Hoedeopbap

A colourful bowl of sliced raw fish over rice with vegetables, dressed in spicy gochujang sauce.

Hoedeopbap is Korea's answer to the Japanese kaisendon, but with a distinctly Korean personality — the sweet-spicy gochujang-based sauce and the abundance of crunchy vegetables set it firmly apart. The dish is most beloved in coastal cities like Busan, Sokcho, and Tongyeong, where the fish arrives at the restaurant directly from morning markets. A standard bowl holds cucumber, perilla leaf, carrots, lettuce, sesame seeds, and sesame oil beneath a generous mound of sliced flounder, tuna, salmon, or whatever is freshest. The sauce is mixed in thoroughly at the table, creating a vivid orange coating over everything. Hoedeopbap is considered a lighter, more accessible introduction to raw fish for those who find hoe (raw fish platters) too intimidating, and it has become a staple lunch option in seaside tourist towns. The contrast between cold fish, warm rice, and the fiery sauce is considered the dish's defining appeal.