B set with sous vide pork belly at Kkotgeok, Cheonan Yuryang-dong

The soy crab is packed with roe and completely free of any fishy taste, and it pairs beautifully with the tender pork belly — plus the dog-friendly space is neatly separated, so the whole family can relax here.

Running classes all week long and spending time with my kid in our yard, by the weekend I always start craving deep, savory Korean flavors that really wake up the appetite. Salty-sweet ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab) is basically the ultimate rice thief for Koreans — the kind of dish that makes you polish off a whole bowl of rice without thinking. A friend recommended a Yuryang-dong food course, and that's how we ended up happily heading over with the family to Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch.

Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch: location, hours, parking

• Address: 204 Yuryang-ro, A-dong 1F, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:00 / open year-round)
• Amenities: group seating available, reservations, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, takeout, baby chairs, waiting area, parking, pet-friendly

It's right on the road in Yuryang-dong so it was easy to find, and there's a spacious dedicated parking lot, which made driving there really convenient.

Since I teach cooking, I tend to pay close attention to how sauces handle salt levels and how well seafood is managed for freshness. Looking for a tidy, well-made crab dish to revive a summer-worn appetite, I heard about a soy crab restaurant known for its premium, roe-packed crab, and decided to go check it out. We headed there with excitement, ready for the whole family to fill up properly.

The dining room and the separate dog-friendly area

Walking in, we were greeted by a bright, spotless, spacious hall. Even though this is a seafood restaurant, there wasn't a hint of fishy smell, and the tables and floors were kept extremely clean — I really liked that.

Being a dog-friendly restaurant, they've thoughtfully separated the space for guests dining with pets, so both regular customers and pet owners can eat comfortably without worrying about each other. The staff were also warm and friendly, which put me in a good mood from the moment we walked in.

There was a hygienically arranged self-serve corner off to one side where you could easily grab the well-prepared side dishes. Baby chairs were well stocked too, and since our kid can't eat crab, there were plenty of side dishes and the pork belly to fill her up without any worry — perfect for a family meal out.

The Kkotgeok B set — two-person albaegi jeongsik + tender sous vide pork belly

Our Kkotgeok B set arrived generously laid out in neat ceramic dishes. The main dish, albaegi ganjang gejang (roe-filled soy crab), was packed with orange roe and meat — it was stunning just to look at. Squeezing a bit of crab meat over rice, the saltiness wasn't overpowering at all; instead there was a gentle sweetness and savory depth that even my fishy-taste-sensitive palate found clean and delicious.

Mixing warm rice into the crab shell with the tomalley was rich and savory in every bite. The spicy marinated crab (yangnyeom gejang) was nicely balanced between spicy and sweet, and came with fragrant water dropwort (minari) that made it even better. It's also great to pile the sauce and crab meat over the sous vide pork belly. The sous vide pork belly that came with the set had been cooked low and slow, so it was free of any gamey smell and so tender it practically melted in the mouth.

The 6-year-old ate the sous vide pork belly

My 6-year-old still can't really eat crab, but when I cut up the sous vide pork belly for her, she ate it really well. The menu here is so well rounded that, depending on your taste, you can pair your meal with a refreshing spicy kkotgetang (crab soup) or more pork belly — it kept everyone satisfied throughout the meal. The set portions were so generous that it was actually too much for two of us, so I ended up packing some to take home.

Combinations to try next time

Next time I'd love to try the kkotgetang, said to have an excellent spicy, refreshing broth, with added ramyeon noodles for a hearty finish. Between the quality of the tidy crab dishes, the comfortable dog-friendly Korean dining space in Yuryang-dong, and the kind service, I think anyone who loves crab should visit at least once. It's a place both kids and parents can enjoy without any worry and feel properly full, so I'm sure I'll happily be back at Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch soon.