Masinneun Jeju, Seoul: Fresh Mackerel Sashimi
A coworker is getting married, so we had a special get-together to receive the wedding invitation. Our office is near Gyodae, but we specifically came all the way to Seolleung (a neighborhood in Seoul) for this gathering because the food here is truly unique and delicious.
The best mackerel sashimi I’ve ever had was on Jeju Island. For starters, the color was completely different from the mackerel you usually see in Seoul. It was incredibly tender with absolutely no fishy taste, making me think, "Ah, this is why people love mackerel sashimi."
I tried it a few times in Seoul hoping to relive that memory, but it was always aged sashimi, and the places selling live sashimi tasted fishy. Because of this, I thought it was just a dish you couldn't eat in Seoul. However, thanks to some coworkers who take immense pride in their bar food choices, I discovered 'Masinneun Jeju' (Delicious Jeju). This restaurant catches the mackerel, immediately stuns them with acupuncture needles, ships them to Seoul, and serves them as live sashimi.
> You know the type, right? The people who, while eating something, strongly insist that what they had somewhere else before was way better. We just happen to have quite a few of those noble souls around.
I always end up completely drunk whenever I come here. The food is amazing, and the atmosphere is great. More than half of it is because I'm eating with good people, but the taste of this mackerel is truly enough to make the whole table go quiet for a moment. It's so good that it easily leads to a situation where everyone is urging each other to take a shot of soju for every piece of sashimi. As long as you watch out for that, I'd give this place the highest rating among all the seafood restaurants I've visited recently.
The only downside is that it's a really long walk from Seolleung Station. I highly recommend taking a taxi.