Raw Fish and Mulhoi~! A Real Delicacy~!

Koreans enjoy raw fish as much as they enjoy barbecue. 

What is different from Japaneses raw fish is that Japanese raw fish is aged in a refrigerators for days to bring out the sweetness of its flavor. To go in deeper into this, proteins in the fish degrade into amino-acids-making it soft/sweet and so on.

But enough with "science"

What makes raw fish enjoyed by Koreans is the chewy texture of the fish.  After picking out the fish from out of the tank outside the restaurant, the chefs slice the fish immediately before serving. 

Let me introduce the menus when ordering from a raw fish restaurants in Korea. 

 This is the sauce or condiments(?)
Wasabi and fermented bean paste sauce
(little bit of soy, chopped raw garlic and hot peppers)  

 Side dishes are usually served in various kinds and amount depending on the restaurant. This is chapchae which is made by mixing pan-fried ingredients of noodles, vegetables,and meat all together with soy sauce and, sugar, and sesame-oil.

 This is an algae, a common dish presented at Korean seafood restaurants.

 Salad with sweet mayo sauce~

 Korean fried pancake-Korean people love fried pancake made with various ingredients

 Godong-is a fun food to eat~ With a toothpick you poke into the holes of these little hard-shelled seafood, and eat the soft meat inside of it~!

 Corn with cheese and mayo, and seaweed soup

 A piece of a thick cod in hot gochuchang sauce

 Cod grilled in the oven-its sweet and salty. Perfect with a drink~!!


Look at all the menus~!!!


 Try counting how many dishes are there~ it is almost like a buffet

 Here are the real stuff~ Sea urchins and sea cucumbers
Sea urchins has really delicate texture when eaten. It is sweet and bring out the unique flavor of unami
Sea cucumber is chewy and hard in texture. It slips right into your mouth~!

 Sea squirts and spoon worms
Sea squirts definitely has a unique flavor and smell~ Some people love it or hate it
But when you fall in love with it you can basically eat it with any kinds of food
Spoon worms may sound very unfamiliar but after you have a taste of it-you definitely will fall in love with it. The texture is very hard and somewhat chewy.

See the freshness of the meat and the color of it. The fish usually halibut or cod, with various others are sliced~ 

This is mulhoi-a real treat during summers. It's sour/sweet broth with noodles and raw fish as a topping is really tasty. 

 In some restaurants the secret broth sauce is iced and scooped like an ice-cream onto a dish. After that you add any seafood you want.

 After eating raw fish, leftover bones picked out from slicing the fish are used to make the broth of this dish. You add spices and sauces and various kinds of vegetables. It is an amazing soup to be eaten with rice.
What do you think about the menus of raw fish restaurants in Korea? Isn't it really generous? Doesn't it all look delicious?
Hope you have the chance to try it yourself~!!!