Water-seasoned Soy Sauce Crab
Nicoleheitong
2 days ago
So, one day my itinerary was packed.
Besides having a meal at Sura Gejang (수라게장), I also joined two workshops. In this post, let’s start with the super popular Sura Gejang. Luckily I booked for 11:00, when I arrived about a third of the tables were already taken,
but I could still take some photos. By around 1:00, it was almost completely full.
📍Address: 18 Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
⏰Hours: 11:00–23:00 (Break 15:00–17:00)
🚇Getting there:
Subway Myeong-dong Station (Myeong-dong yeok) Exit 8, or Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station (Euljiro 1(il)-ga yeok) Exit 7.
It’s in the same building as TaeCho Galbi (태초갈비) and Ilpyeon Deungsim (일편등심), which I introduced before.
So if you only have a few days in Seoul but want to try all the trending food categories, just remember this building, then come here every day.
Today, to avoid transferring, I insisted on getting off at Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station. Someone asked if Myeongdong is really always crowded, yes, at least every time I come at night it’s basically jam-packed.
If you want to see Myeongdong this quiet, it’s probably only before noon.
By the time we finished and left, the street snack stalls were already getting ready to open, it was starting to get lively.
I’d say Sura Gejang’s decor is simple but still refined, it’s a modernized hanok style, blending traditional elements with a sleek, minimalist design.
The waiting area and dining area are divided by what looks like a folding screen, but is actually a few “walls” that can open. Patterned glass with softer lighting made the place feel comfortable the moment I walked in.
There are seats in the waiting area, which is really thoughtful.
The inside is bright and spacious, with a great atmosphere for photos and check-ins.
The partition between the dining area and kitchen looks like textured paper up close, but it’s actually a solid sliding door. An off-white color lets warm yellow light glow through. Plus, the seats, flooring, the nameplate, and even the utensil holders all use wood-toned materials and textures.
This modern hanok style really fits today’s “eat well and take cute photos” vibe.
Ordering is like many restaurants in Korea, there’s a tablet on the table for self-ordering, and you can pay right on the device by card too. It gives guests more privacy.
I don’t think eating ganjang gejang really makes you smell,
but the sauce might drip.
So the restaurant thoughtfully adds a sealed storage box under the chair for your clothes and bag.
After you’re seated, the staff brings a disposable apron!
For Korean BBQ you might not need one,
but for marinated crab, I honestly think you should wear it, once you start eating, it’s really easy for sauce to drip.
As for the food,
the marinated crab set comes in portions for 2, 3, or 4 people.
To try more dishes,
we ordered the 2-person set this time.
(After eating, I felt it really was the perfect amount for two, not too much or too little.)
Then we also ordered
raw Korean beef bibimbap
diced domestic octopus
and truffle steamed egg.
Oh, for drinks I had Calpis.
Before the food arrives, let’s get to know what ganjang gejang is.
Ganjang gejang (게장) is a traditional Korean dish made by marinating raw crab in soy sauce (ganjang) or a spicy seasoning sauce (yangnyeom). It’s incredibly good with rice.
The most authentic way to eat it is to pack rice into the crab shell, then mix it with the roe, crab fat, and marinade sauce before digging in.
🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀
Here’s what comes in Sura Gejang’s 2-person set:
2 soy sauce marinated crabs, 2 soy sauce marinated shrimp, 9 side dishes, japchae for 2, plus 2 bowls of white rice topped with seaweed.
Doesn’t it look super abundant?
The “Sura” in the name comes from “Sura,” the royal court cuisine once offered to the king, so they serve it with lots of banchan too, giving you a royal-level feast.
Following the staff’s recommended method,
first mix the flying fish roe, the crab fat on the inside of the shell, the roe, sauce, and rice evenly, then enjoy that rich crab flavor.
Then put the rice back into the crab shell, and mix it with the remaining crab fat and roe.
I personally love raw foods and seafood,
so I thought it was genuinely delicious.
Plus it’s the season when crab is at its fattest,
so this is exactly what you should be eating right now.
I also added two more raw items, raw Korean beef bibimbap and diced domestic octopus.
If this feels like too much food,
I recommend ordering just the octopus first.
First, octopus paired with the marinated crab rice is a great flavor combo. Second, Korean BBQ places usually have raw Korean beef bibimbap, but not diced raw octopus, so you’ll have more chances to eat the beef dish later.
What about the parts outside the shell?
For the legs, use the scissors on the table to cut them open.
You can mix it with rice, but Sura Gejang also includes a bowl of buckwheat noodles.
With buckwheat noodles, it’s a totally different kind of delicious!
Even if you don’t usually eat buckwheat noodles, you have to try them here.
As for the truffle steamed egg we added at the end,
Maybe because I ate it last and the bowl keeps it warm, kind of like a thermal cooker effect,
it felt a bit overcooked to me since I prefer the softer Cantonese-style steamed egg texture.
But even so, the truffle aroma was still really nice.
When you come to Seoul, save one meal for Sura Gejang.
