Gyeonggi Gwangju seafood restaurant: ₩52,000 set at Badaga Nae Sonagwi

Today's the story of how we thoroughly enjoyed boiled octopus, braised seafood, and seafood stew at "Badaga Nae Sonagwi"~~

We originally went because I was craving monkfish stew with my husband! But in the end, this is a review of the seafood braise we ate instead!

The name is pretty intense from the start — it means "the sea in the palm of your hand." I was half excited, half curious whether it lived up to the name, so off we went~

Badaga Nae Sonagwi in Gwangju, Gyeonggi: location, parking and hours

Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju is at 7 Suha-gil, 1st floor, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, open daily from 11:00 to 22:30 (last order 22:00). There's a large parking area beside the restaurant, and staff will open it for you if you ask.

• 📍 Location: 7 Suha-gil, 1st floor, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–22:30 (last order 22:00)
• 🚗 Parking: Large lot beside the restaurant!! (Ask staff to open it)

The first thing we ran into on arrival was a firmly closed parking barrier. We stood there confused for a moment, looking around!

When we told a staff member, they came right out and opened it, so parking ended up being easier than expected!

What is the restaurant like inside? Delivery riders lined up

Photos of bright red monkfish stew were plastered all over the front of the restaurant, so my spice-loving cells were already waking up before we even stepped inside!

There were several small tables set up cozily, giving off that warm, familiar neighborhood seafood-restaurant vibe! (The smell of the sea hit us the moment we walked in, haha.)

What stood out most was the row of delivery riders waiting one after another — it seemed like delivery orders were piling up at that particular time.

Seeing so many people order delivery made us think this place must be popular, which only raised our expectations.

Spoons and chopsticks were kept in a drawer at each table, and the necessary utensils and water were already set out. After sitting for a bit, we were brought basic side dishes along with seaweed and wasabi!

It seemed like they serve fried rice with the braise and fried porridge with the stew!! I'd never heard of this place before, but it turns out they have quite a few directly-run branches! (Guess that counts as proof it's good?)

Is the ₩52,000 Daehwanjang Seafood Set too much for two?

We went with the Daehwanjang Seafood Set — braised seafood + seafood stew + steamed egg + small boiled whelk — in mild spice, for ₩52,000. Mild spice is about milder than Shin Ramyun.

You can check the set menu both inside and outside the restaurant! We ordered while wondering a little whether it might be too much for just the two of us.

The set caught our eye before the à la carte options did, so we went for it — and quickly realized that was a bit greedy for two people, haha. To cut to the point: it came out generous enough to feed three!

• If it's just two of you, go à la carte
• If you're three or more, the set menu is the way to go!

If you like to drink, they also run an unlimited soju event for ₩2,000, so it's worth checking out!

My husband, thrilled before we even started eating, haha.

What comes first: boiled whelk, then steamed egg

The dishes in the Daehwanjang Seafood Set didn't come out all at once — they arrived one by one in sequence! I think it was because delivery orders were backed up.

Sweet boiled whelk to start

Maybe it's because we'd waited for it... but seriously, boiled whelk, what are you? Why are you so good? One bite in and the sweet, chewy texture had me finishing it off in no time!

My husband and I exchanged a look of "this is delicious" and agreed it was a great start, haha.

Next up: the steamed egg

With little bits of carrot and scallion mixed in, the texture was fun to chew, and the fluffy, crumbly quality kept calling my spoon back!

The star dish: braised seafood with a whole blue crab

The braised seafood we'd been waiting for finally arrived!! Can you see this? The visual — hahaha.

I love crab so much that I'd been looking forward to it, and there was a whole big crab sitting right on top!

Since mine was big, I cut it in half to eat, while my husband just cracked into the whole thing!

There was also a whole squid, mussels, sea squirt, roe, and shrimp — every type imaginable — so our chopsticks had endless places to go.

The sauce wasn't just spicy for the sake of it — it felt like it brought out the natural savory flavor of the seafood, so I kept reaching for more!

My small stomach was the real letdown here..ㅠ I even got a plastic bag so I wouldn't miss out on the crab legs... hahaha, dedication.

Then came the seafood stew

The seafood stew was loaded with plenty of seafood, crab included!

The broth was spicy yet refreshing, so my spoon kept dipping in naturally, and switching back and forth with the braise made for a great flow~

The crab, of course, was mine!!!

I couldn't resist and ended up ordering a beer while eating the stew. My husband was driving so he couldn't have any, and he was a bit sad about it, haha.

The real highlight: the fried rice

Even though we were pretty full, my husband said a meal isn't complete without rice and ordered fried rice to finish things off!

Honestly, I was the one who complained — why order that when we're already full?

But... can you see this? This fried rice was seriously the kicker!!!!!! There wasn't even cheese in it, but it had this oddly nutty, savory flavor that hit hard!!

Delicious even when full? Says it all!!!!! Seriously, it was so good... ugh, such a shame we left some behind... I wanted to take it home, but my husband said since it had seafood in it, it might smell if left too long, so we let it go, ㅠㅠ

Final verdict: why we would return to Badaga Nae Sonagwi

It's delicious! Really! Everyone should try it once!!!!

With just one set, you get to try boiled whelk, steamed egg, braised seafood, and seafood stew all at once — the composition was really solid! Gather three people and go~!

If you and your partner or friends are craving a proper seafood spread one day, give this place a try~