Jo Baksa Agujjim

About

Long-running basement restaurant near Nowon Station known for spicy braised monkfish and a rare non-spicy white agu-jjim.

Tucked away in the basement of a commercial building just off Nowon Station, Jobaksa Agujjim is the kind of subterranean fixture sustained entirely by neighborhood regulars. Stepping inside requires slipping off your shoes at the entrance, though the dining room itself is lined with standard tables and chairs rather than floor cushions. The vibe skews nostalgic, anchored by an older local clientele and staff who patrol the dining area ready to refill banchan dishes of pickled perilla leaves, braised black beans, silkworm pupae, and mild seaweed soup. The restaurant builds its reputation on fresh-to-order seafood braises, with a kitchen that cooks from scratch only after you seat yourself—prompting experienced patrons to call ahead to avoid a wait. While the menu lists clear white *agujjim* (*hayan agujjim*) and crab braises (*kkotgejjim*), the default choice remains the classic red *agujjim*. Diners can calibrate their heat on a numbered spice scale, yielding a crimson coat driven by ground red chili pepper rather than artificial capsaicin extract. The resulting braise arrives showered in sesame seeds and fresh minari, tangling plump chunks of blackfin anglerfish with crisp soybean sprouts and sea squirts (*mideodeok*). A thoughtful garnish of chewy, steamed anglerfish stomach (*agu suuyuk*) sits crowned atop the plate, providing a tender, textural contrast meant to be dragged through soy sauce and wasabi. Portions of the fish meat run lean, so groups of three fare better ordering medium over small. No meal here closes without the house fried rice. Instead of scorching table-side for burnt-crust scraping, the kitchen takes the residual braising sauce back to the stove, tossing it with rice, roasted seaweed, and sesame oil before presenting it in a heated pan with kimchi on the side.