One of the most popular food items from Busan is eomuk (fishcake), with Samjin Amook being the oldest and most renowned producer. Founded in 1953 in Busan, Samjin Eomuk now operates 19 retail locations in Korea and 14 across Southeast Asia. In mid-2024, they opened their first Australian franchise inside Kmall09. Their fishcakes use golden threadfin bream as their base.
2024
Shrimp Croquette ($3.80, 92 g)
This croquette is Samjin’s fifth most popular item. It was served cold, which dulled the crunch but still retained a pleasant taste. Freshly fried would have enhanced its crispness. The fishcake had a firm, bouncy texture, while the filling was softer, reminiscent of crab meat, with a savoury and peppery flavour.
Shrimp Roll ($6.80, 85 g)
Their second most popular item, this shrimp roll was served warm. The crispy exterior gave way to tender, bouncy fishcake. A whole shrimp in the centre added a fresh, crunchy contrast, enhancing the balance of juiciness and prawn flavour. This item is worth repurchasing.
Menbosha Shrimp Toast ($5.90, 2 pcs)
The boldest of the flavours we tried, this had a crispy bread layer combined with a soft, peppery filling similar to the shrimp croquette. While the chewy fishcake was less pronounced, the juicy shrimp and addition of mayonnaise created a ‘triple-layered flavour sensation’ that was highly enjoyable. This item is worth repurchasing.
Menbosha Shrimp Toast (Spicy) ($5.90, 2 pcs)
Similar to the regular version, but with sweet chilli sauce instead of mayonnaise, this toast had the same bold flavours. The sauce added a pleasant sweet heat that made the spicy version D’s favourite. This item is worth repurchasing.
One Bite Ammok (Spicy) ($4.50, 52 g).
This spicy fishcake, with green peppers and mugwort, had a mild herbal flavour from the mugwort and a noticeable heat from the peppers. However, the dense texture of the rolled fishcake and the crumb coating felt a bit heavy.
Half Moon Sesame Leaf ($4.90, 72 g).
Consisting of a sesame leaf wrapped around shrimp and green chilli fishcakes, the sesame leaf added a distinctive herbal note, complemented by the spicy green peppers and tender, bouncy fishcake. This unique flavour makes it a worthwhile purchase.
Goblin’s Mace ($6.50, 190 g).
A sausage-flavoured fishcake wrapped in fishcake and coated with cubed potatoes, this item was fun to eat. The bold sausage flavour added a satisfying richness to the fishcake, while the crispy potatoes gave it a chip-like crunch.
Big Squid Fish Cake Bar ($6.50, 106 g).
This chewy squid hot bar had a bouncy texture and a gentle sweetness, with vegetables adding to the soft, savoury flavour. It was simple yet tasty.
Shrimp Bar ($6.90, 116 g).
The combination of chewy fishcake and whole prawns with sweet chilli sauce worked well, though the Menbosha Shrimp Toast offered a slightly better balance of textures.
Handmade Seafood Amook ($2.90, 63 g, part of the 5 for $10.00 selection)
This fishcake featured chunks of squid and shrimp, with its fried exterior offering a rich, savoury flavour, with vegetables providing extra texture.
Big Squid Tang ($2.80, 60 g, part of the 5 for $10.00 selection)
Softer than some of the fish-based amook, this seafood fishcake had a delectable squid flavour. It would pair well with noodles.
Vegetable Triangle Amook ($2.80, 60 g, part of the 5 for $10.00 selection)
This was a vegetable fishcake with a firm texture, with the mellow flavour and softness of the glass noodles giving it a pleasant contrast.
Squid Ball ($1.90, 40 g, part of the 5 for $10.00 selection).
More dense than the previous Big Squid Tang squid-based amook, this ball had a sharpness from the green peppers, making it an enjoyable snack.
Jobchaemari ($2.50, 32 g, included in 5 pieces for $10.00 selection).
Featuring spicy glass noodles wrapped in fishcake sheets, this mini package was very dense and chewy with a notable heat from the green peppers, though not as bouncy as other fishcakes.
Overall, the variety and quality of fishcakes at Samjin Eomuk live up to their reputation. We enjoyed trying most of their menu and look forward to repurchasing our favourites.
2025
Since opening in 2024, Samjin Amook has become a spot we return to periodically when visiting Kmall09 to try their new releases.
Shrimp Roll ($7.00, 85 g)
This remained one of the standout items from our first visits, and even with a $0.20 price increase a year later, it did not disappoint. Served piping hot, the crisp exterior yielded to a tender, bouncy fishcake, while a whole shrimp at the centre provided a fresh, crunchy contrast that enhanced both texture and flavour.
Sweet Corn Bar ($4.90, 90 g)
Introduced in mid-2025, this was a pleasing blend of crisp sweet corn kernels with the gentle bounce and richness of pollock. Straightforward but enjoyable.
Tender Octopus Bar ($5.30, 100 g)
Also a mid-2025 release, this paired the pleasant chewiness of octopus with the softer bounce of pollock. The combination was tasty and satisfying.
Squid Chive Pancake ($3.90, 63 g)
Another mid-2025 addition, this fishcake featured chives, squid, and shrimp. The chives and chilli peppers contributed freshness and a mild heat without being strongly spicy, while the squid added both flavour and textural contrast to the more tender pollock base.
Samjin Amook continues to deliver well-executed fishcake snacks, with reliable favourites like the Shrimp Roll alongside new 2025 releases that balance texture and flavour in simple but satisfying ways.
Samjin Amook is located inside Kmall09, Level 1, Lidcombe Shopping Centre, 92 Parramatta Rd, Lidcombe NSW 2141