Sadang izakaya window seat you can book ahead: Susan Sadang

Annyahseo? Raw shrimp has been so hot lately, so I went to the raw shrimp place picked by Meokjinnam (a guy who's serious about eating). Turns out it really is hot right now — even a little late and everywhere is sold out.

When Meokjinnam was searching, his three conditions were: 1) must be reservable, 2) must serve buldak mayo, and 3) must not be too pricey. And Susan is exactly that place!

How to walk to Susan Sadang Main Branch from Sadang Station

We used Exit 8 of Sadang Station, and it took about 5–10 minutes on foot to reach Susan Sadang Main Branch.

Naver Reservation, and the 1st floor vs. the basement at Susan Sadang

Booking through Naver Reservation was easy. Susan Sadang Main Branch is split into a 1st floor and a basement floor! The 1st floor has 7 round tables, and the basement is bigger, so it works for group dinners too.

The whole window side is made of doors, and they were flung wide open. The weather was so nice that day it almost felt like outdoor drinking — loved it. If you book through Naver, they give you priority for the 1st floor (though this can vary depending on party size and the day's bookings!!!). We came at 6pm on a Saturday and the 1st floor was full before 7pm.

Right next to the 1st floor, below the restroom, is the entrance to the basement. The restroom was a private single room and very clean (very important!!).

The welcome sake and what's on the menu

We got there a bit before 6, and people were already drinking. I knew right away we'd found a good spot. Once you sit down, they give you a welcome glass of sake — I don't know much about sake so Meokjinnam drank it all. He said it felt super smooth, perfect as an aperitif.

🦐 The menu

The main items are flounder, yukhoe (raw beef), and salmon. The next table over was eating suji-oden (beef tendon oden)... I want to try that next time.

20 raw shrimp for 58,000 won and the sauces that come with them

We came shouting ONLY RAW SHRIMP, so we ordered it fast!!

🦐 Raw shrimp, ₩58,000

You get seaweed, buldak mayo, chojang, and mayo baek-kimchi (mayo-dressed white kimchi) as standard. Oh but Meokjinnam and I seriously debated whether this was buldak mayo or chipotle sauce. When I tasted the sauce alone first, I said 'oh, this is chipotle!' but Meokjinnam said 'no way, this is totally buldak mayo.' Our conclusion: it's buldak mayo sauce with finely chopped onion or pickles mixed in! It has a tangier edge.

On my visit we got 20 shrimp total. The size of these raw shrimp is just unreasonable. I already knew going in that they give more shrimp for the price than other places, and shrimp size is usually a coin flip, so I didn't expect much — but these were so plump and fat.

Meokjinnam, thrilled out of his mind over how big the shrimp were.

Why the baek-kimchi and buldak mayo pairing works so well

The first bite was classic soy sauce and wasabi, and the second was seaweed + baek-kimchi + radish sprouts stacked on top. This baek-kimchi is unreal. I can't say exactly what's in it, but it seems to have a slight mayo-based seasoning? The umami is off the charts and it pairs so well with the sweet raw shrimp.

And then the buldak mayo I'd been so excited for!!! I get now why mukbang people love it so much... The slight spice and the smooth mayo work together perfectly!! Like I said earlier, you can taste the chopped onion in it, which made it pair even better than regular buldak mayo.

The grilled shrimp heads served at the end

We'd already polished off two bottles of soju, but a grilled shrimp head changes everything~~ The owner's timing was spot on, bringing it out right as we were finishing the shrimp. Crispy, with a buttery aroma and just the right seasoning — insane. Dip this in buldak mayo too. It gets 200 times better~~

Is Susan Sadang Main Branch worth a second visit?

I did get a partial discount on this visit, but I only found out about the discount after booking through Naver Reservation and checking — so this is a genuinely searched-out find. Great shrimp count for the price, and the shrimp freshness is insane. It's close to home too, so once it gets colder I'll be back for suji-oden. Everyone, make sure to eat seasonal food! Thank you!!!!!