Wimi Port Live Fish Center: Fresh Sashimi in Jeju
The best thing to eat in Jeju is, of course, raw fish. There are several places selling raw fish in Wimi, but the only way to get it fresher than at the live fish center would be to catch it yourself. The owner has that gruffness typical of Jeju fishermen, but he's actually a bit of a softie on the inside—he gives great recommendations for seasonal fish and lets you know what's good today.
The photos above are from a winter visit. I packed the food to go, so I don't have any pictures of the table setting. When I visited in early summer, I paid the table-setting fee to eat at the restaurant on the second floor, so I have some photos from that.
I ordered dodari (flounder) and a mixed seafood platter, plus a spicy fish stew made with the leftover bones. The flounder sashimi was incredibly chewy and delicious, and the seafood platter was bursting with the scent of the ocean. The spicy fish stew was just okay—enough to keep the rice from being boring, but hard to call it truly delicious. The staff are all from China or Vietnam, so there are occasional miscommunications.
This might actually be the place I've visited most often since coming to Jeju. It's not that their knife skills are pure art, or that the fish is perfectly aged, or that the sauces are mind-blowing. I just think it's the best place to experience the true, unadulterated taste of raw fish. Though I suppose that's exactly what a live fish center is for.
