The market opens before the sun does. By 6am there’s already steam rising from the pojangmacha stalls and the smell of grilled shellfish drifting across the port.
Jagalchi is Korea’s largest seafood market and it has been here, in some form, since the Japanese colonial period. The current building is not beautiful — it’s a practical multi-floor structure that smells aggressively of the ocean — but what happens inside it is.
What to Order
Haemul pajeon — the seafood pancake — is the obvious choice and also the correct one. Thick, crisp at the edges, loaded with squid and green onion, served with a dark dipping sauce. I ordered one as soon as I sat down and immediately wished I’d ordered two.
The raw fish platters (hoe) are available but I’d recommend waiting until you’ve oriented yourself. The vendors are enthusiastic and the portions are generous and it’s easy to end up with more than you can finish at 6am.
Coffee comes from a thermos. It is not good. Drink it anyway.
