Yangsan crab restaurant near Tongdosa, leftovers to go: Deodo Gejang

Deodo Gejang is a Korean restaurant near Tongdosa Temple where you can get crab jang (marinated crab) and nutrient pot rice together. The address is 2648 Yangsan-daero, 2-dong 202-ho, Habuk-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, and there's a private parking lot, so it's convenient to drive there. It's open daily 11:00–20:00, last order 19:30, no regular days off.

Lunch at Deodo Gejang after visiting Tongdosa Temple

We were looking for lunch after visiting Tongdosa and Deodo Gejang caught our eye. The parking lot was surprisingly huge — I even saw a tour bus pulling in with a group, which made me think it had to be a good spot.

At the entrance there was a sign saying they use Jeju yellow crab, and I'd seen people waiting in line on a holiday before, so figuring it must be popular with locals, we decided to try it.

Finding Deodo Gejang: exterior and parking

Once we arrived, the place was bigger than I expected. There's a wide parking area out front, so you don't have to worry about parking even if you drive. It looked like a good, accessible spot for a family meal after Tongdosa, or for a group moving together.

What the dining room is like

Walking in, the first impression was how spacious it felt. There was plenty of room between tables and a real sense of openness throughout.

Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, keeping the interior bright. We visited around 1pm, just past the lunch peak, so it was fairly comfortable and quiet.

What we ordered: the grilled fish and yellow crab jang pot rice set for two

We ordered the grilled fish + yellow crab pot rice set for two, ₩50,000. The portion was bigger than expected for two people.

Just the grilled fish alone came as three whole pieces — already a lot. On top of that came crab jang, a bulgogi hot pot, doenjang stew, and nutrient pot rice, making for a genuinely full spread.

Does the yellow crab jang taste fishy?

I personally think Jeju yellow crab has almost no fishy taste — I hate that fishy taste. It had that distinct crab umami, the seasoning wasn't too salty, leaning a bit sweet, and it went really well with rice without being overwhelming.

That said, if you're a serious crab jang fan, the amount of actual crab meat might feel a little on the light side. You can order more if you want — we liked it enough that we ended up taking the leftovers home in a box.

Grilled fish and bulgogi hot pot in the set

The grilled fish came as three pieces, plenty for two, and eating it warm went great with the rice.

The bulgogi hot pot was better than I expected too — mixing the broth and meat into the rice was surprisingly addictive. We went in thinking only about the crab jang, but having several dishes to enjoy together turned out to be a nice bonus.

The nutrient stone pot rice was the highlight

Personally, what I liked most about this meal was the nutrient pot rice.

It came out as hot stone pot rice made to order, so the rice itself was delicious. With mushrooms and squash mixed in, it paired well with both the crab jang and the grilled fish, and piling a side dish onto the warm rice each time made the meal feel a lot more filling.

On top of that came a crab doenjang stew, which we enjoyed with the rice for a refreshing finish.

A bonus plate of fried crab from the review event

There happened to be a blog review event running during our visit, so we took part and got two pieces of fried crab as a freebie. The fried crab was nutty and crispy — better than I expected. I love that nutty flavor, so I ate it right down to the crispy shell.

Verdict: is Deodo Gejang worth it after a Tongdosa outing?

If you're visiting Tongdosa and looking for a place to eat, this is worth stopping by. The wide parking lot and roomy interior in particular make it comfortable for a family meal or a visit with a larger group.

The yellow crab jang had zero fishy taste and an explosive umami, and personally I loved mixing it into the hot nutrient pot rice. The amount of crab was reasonable, and with grilled fish, bulgogi, and doenjang stew all in the set, it's a pretty substantial amount of food for two. Most of all, the yellow crab jang was good enough that we couldn't just leave the leftovers behind, so we packed them up to take home.

If you're after a hearty meal after a Tongdosa outing, I'd strongly recommend this as a crab restaurant in Yangsan. I'm already planning to come back here with my parents next time.