The raw marinated crab craze on TikTok has attracted tourists from all over the world who are eager to try the internet-famous dish in its country of origin. This dish, which even some Koreans find challenging to eat, has been popping up on feeds across TikTok, Reels, and YouTube. People are dying to try this traditional Korean delicacy and are filming their first-time reactions when they finally get a taste of it. To see if it lives up to the hype, we recently visited a place in Hapjeong, a neighborhood next to Hongdae, that specializes in this dish. MyeongHyunMan Soy Marinated Crab not only offers delicious female crabs but also provides an unlimited option, allowing you to enjoy free and unlimited refills of raw marinated crab. Continue scrolling to read our honest review of MyeongHyunMan Soy Marinated Crab in Hapjeong.
Information
Hours: 11:00 - 22:00 (Last order at 21:30)
Address: 서울 마포구 양화로 45 메세나폴리스 123-129호
#123 Mecenatpolis, 45 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Why We Recommend It
Satisfy your cravings for the latest TikTok trend in Korea – the raw marinated crab craze! Indulge in unlimited refills of the freshest raw marinated crab at MyeongHyunMan Soy Marinated Crab!
Located in Hapjeong, which is right next to Hongdae, this place will be easily fit into your travel plans.
Immerse yourself in an authentic Korean dining experience, complete with an abundance of refillable side dishes!
Our Visit
MyeongHyunMan Soy Marinated Crab is located inside Mecenatpolis Mall in Hapjeong. Hapjeong is connected to Hongdae, so it was easy to get to after our day in Hongdae. We saw this raw marinated crab spot on TikTok and decided to come here because they have the option of getting unlimited refills! Raw Marinated Crab in Korea tends to be quite expensive but MyeongHyunMan Raw Marinated Crab's prices were on the lower side!
We entered the restaurant to find several booths and tables, big enough to fit at least 100 customers. There are private booths or just regular tables you can choose from. The owner greeted us and asked for the number of our party, and told us to sit where ever we wanted.
We chose to sat in a booth, and looked through the menu. The menu is on a tablet on the end of the table. This is also where you place your order. Unfortunately, languages other than Korean were not available.
However, by the entrance, there was this menu with English, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese translations. You can either get the unlimited option, where just get unlimited soy and spicy marinated crab or you can get the female crab option, where you get one female soy sauce marinated crab and one female spicy marinated crab. In the female crab option, you also get 2 soy sauce shrimps, rice, and other sides as well. We decided to get the Female Crab option because female crabs are bigger and have roe in them.
After placing our order, we went straight to the Self-service bar to get side dished. They had cabbage salad, macaroni salad, kimchi, and more to compliment your meal. You can get as many refills as you want.
They also had a corner where you could fry your own eggs to eat with your rice. This is also unlimited.
There are single-use bibs that you'll want to pick up as things can get messy when eating raw marinated crab.
There is also a pot of warm seaweed soup that will warm you right up.
As we were getting the side dishes, our table was set. We were SHOCKED to see the amount of food on the table and glad that we didn't get the unlimited option. You can get sick of eating raw marinated crab over and over again so we also recommend getting the Female Crab option.
We were served extra side-dishes that were not on the Self-service bar like this piping hot corn cheese and steamed egg(in the background).
The owner also pressured us to get the crab stew, which was 11,900 KRW and we were glad we got it because the broth was amazing. The Self-service bar had packets of ramen to put into your soup.
At first glance, we could tell that this was going to be fresh. The color of the row and glossy crab shell indicated that these were great quality.
Though the spicy version may be more popular on social media, in Korea, soy sauce marinated crab is more popular and considered to be more delicious and expensive. It is usually made with a higher quality crab, as it can have an indecent fishy taste and smell if made with low quality crab.
The spicy raw marinated crab had the perfect kick. It was especially good when we squeezed the meat out of the shell onto the rice with some extra sauce and at it together. If things get too spicy for you, the seaweed soup will bring the heat down.
As a local that has had raw marinated crab several times, you can trust me when I say that MyeongHyunMan Soy Raw Marinated Crab has great food. The crab is fresh and sweet. All the sides are also great quality, and most importantly, the price is very affordable. On top of that, the hospitality is warm and welcoming and located in a convenient area so make sure to stop by for a delicious meal of raw marinated crab!
How to Get There
Exit from Hapjeong Station Exit 10 and turn left.
Walk towards Mecenatpolis Mall and at the entrance, turn right.
Pass the 7/11 and walk into the hallway on the right(refer to picture above).
Walk past the MyeongHyunMan Raw Marinated Crab sign.
Look for the entrance in the picture above and you've arrived!
We hope that you can enjoy a delicious meal of raw marinated crab in Hongdae! If you have any questions or concerns, please leave a comment below or send us an email at help@creatrip.com! You can follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook to stay updated on all things Korea!
