Korea 2023- Busan. The eel

Of course Korea is a peninsula and Busan is by the ocean, that’s why we go straight for sea food as soon as we arrive in the city.

Our friend leads us in an area that is close to the fish market. The suggestion is to try the eel, as it is a renown delicacy in town. 

Koreans approach food very seriously. They are demanding concerning the quality of what they put in their body. For them it is super important to show that the sea food is fresh. And one of the ways they do it is by presenting it alive and cooking it (sometimes alive).

So,  after a short walk, we arrive at the place. It is a small restaurant specialized in eel. Honestly, I can’t remember if there were other dishes or if they only serve eel prepared in different ways.

We go to the counter to choose our eels, the lady pulls a couple of them out the bucket and while they are still moving, she starts cutting and cleaning them, so basically she’s peeling them alive. 

Then we sit at the table and wait for our tasty eels.

The table is equipped with a stove, and the eel is cooked on it directly in front of us, in two ways: grilled and baked in foil, so that we can experience the different flavors. It comes served with vegetables and shiso leafs. We wrap the eel in the leaf, we dip it in the spicy sauce and then we eat it. We drink beer and soju.

It feels good to be back in Korea with my friends.