Saturday, Dec. 18, 2004
Few overseas visitors ever make it to Seoul's all-night Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market. And that's a shame, because when it comes to venues for a seafood binge, Noryangjin, at least as far as Asia goes, easily rivals Tokyo's renowned (and tourist-ridden) Tsukiji Market. Deliveries from Korea's 15 main fishing ports (and further afield) arrive at about 1 a.m. Wholesale auctions begin shortly after and last until 8 a.m.—but there are hundreds of retailers on the 66,000-square-meter site, too, with prices about 30% below Korean norms. You can buy whatever takes your fancy—king crabs from Russia, snow crabs from North Korea, abalone, squid and sea cucumber—and have it prepared in one of the eight restaurants overlooking the market hall. Most of these specialize in sashimi (
hwee in Korean), steamed crab and seafood-based hot pots, such as the fiery
maeoontang. Typically, prices aren't stated: instead, restaurateurs ask a small fee for dressing your catch and serving it with wasabi, chilies, raw garlic, sesame leaves and lettuce. It might not be everyone's idea of breakfast—but for color, it sure beats the hotel coffee shop.
- Graham Holliday
- An all-night seafood binge in Seoul
