The fish tank is intimidating only until you know the words. 14 dishes decoded — 활어회 vs 모둠회 vs 물회 vs 회덮밥 — the 6-step 횟집 flow that catches foreigners off guard (the 스키다시 side-dish bill, saying 지리 for non-spicy), 6 coastal regions by signature catch, and 8 ordering tactics.
Curated 2026-01 from coastal-market visitor reports + KTO regional food pages. Prices are 2025–26 estimates and swing hard with season + wild-vs-farmed (자연산 vs 양식).
Filter to raw-only or cooked-only if you’re easing in.
14 results
A bubbling red stew of fish bones/heads, tofu, vegetables and chili. At a 횟집 it’s the cooked "finish" made from your sashimi fish’s frame.
₩8,000–25,000
Allergens: fish, shellfish, soy
Tip: After raw fish at a 횟집, the staff offer 매운탕 or the clear 지리 — this is normal and often included or cheap. Say "지리" if you can’t do spicy.
The non-spicy version of maeuntang — a clean, clear broth from the same fish frame, seasoned with salt instead of chili.
₩8,000–25,000
Allergens: fish, soy
Tip: The magic word for "make it not spicy." Pronounced "jee-ree." Lifesaver for chili-sensitive diners.
Diced raw fish over rice with vegetables and chojang — Korea’s answer to chirashi/poke. The most approachable raw-fish dish for first-timers.
₩10,000–18,000
Allergens: fish, sesame, soy
Tip: Available at ordinary restaurants and even food courts — you do not need to go to a 횟집. The safest entry point to Korean raw fish.
A bright-orange marine invertebrate with a uniquely metallic, sweet-bitter ocean flavor. Often part of a 모둠회 platter.
₩10,000–20,000
Allergens: mollusk
Tip: The most polarizing item on a sashimi platter — try one piece before committing. Spring is peak season.
Sliced raw fish (or squid/whelk) in an icy, sweet-tangy chilled broth with julienned vegetables. A summer specialty of the east coast (Pohang/Sokcho).
₩12,000–22,000
Allergens: fish, mollusk
Tip: The single best-value way to try raw fish solo — it’s a one-bowl dish, no tank, no 스키다시 minimum. Great for a hot day.
A thick, crisp-edged pancake packed with squid, shrimp, clams and scallions. The cooked, no-risk crowd-pleaser of any seafood spread.
₩12,000–22,000
Allergens: shellfish, mollusk, wheat, egg
Tip: Your safe fallback if the raw stuff is too much — every seafood restaurant has it and it’s always good.
A small octopus chopped at the table — the pieces still squirm. A texture/novelty dish, mild in flavor.
₩15,000–30,000
Allergens: mollusk, sesame
Tip: Real choking risk — chew each piece fully before swallowing, especially the suckers. Not for kids or the squeamish.
Korea’s prized shellfish — eaten raw as hoe, grilled with butter, or as 전복죽 (abalone rice porridge). Jeju is the heartland.
₩15,000–50,000
Allergens: mollusk, sesame
Tip: Jeonbok-juk (porridge) is the foreigner-friendly form — mild, no bones, sold everywhere on Jeju. Raw abalone is chewy.
Pohang winter specialty — herring or saury wind-dried over freeze-thaw cycles until chewy and rich. A strong, oily, acquired taste.
₩15,000–30,000
Allergens: fish
Tip: Winter-only (Nov–Feb). Intense — go with the full wrap, never plain. A "you either love it or hate it" dish.
Raw blue crab cured in soy sauce — silky, briny, intensely savory. Nicknamed "rice thief" (밥도둑) because you eat so much rice with it.
₩20,000–45,000
Allergens: shellfish
Tip: It’s raw + very salty — start with a little. There’s also a spicy version, 양념게장. A famous Seoul dish, no coast trip needed.
Sashimi from a fish killed to order out of the tank. Chewier and firmer than Japanese sashimi — Koreans prize the springy texture, not melt-in-mouth fat.
₩30,000–90,000
Allergens: fish
Tip: Price is usually per fish/per kg, not per person — confirm the total before they kill it. Flatfish (광어) and rockfish (우럭) are the cheap, safe defaults.
A tabletop grill loaded with clams, scallops, mussels and razor clams, often finished with cheese-corn or a buttery clam-rice.
₩30,000–60,000
Allergens: shellfish, mollusk, milk
Tip: A cooked, no-raw option that’s great for groups and beer. Ordered as a set for 2+; solo diners struggle here.
A mixed platter of several fish (and often sea squirt, sea cucumber, octopus). The easiest single order for a table that can’t read a tank.
₩40,000–120,000
Allergens: fish, mollusk, shellfish
Tip: Ordered by platter size (소/중/대 = small/medium/large) for a number of people — say how many of you there are and let them size it.
Steamed crab sold by weight, with the roe-and-rice fried in the shell at the end. Yeongdeok and Uljin on the east coast are the famous snow-crab towns.
₩40,000–150,000
Allergens: shellfish
Tip: Always sold by live weight — watch the scale, agree the price BEFORE it’s cooked. "Dead crab" (죽은 대게) is much cheaper but lower quality.
In order — this is where the surprises (and overcharging) happen.
At a 횟집 you choose from the tank by weight, or just order 모둠회 (assorted) sized 소/중/대 for your group. At a market, buy downstairs then take it to an upstairs eatery.
Live fish and crab are sold by weight — ask the total (얼마예요?) and confirm before they prep it. This is the #1 place tourists get overcharged.
A dozen+ free-ish side dishes (스키다시) arrive before the fish — tempura, snails, salads, sometimes grilled fish. At markets this is a paid 상차림 (table-setting) fee per person; at restaurants it’s usually included.
The raw fish comes after the sides. Dip in chojang or soy-wasabi; wrap with garlic, chili and perilla leaf. Eat lighter white fish first.
The fish frame becomes 매운탕 (spicy) or 지리 (clear) stew with rice — order whichever; say 지리 for non-spicy. Often included or cheap.
Check for the 상차림/자릿세 (table fee), drinks, and the stew. At markets the eat-upstairs fee is per person and separate from what you paid downstairs.
Each coast has a different signature catch. Includes a Seoul option if you’re not leaving the city.
A working east-coast fishing port near Seoraksan — combine a mountain day with the freshest mulhoe and street-side fried squid.
The home of gwamegi and a serious mulhoe culture — an east-coast deep cut for travelers who want the source, not the tourist version.
Korea’s largest fish market — the classic "pick it live, they cook it upstairs" experience, with English-savvy stalls used to tourists.
A pretty harbor city famous for oysters and meongge-bibimbap — quieter and more local than Busan, with island-hopping ferries.
Distinct island seafood you won’t find on the mainland — grilled hairtail, raw cutlassfish, and the freshest abalone porridge.
The full coastal-market experience without leaving Seoul — pick live seafood downstairs, pay a per-person 상차림 fee to eat it cooked/raw upstairs.