Busan snow crab restaurant, honestly weighed: Gijang Myeongpum Daegae

Inside Gijang Market, a 5-minute walk from Gijang Station

I had been craving snow crab so badly for the first time in ages, so while searching for a proper snow crab restaurant in Gijang, Busan, I visited Gijang Myeongpum Daegae (기장명품대게), a place I had already had my eye on because of its consistently great reviews 🦀 I was even more excited after hearing that they honestly weigh the crab after subtracting the basket weight—and once I went myself, I could totally see why people talk about it!

Gijang Myeongpum Daegae is tucked inside Gijang Market at 5 Chaseongdong-ro 73beon-gil, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea. It is about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of Gijang Station, so it is easy enough to find by public transportation too.

If you are driving, the restaurant has its own parking lot, so you can visit without worrying about parking.

Snow crab weighed on its own, without the basket

The moment I entered Gijang Myeongpum Daegae, the tanks full of live snow crab and king crab made the freshness immediately obvious.

The staff were incredibly kind. When we said the two of us had come for snow crab for the first time in a while, they recommended a suitable size for our party and selected each fresh, meat-filled crab for us. I loved that!

What impressed me most was watching them subtract the basket weight and place only the snow crab on the scale for an exact measurement. At some crab restaurants, they subtly weigh the basket too, which can feel a little off-putting—but Gijang Myeongpum Daegae had no such tricks. Seeing the weight measured transparently right in front of us made me feel certain this was a place I could trust!!

They let us check the two fresh, meat-packed snow crabs once more 🙌🏻

After choosing the crabs, they went straight into the steamer. We were told steaming would take about 20 minutes, so we headed up to the second-floor dining area! As soon as we arrived, a drum-playing snow crab genius was there to greet us 😎

Second-floor hall, private rooms, and a self-serve bar while we waited

The second-floor hall at Gijang Myeongpum Daegae was much roomier than I expected, which was great. There were also separate room-style spaces, so I thought it would be perfect for family gatherings or company dinners. We sat in the hall as a pair, but the layout still let us chat comfortably without worrying about neighboring tables—really recommended if you are looking for a family gathering spot!

The table setting fee is ₩5,000 per person, and you can order things like fried rice and snow crab ramen while you eat.

At first I wondered why there was a table setting fee, but then I saw this generous self-serve bar. There were so many options—chicken, fried foods, salad, and more—so we could enjoy it while waiting the 20 minutes for our snow crab to steam!

Two warm, fully prepared snow crabs

Ta-da, Gijang Myeongpum Daegae finally arrived 🧡 They placed it right on the induction burner at our table, and this setup meant we could enjoy it hot the entire time without it getting cold! Are you sure this is just two crabs? Why is there so much food? 🤤

They had even prepared every part—the legs, claw meat, and body—so it was easy to eat. Being able to pull out the meat right away without the trouble of cutting with scissors or peeling shells was one of the most satisfying things about Gijang Myeongpum Daegae 🫶🏻

Chewy, clean-tasting leg and claw meat

I pulled out the leg meat first, and it was so fully packed that an entire strand came out in one piece—just looking at it made me happy. The characteristic sweetness of snow crab meat spread through my mouth, chewy yet clean-tasting. It was freshness itself, delicious enough even without chojang (Korean sweet-and-tangy dipping sauce) 👍🏻

Next came the highlight of snow crab: the claw meat! This was prepared for easy eating too, so with just a little tug of the hand, the meat slipped right out.

The bouncy texture of claw meat hit the moment I took a bite. It was beyond chewy, with such a springy, popping bite—seriously so good..🥹 And it was packed with meat; it just kept coming out from every corner.

Body meat and rich roe

You cannot skip the body, either. It was prepared for easy eating too, and when I split it open, the white meat was so packed in that you could see it at a glance.

Scraping out all that body meat and taking a huge bite... 😇 The roe inside the body was especially nutty and deeply savory—honestly, insanely good (P).

Even after we had eaten quite a bit, it stayed warm and steamy, so we could enjoy delicious snow crab right to the very end!

Finishing with crab-shell fried rice and soybean paste stew

After fully enjoying the snow crab, it was time for the must-have crab-shell fried rice! They put rice and various ingredients into the remaining crab shell and stir-fried it right in front of us. When you order the crab-shell fried rice, soybean paste stew comes with it too—Gijang Myeongpum Daegae really gives you a hearty, generous spread 🫶🏻

The roe from the crab shell had soaked nutty flavor into every grain of rice, and from the very first spoonful I thought, “This is absolutely a must-order.” It had a slight smoky flavor as well as lots of nutty, savory depth, and pairing it with the soybean paste stew made for the perfect finish. If you go for snow crab, I really recommend ordering the crab-shell fried rice!!!

After polishing off two snow crabs, crab-shell fried rice, and soju, I felt completely full with nothing lacking—truly, truly, truly satisfied 👏🏻 Above all, my favorite part was the honest sales method of subtracting the basket weight before weighing the crab. With such transparent weighing, I could eat comfortably and with confidence, and from the kind service to the care they took in choosing fresh, meat-filled crabs for us, there was not a single disappointing part!