Located a five-minute walk from Hands Coffee on Gwangan Beach, Jeongwon Haemultang offers a very common food in Busan — haemultang (Korean seafood stew) — yet its haemultang is somewhat more special than others.
After ordering, we got standard side dishes, which were not so many but all fresh and delicious. Then we got the main, haemultang. When the pot, filled with fresh and raw ingredients, started to boil in front us, one of the staff came over and cut the ingredients in the pot so that we can just enjoy the atmosphere before eating, and then put some bean sprouts and squid from the pot into a dish prepared before (in the photo below).
Afterward, she rapidly refilled the pot with more ingredients, including a few hot peppers and a live small octopus (in the main photo) and moved onto the bean sprouts dish, mixing and cutting so we could have it before the haemultang would be ready.
On her saying ‘you can eat now’, I tasted some seafood and one spoon of the soup, and I paused and looked at the ceiling for a second. As a Busan girl, I have had haemultang here and there, but this haemultang is among top three for me so far. They do not use a lot of spices, so you can enjoy the natural and deep savor in the soup.
I was with two gentlemen and medium-sized haemultang (in the main photo. 40,000 won) was enough (big 50,000 won) for three of us. They also have agujjim (spicy steamed monkfish, medium 30,000 won, big 40,000 won), and soju (4,000 won) and Korean beer (4,000 won). You can have bokkeumbap with haemultang (2,000 per portion, you can order at least for two), and sari (noodles to mix with food sauce, 2,000 won per portion) with agujjim.
There are only tables with seating on the floor. Parking is available for one hour only at the designated parking lot. Free WiFi is available. It is usually packed during lunch and dinner and reservations are recommended.
Restaurant Information
Jeongwon Haemultang (정원 해물탕)
Open: 11 am – 10 pm daily (except Mondays)
Address: Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 255-25, Suyeong-gu, Busan, Korea
Phone: 051-761-2788
