Garak market (가락 시장)

Location: Songpa-gu, Korea

Category: Seafood, Korean

Price: $$ (~40,000)

Food: A

Atmosphere: A

Service: B

Overall: A

Review:  One of my new favorite places to take guests.  One of the great things about this place and norangji market (I've heard, haven't been there yet) is the ability to do some sightseeing while eating delicious food!  First you go to the main fish market and choose what you want to eat:

There's all sorts of stuff to choose at the market, and all of it is extraordinarily fresh.  A completely different experience from the Tsukiji fish market in Japan, the vendors will take whatever fish, crab, clam, even sting ray that you choose, and prepare it on the spot.  You can then ask them or volunteer to take it yourself (which is generally faster) to a restaurant on the second floor associated with the market and pay a nominal fee to have them prepare it (2,000 won per person for entry, to prepare meauntang, or spicy fish soup, it is 10,000 for 4 people, for steamed crap, about 20,000).  What is shown below is what comes with the entrance fee:

It does end up being a bit more expensive than just ordering meuntang in the restaurant but is incredibly tasty in comparison

I've been twice now and both times we ordered steamed crab which was really good and sannakji, which is live octopus.  It sounds really gross but is in fact, very tasty:

Actually, it looks pretty gross too, but it is really tasty, I promise.  There is actually a difference in the taste in prices, it probably makes sense to go to a place that sells a few varieties of nakji (more than 5 different types) and choose one of the one that is not the cheapest.  We chose ones both times that were 2 small octopus for 10,000 and the vendors will cut it up for you into small pieces.  The restaurant will have the sesame oil so as soon you bring it up, you can eat it right away.  

The restaurant also has a few dishes they serve themselves that don't require food from downstairs, like fried shrimp, 15,000 for a large dish, but those dishes are few and far between, and generally not as good as the food prepared with ingredients from the fish market.  However, at the time, we were still hungry (we had a few more people than anticipated join us at the restaurant) and so we ordered the dish of deep fried shrimp

One of my favorite dishes was actually a rice dish, made from the main shell of the steamed crab.  We took the insides out, and with it, mixed in rice and a bit of sesame oil.  It was incredibly tasty.  The second time I went, we had them prepare the fried rice, and although that was good, I still felt the first time I ate it, it was somehow better.  It's a great end to a great meal.

Unfortunately I do not have the contact information for the restaurant or the market.  However, Garak Market (and Norangji market) are both easily accessibly by the subway in Seoul, and most of the vendors in the market have similar seafood inventory.  It's part of the adventure to seek out, bargain, and eat well!