tomalley” (naejang) in the crab shell. It’s an intensely rich, briny, umami bomb. You’re supposed to take a spoonful of rice and mix it right into the shell. Trust me, just do it. It’s life-changing.
Alongside all this, they brought out our “service” items—a full plate of steamed shrimp and clams. A delicious, free bonus!
Finally, just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, they brought the Maeuntang (매운탕). This is the spicy fish soup made from the bones and head of the fish we’d had for sashimi. It’s a bubbling, deep-red, savory stew that’s the traditional way to end a Korean sashimi meal. It warms you from the inside out and is the perfect conclusion to the feast.
Quick Summary: My Top Tips for Noryangjin
Seafood is best shared! It’s more fun and cost-effective to buy a large crab and several fish as a group.
The floors are wet and slippery. Prioritize grip and comfort over fashion.
Don’t buy from the first stall you see. Walk around, compare prices, and get a feel for the market.
When making a big purchase, politely ask for “service” (seo-bi-seu) to get free shrimp or clams thrown in.
Remember you pay twice: once for the seafood (downstairs) and again for the cooking/seating (upstairs).
Don’t skip the spicy fish soup at the end. It’s made from your fish bones and is the perfect, authentic finisher.
Frequently Asked Questions
My visit to Noryangjin Fish Market was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable (and delicious) experiences I’ve had in Seoul. It’s loud, it’s a little wet, and it’s beautifully chaotic, but it’s also the source of the freshest, most incredible seafood feast you can imagine. Don’t be intimidated by the system. Just follow these tips, be adventurous, and get ready to eat.
What do you think? Would you be brave enough to try the Noryangjin challenge? Or what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever eaten from a market? Let me know in the comments below!
