Enjoy aguijjim (left) and aguitang at “Leedong Aguijjim,” located in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province. The aguijjim is spicy while the aguitang is a much milder dish. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul


By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Located near the sea, the Gyeongsang area is famous for its high quality ultra-fresh seafood. Among various seafood delicacies, aguijjim is a specialty visitors should not miss.

``Leedong Aguijjim'' has been in the neighborhood of Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, for more than 30 years, and has managed to be one of the locals' favorite aguijjim places in the area.

Aguijjim is made of a fish called an anglerfish, or ``agui'' in Korean. The ``jjim'' means a steamed dish in Korean, so the proper name of the dish would be steamed anglerfish. The fish is chopped into bite-size pieces, steamed and then mixed together with a hot spicy red pepper paste sauce, bean sprouts and other seafood.

As soon as you walk into the restaurant, there is a wall of photographs that show the owner posing with celebrities who've dined there. The interior is simple and is cozy enough to make you feel like you're visiting an ordinary home.

We ordered the medium dish of aguijjim (20,000 won, the larger dish is 25,000 won) and aguitang, or agui stew (7,000 won). The meal started with delightful side dishes, including a large plate of buchimgae, or a Korean style flat cake.

The aguijjim came on a large plate, with large chunks of agui, a generous amount of bean sprouts and the restaurant's signature spicy sauce.

The agui was very chewy and went well with the bean sprouts, which gave the dish a fresh touch. Compared with the rather small pieces of the fish meat you can find in other aguijjim places, some of the pieces were big enough to be chopped up again with scissors.

The sauce was a little too spicy for us, but you can ask for a less spicy version when you order. Many Koreans enjoy mixing their own individual bowl of rice with the sauce for a more teary experience, but for those who are less adventurous, it might be a good idea to enjoy the dish separately, and always keep your glass of water handy.

The aguitang was unique. Unlike any other tangs, or stews, seasoning the dish with vinegar is a must. The dish is also served with big pieces of agui and bean sprouts, plus a generous helping of dropwort, a tangy flavor and scented type of vegetable. The dropwort and vinegar together creates a special taste and scent, and although the aguitang is made with the same fish, it is very different from the aguijjim. For those who are not fond of spicy dishes, order the aguitang, or order it with the aguijjim to give yourself a break from all the spiciness.

The restaurant also offers other specialties such as kkotgejjim, or steamed blue crab (large dish for 30,000 won, small dish for 25,000 won), and the kkotgetang, or blue crab stew (30,000 won, 25,000 won).

The restaurant is located at Jinhae city. Take a train straight to Jinhae station from Cheongnyang-ri station in Seoul, or take a bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal to Masan and take the city bus 315 or 33 in front of Masan bus terminal to Jinhae city. Once you get to Jinhae city, take a taxi to the Leedong Citizen Center. With the center on your left, go straight until you see the restaurant on the right side corner. It opens 10:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. For more information call (055) 543-6249 (in Korean).

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr