Gimhae Korean restaurant, ray set and 15-day aged crab: Gaya Kkeutjip

I wanted a proper Korean set meal with my husband for the first time in a while, so we went to Gaya Kkeutjip (가야끝집) in Samgye-dong, Gimhae.

Actually, I'd been here before with guests, and the neat, tasty food stayed in my memory, so this time I came back with my husband.

What are Gaya Kkeutjip Samgye's hours and parking?

Gaya Kkeutjip Samgye is open Monday to Sunday, 11:00–21:00, with last order at 20:00. For parking, you can use the Gaya Parking Lot next to the restaurant for 1 hour.

• Hours: Monday–Sunday 11:00–21:00
• Last order: 20:00
• Group seating, waiting area, baby chairs and free parking available
• Parking: Gaya Parking Lot next to the restaurant, 1 hour

There's a dedicated lot right beside the restaurant, so parking was easy.

Is there a wait at Gaya Kkeutjip at 5:30pm on a weekday?

We arrived around 5:30pm on a weekday and, luckily, got in right away with no wait. When it's busy, you register your phone number and wait for your turn, so even if there's a line it seemed pretty painless.

The first thing I noticed inside was how clean and pleasant it felt.

The space is roomy and the tables are well spaced. It suits family meals, taking your parents out, group gatherings or even a date.

Golden Haetssal rice and an open kitchen with a clay oven

On one side of the restaurant, the rice they use was on display, and seeing that they use Hwanggeum Haetssal (golden new-harvest rice), I thought they clearly care about ingredients. Good ingredients seemed to make the food taste deeper and cleaner.

It's an open kitchen, so you can see the cooking, and you can even see the clay oven where the fish is grilled, which is fun to watch. Above all, you could tell at a glance that the kitchen is kept really clean. Taste matters, but so does cleanliness, and that made me trust the place even more.

Gaya Kkeutjip signature dishes and the steamed ray set we chose

The signature dishes are the ▲Kkeutjip gochujang bulgogi set, ▲Kkeutjip bossam (boiled pork wraps) set and ▲Kkeutjip steamed ray set. I'd already enjoyed the gochujang bulgogi and bossam before, so this time I ordered the steamed ray set.

Gaya Kkeutjip in Samgye-dong says its principle is to carefully select fresh ingredients for cooking.

Soon a full table of food arrived, and I couldn't help saying, "Now THIS is a Korean set meal!"

From the main steamed ray to clay-oven grilled fish, homemade grilled tofu, seasoned raw crab and a variety of handmade side dishes, everything was laid out neatly.

Sinan gopchang-gim (premium laver seaweed)

The first thing that caught my eye was the Sinan gopchang-gim (thick, silky seaweed from Sinan). Dipped lightly in seasoned soy sauce, it was crispy and wonderfully nutty.

How did the steamed ray taste?

And the steamed ray, the most memorable dish of the day! The flesh was so tender it practically melted in my mouth.

The seasoning wasn't harsh and had great savory depth, and I caught myself saying, "I want to mix rice into this sauce." ^^

Clay-oven hand-made tofu brushed with perilla oil

The grilled homemade tofu served alongside was really good too. They say the tofu is made fresh every day, brushed with perilla oil and grilled in the clay oven. It was nutty outside and moist inside, so you really taste the tofu's own mild flavor.

Clay-oven grilled flounder

The flounder grilled in the clay oven at 500℃ was crispy outside and moist inside. A subtle smoky flavor was added too, and it went really well with rice.

15-day aged fruit seasoned crab

Another one I personally loved was the yangnyeom-gejang (spicy seasoned raw crab). They say it's made with a fruit-based seasoning aged at low temperature for 15 days. It wasn't too salty or harsh, with deep savory flavor, so the nickname "rice thief" fit perfectly.

Are Gaya Kkeutjip's homemade side dishes heavily seasoned?

None of the side dishes at Gaya Kkeutjip felt carelessly made. They say they cut back on artificial seasoning and focus on the ingredients' natural flavor, and in practice the food was mild yet kept me reaching for more.

I figured the explanation that everything is cooked with fresh vegetables and seafood delivered every morning wasn't just talk.

Gaya Kkeutjip with my husband: would we go back?

It felt like my first really neat, healthy meal in a long time. The taste, the ingredients, the atmosphere and the service all satisfied me, so next time I'd like to bring my parents to this Gimhae Korean restaurant. A hearty, feel-good table! We ate really well. ^^