Hongbak AgujjimMonkfish, Boiled Not Braised, in a Gongdeok Basement

It is in a basement

Gongdeok station is close, but the restaurant is underground. It is easy to walk straight past the sign. You have to go down the stairs.

Gongdeok is served by Lines 5 and 6, the Gyeongui-Jungang line, and the AREX airport line. You can ride here directly from Incheon Airport without changing trains.

What monkfish is, and why boiled

Monkfish — anglerfish — is an ugly deep-water fish with firm white flesh. Korea usually serves it as agujjim: braised in a thick red chilli sauce with bean sprouts.

This restaurant sells that. It also sells suyuk — the same fish simply poached, with no sauce at all. Look at the photo: clear broth, bean sprouts, spring onion, radish, and the fish. Nothing hidden.

Every visit I promise myself I will order the spicy version. Every visit I give in and order the boiled one. I still have not got round to the spicy one.

What it looks like

A large white plate with a wavy rim is piled with monkfish meat and bone pieces, with bean sprouts, green onion and radish mixed in between. The liquid isn't stained red with chili flakes but a pale yellow, so the fish looks gently steamed. Around it sit stir-fried anchovies, kimchi, a red seasoned side, a vegetable stir-fry and a small dish of gochujang.

Menu words

• Agwi is monkfish, a large-mouthed sea fish with chewy meat, often cooked steamed or in stew in Korea
• Jjim is a dish where the ingredients are steamed or braised with seasoning
• Kongnamul are bean sprouts, which add a crisp texture to agujjim

The liver is the point

They poach very fresh monkfish, and they do it very well. The flesh is soft and yielding.

But the real thing here is the liver. In the photo, the cream-coloured lobes in the middle — not white like the flesh — that is it.

Monkfish liver is often called the foie gras of the sea, and that is a fair description: dense, buttery, rich. In Japan the same thing is served as ankimo. Honestly, I think I go back for the liver.

The side dishes are good too. Around the edge of the photo: dried anchovies, radish kimchi, dried radish strips, dressed bean sprouts.

Being honest about it

• This is not cheap. The small boiled platter is 60,000 won. It feeds two, so budget around 30,000 won each
• The skin is gelatinous and slippery. Those translucent grey pieces in the photo. If unfamiliar textures bother you, eat the white flesh and the liver
• It does not smell fishy. This is the worry people have, and it is not warranted here. The broth is clean and mild

Checklist before you go

• Closed Sundays. Confirmed
• Closed 3 PM to 5 PM. A late lunch will find the door shut
• Bring someone. The platters are made for sharing
• Alone at lunch? There is a fresh monkfish soup for 18,000 won

Who this restaurant is for

• ✅ You like rich liver dishes — monkfish liver, ankimo, foie gras
• ✅ You want fish that tastes of fish, not of sauce
• ✅ You are two or more and can share a platter
• ✅ You cannot handle spicy food (order the suyuk)
• ✅ You want dessert and coffee to follow — Fritz Coffee Dohwa, also in Mapo, isn't far
• ⚠️ Around 30,000 won a head — not a budget meal
• ⚠️ The skin has a slippery texture some people dislike
• ⚠️ Closed Sundays and between 3 and 5 PM