Welcome to the photo series Eater Scenes, in which photographers visit some of the world's great food sites to capture them at a certain, and very specific, point in the day. Today, photographer/videographer Stan Lee visits the Jagalchi Market in Busan, South Korea.
South Korea's southeastern city of Busan, the country's second-largest metropolitan area, boasts the country's largest port and a history of maritime trading dating back to the 15th century. So unsurprisingly, Busan's bustling Jagalchi Fish Market is also the biggest seafood market in the nation, frequented by both locals grabbing a quick lunch and tourists decamping from cruise ships. Jagalchi's indoor and outdoor sections feature stalls of raw and dried fish for diners to take home and prepare, but vendors will also cook up and serve meals on-site.
Outdoors, fishmongers will filet, then fry or grill whole fish for immediate eating. According to photographer Stan Lee, who stopped by on a recent Wednesday at noon, a deep-fried fish with banchan (assorted Korean appetizers) and beer costs only 10,000 won, or roughly $8.50 U.S. In the market's indoor section, guests can select a live fish from a fishmonger's tank, then wait upstairs at that vendor's designated seating area while it's fried or otherwise prepared. (Sannakji, a hyper-fresh octopus sashimi, is a particular favorite.) Click through the gallery above for a glimpse at an afternoon full of shrimp, sea creatures, and more.
Loading comments...