While walking around the Haeundae area in Busan, I stumbled upon an alley that was filled with various seafood restaurants. Taking a look at the menus, something that caught my eye was a spicy looking braised mackeral stew.

I hadn’t had it before but it looked delicious so I decided to give it a try!

The dish comes out in a large bowl which is placed on the burner on the table and kept boiling hot. You then ladle yourself hearty servings of the delicious bubbly stew. The main dish is accompanied by a number of side dishes as well which is par for the course with any Korean meal. It’s a ton of food. There’s a good number of large, meaty chunks of mackeral in the stew.

The sauce is flavorful with a blend of different spices and is slightly spicy with a touch of sweetness, which I loved. The mackeral is tender, flaky, and really soaks up the flavor of the sauce.

Each bite is packed with flavor. The veggies in the stew also really soak up the sauce and add another texture to the dish as well.

Scooping some of the sauce along with a chunk of the mackeral and some veggies over rice was absolutely delicious and quite a comforting, filling meal.

Korean braised mackeral stew is definitely a dish that’s packed with flavor and is worth giving a try if traveling through South Korea!