Yeongdeungpo seafood restaurant for fireworks dinner: Gaetbeol-ui Jogae

The day I stayed at GLAD Yeouido to see the Seoul fireworks, I was figuring out what to eat for dinner before they started and ended up here! It reminded me of the grilled clams I had in Eulwang-ri with Mr. S before, so I looked up good places near National Assembly Station and headed out for clam hot pot~! I made a reservation about 20 minutes before arriving, and luckily we got seated right away. And to give you the conclusion first: the visuals were seriously amazing!! Come see this approved-by-me spread, haha.

This huge pot(?) is the small size for two people, ₩59,000 haha.

Finding Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch from National Assembly Station

It is on the second floor of Geukdong VIP Building, not far from National Assembly Station.

Once inside the building, the signs for the second floor were easy enough to spot, so it was not hard to find.

Take the elevator to the second floor and you first see menu photos and a model of the giant clam hot pot.

The restaurant was cleaner than I expected. About two more parties came in after us, and although it was before the 8 p.m. fireworks, the main dining area was nearly full while I was there. A few families were eating in the private rooms too~~ It looked like someone was having a birthday dinner for an elder in the family, haha. On weekdays, I guess all these rooms are used for company dinners..? Haha.

The small giant clam hot pot: visuals worth a 15-minute wait

There were several menu options, but we ordered the small giant clam hot pot for ₩59,000. While waiting, we also checked out the self-bar, where kimchi, side dishes, and barley rice (!!) were set out. This is exactly the kind of setup older adults would really love, haha. I am an adult too ^^

And after 15 patient minutes, it was finally time to lift the lid!

The size of the pot already looked no joke, but when it opened, it was absolutely packed with clams. There were also heaps of enoki mushrooms, bok choy, minari (water celery), green onion, bean sprouts, and other vegetables 🤍

Oh, and! There are hair ties, floss, and mouthwash by the counter! Pick up a hair tie when you come in 🥹🫶 The floss and mouthwash are such a thoughtful touch, haha.

Anyway, the hot pot was great—the broth was clean, refreshing, and tasty, and I loved that there was a very generous amount of cheese. Rather than eating the clams just one way, we tried all kinds of combinations: chojang (sweet-tangy chili sauce) + cheese, soy sauce + wasabi, and chojang + wasabi. That was surprisingly fun. Eating like that, when did we finish it all?;

The seafood boil and kalguksu we missed

I was curious about the seafood boil, but it was already sold out. Still, I was so happy with the clam hot pot that I will try it next time if I come back!!

Sigh.. But what I was really sad about was the kalguksu (knife-cut noodles). Fireworks time was getting close, so after finishing the hot pot, we did not have time to add the noodles. I was so sad not to have them ㅠㅠ Oh, and while eating, we found something like a very tiny piece of netting. We spotted it immediately, so there was no problem.

Who will enjoy this place

• Anyone craving clam hot pot around National Assembly or Yeouido!!
• Anyone who likes a dish that makes the table go, “Oh, what is this?” when it arrives, even for two people haha
• Anyone looking for a place with private rooms for a family meal or company dinner

My favorite part was definitely the clean, refreshing broth, and it was fun mixing and matching the cheese and sauces too. I was disappointed that we missed the seafood boil and did not get as far as the kalguksu, and there was a slightly startling moment in the middle, but..! Overall, I was satisfied enough that I would come back if I get the chance 🥹🫶 Next time, I am going with plenty of time and trying everything we missed this time,,