Busan Hagfish Grill — The briquette-Grilled Delicacy You've Never Tried

The Eel-Like Creature That Tastes Nothing Like You'd Expect

Hagfish — called kkomeojangeo in Korean — is a jawless, eel-shaped sea creature that has been a staple in Busan seafood restaurants for decades. It looks unusual in the raw state: dark, slippery, and boneless. But once it hits the briquette grill, the exterior crisps into a caramelized shell while the interior stays soft, moist, and mildly sweet. Think of it as the deep-sea answer to grilled bacon — a contrast of textures that hooks you from the first bite. Unlike actual eel (jangeo), hagfish has no small bones. The entire piece is edible, skin to center, and the clean bite is part of what makes it so addictive. Korean-caught hagfish costs significantly more than imported alternatives, and few restaurants commit to sourcing it domestically.

Grilling Tips

• ·Hagfish is boneless — eat the entire piece, skin included
• ·The exterior crisps like bacon; the inside stays soft and sweet
• ·Not the same as eel — different species, different texture, different flavor
• ·One of the most underrated items on any Jagalchi menu

Crispy Outside, Tender Inside — What to Expect on Your Palate

The briquette does most of the work. As the hagfish sits on the grate, the slime layer — yes, hagfish produce a natural slime coating — burns off completely and leaves behind a thin, crackling crust. Beneath that crust, the flesh is collagen-rich and gives way with almost no resistance. The flavor is mild and faintly sweet, closer to scallop than to fish. A light char-smoke note runs through every piece. At this Jagalchi waterfront restaurant, the grill runs on natural briquette rather than gas, which adds a wood-fire depth that propane cannot replicate. The pieces arrive pre-cut into manageable strips, so no knife work is needed at the table.

Grilling Tips

• ·Flavor is mild and faintly sweet — more scallop than fish
• ·briquette grill gives a wood-fire depth that gas grills miss
• ·The slime layer burns off completely during grilling — no residual texture
• ·Pre-cut into strips — just pick up with chopsticks and eat

Wrap, Dip, Bite — The Three-Second Assembly

Grilled hagfish is almost always eaten as a wrap. Lay a perilla leaf (kkaennip) flat on your palm, place a strip of grilled hagfish on it, add a thin slice of raw garlic, a smear of ssamjang paste, and fold. The herbal, slightly minty flavor of the perilla leaf cuts through the richness of the briquette-grilled meat. The garlic provides a sharp punch, and the ssamjang ties it all together with a fermented soybean depth. Some diners add a sliver of green chili for heat. The wrap method is not optional — eating hagfish without the leaf is like eating a taco without the tortilla. It provides structure, flavor contrast, and the satisfying crunch of a fresh leaf against soft meat.

Grilling Tips

• ·Perilla leaf flat → hagfish strip → garlic slice → ssamjang dab → fold
• ·The herbal leaf flavor is essential — it cuts through the briquette richness
• ·Add a green chili sliver if you want heat
• ·Eating without the wrap is technically possible but misses the point entirely

High Protein, Low Fat, Collagen-Dense — The Numbers

Hagfish is nutritionally dense in ways that most grilled proteins are not. A 100g serving delivers roughly 18g of protein with only about 2g of fat — leaner than chicken breast. The collagen content is exceptionally high, which is why the texture stays moist and bouncy even after aggressive grilling. It also contains meaningful amounts of iron, zinc, and B vitamins. In Korean food culture, hagfish has long been considered a stamina food — not in a gimmicky supplement way, but in the straightforward sense that a high-protein, low-fat, collagen-heavy meal leaves you feeling full without feeling heavy. The briquette-grilling method renders out any remaining surface fat, making the final product even leaner.

Grilling Tips

• ·~18g protein per 100g — leaner than chicken breast
• ·High collagen keeps the flesh moist and bouncy during grilling
• ·Rich in iron, zinc, and B vitamins
• ·briquette rendering removes surface fat for an even leaner finish

From Grill to Fried Rice — Closing the Loop

After the hagfish strips are gone, the leftover seasoning and charred bits on the grill plate become the base for a fried rice finish. The kitchen adds cooked rice directly to the grill surface, mixes in the residual sauce and caramelized drippings, and stir-fries it until each grain picks up the smoky, savory coating. This closing fried rice is the hidden star of the hagfish experience — some regulars claim it is actually better than the hagfish itself. Alongside the grill, you get the standard banchan lineup: pickled radish, seasoned seaweed, fermented vegetables, and a clear soup. Side dishes change daily with fresh seasonal ingredients, and refills are always complimentary.

Grilling Tips

• ·Ask for the fried rice finish — the grill drippings make it exceptional
• ·Some regulars say the fried rice outshines the hagfish itself
• ·Banchan refills are free — pickled radish pairs especially well
• ·Clear soup on the side helps balance the briquette richness