Eating Raw Live Octopus in Noryangjin Fish Market, Seoul, South Korea

This destination was nearly canceled on our trip to South Korea, but it turned out to be the best. I finally got to experience what I wanted to do for a long time: eat a wriggly live octopus. It was awesome and guilty at the same time. I also learned what a sea pineapple was and how delicious it tastes… raw. I am glad we visited the market.

Noryangjin Fish Market is a famous fish market in Seoul, where you can find hundreds of different kinds of seafood, from fish and shrimps to crabs and shells. But what makes this place even more special is that you can buy fresh seafood and have it cooked or served raw at one of the many restaurants on the upper floor.

Getting to Noryangjin Fish Market by Train

We took the train from the main city and crossed the Han River. When we arrived at Noryangjin Fish Market, we were amazed by its size. There were so many types of sea creatures, both alive and not alive.

Choosing Our Fresh Seafood

We walked past many stalls, then one vendor stopped us and spoke in English. She offered her live sea abalone at 10,000 won for 5 pieces. We agreed to buy it.

Then she scooped up some orange-colored soft oval spikey creatures from a water tank and offered us 2,000 won each. Before we could decide, she cut one up and made us try it on the spot as sashimi. It was a strange but adventurous feeling to eat something that I had never seen before… raw. Its soft flesh tasted mildly salty. The experience reminded me of the last time I ate a fresh oyster from the waters in Japan.

I took a photo and Googled it. The spikey creature is known as sea pineapple. We didn’t buy it. Instead, I requested for octopus, which costs 10,000 won. We bought some prawns too at 30,000 won to complete the meal. The vendor continued to scoop a giant crab, but we rejected it. It costs 56,000 won after weighing.

The vendor then introduced us to another nearby stall to buy more sashimi… regular sashimi.

Enjoying Our Seafood at a Restaurant

Next, we were led up the escalator to a restaurant. At the restaurant, they cut up the octopus and barbecued the rest of the seafood. We were also served dipping sauce, raw garlic, green pepper, and kimchi.

I grabbed a pair of metal chopsticks and picked up a piece of sliced octopus. It was slippery, sticky, and wriggly. I dipped it in the sweet sauce and put it in my mouth. It was chewy and squishy, with a mild salty flavor. I could feel it moving around in my mouth, and suctioning my inner cheek. I chewed quickly and swallowed it down. It was not as scary as I thought, but rather fun and exhilarating.

We ate the whole plate of octopus, along with the other barbecued seafood that we bought at the market. They were all fresh and delicious. We enjoyed our meal so much.

We ordered Soju to complement the meal. Everything was satisfactory. The restaurant service cost 52,000 won.

Visit Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul

I’m so glad that we didn’t cancel our visit to the Noryangjin Fish Market. It was one of the best experiences I had in South Korea. I got to taste something new and exciting. If you ever go to Seoul, I highly recommend you to check out this place.

~ Adrian Lee