Masanok in Sinsa: Sweet Braised Monkfish
I suddenly had plans in Sinsa (a neighborhood in Seoul) and wondered what to eat. It was a weird day where I wasn't craving meat or raw fish, but after searching for about 10 minutes, I found agujjhim (spicy braised monkfish), which really whet my appetite. I went to Masanok, a place famous in the area for its agujjhim, much like Oksu Haemul Kalguksu (https://slothis.me/%ed%95%98%eb%93%9c%eb%a6%ac%ec%95%84%eb%88%84%ec%8a%a4%ec%9d%98-%ea%b0%9c%ec%84%a0%eb%ac%b8-%ec%98%ac%eb%a6%bc%ed%94%bc%ec%95%84-%ec%a0%9c%ec%9a%b0%ec%8a%a4-%ec%8b%a0%ec%a0%84-%ed%8c%8c%eb%82%98/) near Oksu Station, which gives you more seafood than bean sprouts, or Donghae Haemul (https://slothis.me/%ea%b1%b4%eb%8c%80-%ed%99%94%ec%96%91%eb%8f%99-%eb%8f%99%ed%95%b4%ed%95%b4%eb%ac%bc-%ea%b1%b4%eb%8c%80%ec%99%80%eb%8a%94-%ec%a0%84%ed%98%80-%ec%96%b4%ec%9a%b8%eb%a6%ac%ec%a7%80-%ec%95%8a%ec%a7%80/) in Hwayang-dong.
The restaurants I've posted about before used a spicy sauce that wasn't extremely hot but still had a slight kick. If those places serve a slightly rougher style of agujjhim or haemuljjim (spicy braised seafood), Masanok is famous for a sauce so sweet you'd think they poured in a whole sack of sugar. It's the kind of sauce that would be absolutely perfect mixed with a bowl of rice. There isn't a ton of seafood, but I think this rich sauce is partly why you feel so full after eating. I previously went to a place in Busan called Masan Haemuljjim—or anyway, a place with "Masan" in the name—and they also used a pretty sweet sauce.
The advantage of a sweet sauce is that it makes soju go down incredibly smoothly. I feel like I drank quite a bit, though I'm not a heavy drinker so it's nothing to brag about. Still, while drinking, the sauce neatly masks the harsh alcohol taste of the soju. I've talked too much about the sauce, but of course, the monkfish itself comes out perfectly cooked and wonderfully tender.
I do think it's on the pricey side, but I recommend it if you want a slightly special menu for a small celebration or an after-party. For reference, they are closed on Sundays.