Kalmat Hoetjip near PNU: twenty years of going back for the knife work

I have been going to Kalmat Hoetjip since I was a university student. By my count that is about 20 years. It is in Jangjeon-dong, close to Pusan National University Station. This time I went at about 3 on a Friday afternoon. I wrote about an earlier visit that April in my April visit note.

The restaurant opens at 4 in the afternoon. If you go in the evening, there is a good chance the fish has run out and you cannot eat. So it is best to arrive at opening time. Since the restaurant expanded, it can take more guests.

I ordered the Kalmat premium sashimi for three (100,000 won) and for two (70,000 won).

As I remember it, the fish that day were black-spotted jack mackerel, grunt, and red sea bream, but I am not certain. These days I like the jack mackerel so much that I could eat it daily. It is about as fatty as yellowtail, a fish I do not care for much.

I think the knife work here is especially good, even next to other raw fish places in Busan. That is my personal view. The fish is in good condition for a price that does not hurt, and the side dishes are generous.

As someone who lives in Busan, I do not think a raw fish restaurant has to be by the sea. The hours are hard to match, which is the drawback, but if you have the time I would recommend it strongly.

I used saved coupons and got a spicy rockfish stew.