Soju
Handles the bold seafood sauce.
KOREAN FOOD · FROM HEAT TO FINISH
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01 · THE DESTINATION
Haemul Jjim: Spicy Braised Seafood
Octopus, crab, mussels, shrimp, and crisp bean sprouts are coated in glossy spicy sauce and cut for sharing at the table.
02 · BEFORE THE STEAM
Seafood Cooks at Different Speeds
Clean shellfish and cut large seafood only as needed. Prepare bean sprouts, scallions, water parsley, chili sauce, starch slurry, and rice before heating.
03 · FIRST COOK
Shellfish Builds the Liquid
Steam firm shellfish first, then add shrimp and octopus later. Their juices become the base; avoid adding unnecessary water.
04 · FOLD THE SAUCE
Keep the Sprouts Crisp
Add sauce and bean sprouts near the end, folding with a wide spatula. Thicken only enough for the sauce to cling.
05 · READY TO CUT
Scissors Make It Shareable
Cut octopus and large crab sections at the table, then spread seafood through the sprouts so everyone gets a balanced portion.
06 · THE BEST SPOONFUL
Seafood, Sprouts, Rice
Place spicy seafood and crunchy sprouts over rice. Dip milder pieces in soy-wasabi only if they need it.
07 · SAVE THE SAUCE
Spicy Seafood Fried Rice
Chop the last seafood, fold rice and seaweed into the reduced sauce, and press it until the edges crisp.
WHAT TO DRINK · WHAT COMES AFTER
KEEP THE TABLE
GOING.
Lager
Bubbles cool spice and starch.
Pear Juice
Cold sweetness softens the heat.
Vanilla Ice Cream
Simple dairy cools the palate.
WHERE TO EXPERIENCE IT
TWO PLACES
WORTH THE TRIP.
One pick from the food’s best-known regional home, plus one accessible Seoul choice. Check the latest listing before visiting.
SEOUL LANDMARK PICK
Myeongdong · Seoul
Myeongdong Sin Haemuljjim
A visitor-friendly central-Seoul restaurant focused on generous mixed-seafood jjim.
OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS ↗SEOUL LOCAL PICK
Gwangjin-gu · Seoul
Donghae Haemul
A local specialist known for a large mixed-seafood jjim with a deep spicy broth.
OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS ↗Coming to Korea? Use these as carefully selected starting points—and enjoy the dish where its local story feels most alive.
MAKE IT AT HOME
A SIMPLE
HOME-STYLE RECIPE.
INGREDIENTS
Spicy Haemul Jjim
- Mixed cleaned seafood 1.2kg
- Bean sprouts 600g
- Water parsley 100g
- Scallions 80g
- Gochugaru 45g
- Soy sauce 40ml
- Fish sauce 25ml
- Minced garlic 30g
- Sugar 15g
- Potato starch 20g
- Water 40ml
METHOD
- 01
Clean and drain the seafood; keep shrimp and octopus separate from slower-cooking shellfish.
- 02
Steam firm shellfish with a small splash of water until they begin to open.
- 03
Add the sauce, bean sprouts, then quick-cooking seafood. Cover briefly until cooked.
- 04
Fold in water parsley and scallion, then add starch slurry little by little until the sauce lightly clings.
HOME NOTEDo not over-thicken—the natural seafood liquid should remain glossy, not pasty.
NEXT EXPERIENCE