Gaemi-jip Seomyeon 1st street branch — Restaurant in Busan

Ate here for lunch on a Monday in April. Got seated immediately - very welcoming staff. There is almost no English on the front of the restaurant - don't let this put you off! There is an English menu available, and the staff were helpful despite our almost total lack of Korean. You have basically three options for main dish - Octopus stir fry, Octopus and shrimp stir fry or Octopus, shrimp and tripe stir fry. We went with the Octopus and shrimp. There are other toppings you can add - we added some glass noodles. Be aware that you also get rice (unless you're a solo diner, then you need to pay for the rice (1000 won)). You also select the spice level - we went for the lowest (out of three) and it was a lovely low level of spice that we all enjoyed. The whole table eats the same dish, so you'll need to collaborate with the rest of your group! The dish is cooked on a gas ring at your table - the staff take control of this and stir the food and adjust the flame as necessary - wait until they remove the lid, then you know it is ready to eat! At the end, take the order slip up to the till...

They had the options in English on the board and in the menu book, which helped. They also give you the option of choosing spiciness levels. Prices are per serving per person. We had the stir fried octopus and shrimp, which really became more of a stew. It was a tasty mix. Staff were helpful, and came to indicate to us when to mix it, and when it was cooked through, and how to serve/eat it. We also had ramen noodles as an add on to mix through the remnants of the stew sauce at the end. The place is open 24h, so you can go and enjoy the food any time. The main downside is that it seems to be in the clubby area of Seomyeon, and there were constantly people standing just outside the entrance smoking (this included diners from the restaurant), and the smoke would just come right into the restaurant. It was like dining in a smoking establishment. Disgusting for those trying to...

You know this is a good place by the number of pictures of famous people who have visited. And it certainly DID NOT disappoint.

The octopus, prawns and tripe stew is a hearty hotpot in a thick red sauce that is sweet and savoury in equal parts. Spoon it over hot white rice, top with crispy seaweed, stir and then enjoy. It is sweet, savoury, crunchy, crisp all at once. A marvellous mix of tastes and texture.

The seafood is super fresh and why not, this us Busan.

So run, don't walk there. At the Seomyeon Station, walk past all the orange rented stalls, cross the road and get to a back alley of seafood pancake stalls. Ignore them all and head to this restaurant with a large neon sign in red, blue and green.

Service is top notch because if you should splash the sauce on yourself, the auntie will come with a stain remover and rub the spot out...