Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sergio Stefanuto]

....and what do you buy?

I really don't like the seafood in Korea. Is there a dearth of interesting, tasty animals in the Sea of Japan or something?

Note the huge difference in quality between Japanese sashimi vs Korean 회. It really is like stepping back in time and into the Third World.

I've shopped at Lottemart, Emart and a few independents. They've got salmon and tuna, thankfully, but there's never anything else I want to buy. Prawns, squid, seaslugs, unidentifiable marine aliens imported from Titan - not really my cup of tea. I like 삼치 ('a kind of makerel'), but that seems to be seasonal (can't remember what season)

When ever I've tried something at random, I've always thought the quality sucked.

[Chambertin]

I can�t give much advice yet as I don�t know the locals enough.

Rule one with any dead animal retailer:
Buy from a person.

There are plenty of shady sushi / sashimi restaurants in Japan also.
I loved getting to know my fish mongers and I can�t trade the service I got for the few cents I could have saved buying in the big markets.

That being said once you have someone you can trust for the raw feel free to save money on the stuff you plan to cook.
These apply to fresh, but the good fishmonger shouldn�t sell anything but this.
#1 Clear eyes
They should be black as night and as reflective like a cat�s eye at midnight.
#2 No smell on the skin
Sure there will be some light fishy aroma from all the guts being ripped out and saved till garbage pickup time but the skin of the fish should smell unique to the fish and not like the local shrimp shack in the Midwest US.
#3 Red frilly gills
No slime, nice separation when you open it all the way up. Slight smell is ok, but this should be minimal and only from degutting.

Remember to consider the fish first, not the smell of the shop or the person behind the counter. Garbage might only be collected once a day and that stink grows per second. Toothless joe might look like crap but he's probably got the line on which boats come in and what they bring with them. However if the fish smell then run like hell.
With that in mind it�s possible to get great fish pretty far inland in Asia.
Not a where to, but at least a how to.

As far as what to buy, its what they smile and point at when they see me walking over.

[pkang0202]

Go to a fish market. They are not hard to find.

Otherwise, wait to go back home so you can eat Long John Silvers.

[Chambertin]

Bump +

There is a high chance you already knew these factors, but if you didnt, or if others didnt I hope they can be of use.
Hope they help someone.

Will add more if I learn of a local supplier who is fantastic or a regional market.