Life as an ex-pat requires you to acquire some survival skills, especially if you have a family and love to home-cook. One of those skills is locating markets where food can be purchased at affordable prices. One of such places is the Noryangjin Wholesale Fisheries market.
This is a famous wholesale fisheries market that is usually packed with people especially on the weekends. Many who come to purchase seafood in bulk, others, to look around. Walking through, the market feels like an aquarium.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
It is a wet market as expected so you should leave your fancy clothes and footwear at home. Instead, wear your closed-toe boots or sneakers to stand the puddles of fishy water. One good thing about this place is that it doesn’t smell like other markets.
Another thing worthy of note is that the market is undergoing a transition into a complex. So, unlike the old building, it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
If you are like me, there is no need to rush. Rather allow yourself to be piqued by the sights OF THE BEAUTIFUL AND WEIRD SEA CREATURES as you stroll from one stall to the other. Many, you would be probably seeing for the first time.
In the stalls, you would find fresh but dead fish, live, frozen, and shelled fishes. And they are colour coded in green, blue, purple, and orange respectively for easy identification. This is not like many other markets, most of the fishes here, are fresh and not decaying over a counter.
Typical of Korea, most of the vendors do not understand English however they are willing to help. You can wander, take pictures. If you indicate you want to purchase something, they will show the price on a calculator. You should have researched for the name of the fish in Korean or have a picture of what you want.
Let me let in on a little secret (this is for those coming to get some seafood for their families). Even though this is a wholesale market, some retailers also sell here. You need to arrive early to buy firsthand from the wholesaler, so you don’t travel all the way only to purchase from a retailer.
Compared to the local market, they are quite cheaper. A carton of Mackerel from Norway which contains about 40 pieces is about ₩ 75,000 (about $70) and an octopus can be as cheap as ₩10,000 for two. The large lobster could go for ₩75,000.
BARGAINING FOR PRICE
It is totally acceptable to bargain for the price of your purchase. Keep in mind that the vendors will often pitch a high price to allow you strike a bargain but You will get great value for your money. Normally, if you are buying in larger quantities, they tend to lower the price.
If you wish, after your purchase, several on-site restaurants are available to prepare your meal. You don’t need to find them; they will find you. You will often see them with a tray of food on their head.
This market has about 6 floors and there are free parking spaces if you want to drive down.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
Noryangjin wholesale fisheries market is open 24/7 and is accessible by subway or bus. To get there through public transport. Take the Seoul subway to Noryangjin station ( Line 1 and 9). From exit 1, go down the stairs under the train tracks. You will see some vendors displaying different kinds of stuff, walk towards the escalator to the welcome signpost.
To sum up, the market is easy to find and If you are a coffee lover like most Koreans, there is a coffee shop just outside the entrance by the road.
- Read more: Noryangjin Fish Market – Eating live octopus
- Check out: www.susansijang.co.kr
