Tomato-sauce seafood boil for two in Yeouido, Seoul: Gaetbeol-ui

What kind of restaurant is Gaetbeol-ui Jogae near National Assembly Station?

Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch is a clam and seafood specialty restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Geukdong VIP Building, about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of National Assembly Station. A friend told me she came home stuffed to the point of annoyance because the clam portions were so huge, so I went to check it out myself and I'm sharing my review here.

Gaetbeol-ui Jogae near National Assembly Station says it's been devoted to clams for 20 years. They claim to use only fresh clams and seafood brought in every morning from clean seas — so you can really feel the freshness of the ocean right in the middle of the city.

Location, opening hours and parking in Yeouido

• 📍 Location: 2F Geukdong VIP Building, 15-1 Gukhoedae-ro 70-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea / about 5 minutes (367m) on foot from Exit 1, National Assembly Station
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 11:00–22:00, last order 21:00, closed on Chuseok Day
• 🚗 Amenities: Parking available, group-friendly, Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms

Finding the sign outside Gaetbeol-ui Jogae

Go up to the 2nd floor of the building and you'll spot Gaetbeol-ui Jogae right away — clean-looking from the entrance. The lighting is bright and vivid, and the whole entrance area looks appetizing, with a model of the clam hot pot on display too.

Inside the restaurant: atmosphere and private room seating

Once inside, the restaurant felt really spacious and bright, super comfortable. The hall seating was very roomy, and toward the back there were several well-appointed private rooms for a more intimate meal. If you're looking for a restaurant near National Assembly Station for a work dinner or family outing, this spacious layout is really appealing.

There's a food poster on one wall that makes ordering easy, and right by the register there's an origin-of-ingredients label posted where it's easy to see.

True to being a clam specialty place, they take standing reservations for abalone too. There are also amenities set out for customer convenience.

Even though we had a reservation, they told us it would take over 30 minutes for the food to come out — that's how popular this place is, I guess. Looking around while seated, I noticed the barley rice self-bar was neatly set up. Fitting for a restaurant near National Assembly Station that caters to Yeouido office workers, the self-bar is only available at lunchtime.

Seafood boil prices and menu at Gaetbeol-ui Jogae

Seafood boiling: small ₩59,000, medium ₩89,000, large ₩119,000, special ₩149,000.

The all-you-can-eat yeolmu barley rice self-bar

I know you're not supposed to fill up before the main dish arrives, but I hadn't had breakfast, so I mixed barley rice with yeolmu (young radish greens) kimchi and doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and dug in. It was way better than I expected — the popping texture of the barley rice paired with the crisp, refreshing yeolmu kimchi, and I finished the whole bowl.

Is the small seafood boil enough food for two people?

Finally, our order of 'seafood boiling (small)' arrived. And... the portion was seriously massive. Abalone, scallops, mussels, clams, and all kinds of shellfish, plus shrimp and what looked like whole squid! Not to exaggerate too much, but it felt like a year's worth of clams packed into one meal at this restaurant near National Assembly Station. It was more than enough for two adults — almost too much. The owner kindly explained the dish and helped prep a few pieces for us.

The shrimp were plump too, and the shells peeled off easily, so they were easy to eat, with a springy texture and great taste.

How does the tomato-based sauce taste with the seafood?

I was most curious about the sauce, worried it might be spicy, but it turned out to be milder than expected — a gentle tomato-based sauce. Honestly, it tasted like Costco ragu sauce with a bit of ketchup added.

I picked out the fresh abalone, scallops, and large shrimp and tried them with the sauce — every bite balanced salty seafood with the sweet sauce beautifully. It tasted like a seafood spaghetti loaded with seafood.

Because the portion is such a mountain, if you chat and eat slowly, the clams at the bottom cool down fast. Seafood is at its juiciest and sweetest when eaten warm, so I'd strongly recommend picking out the clams first as soon as the food arrives, before anything else.

Mini burgers and side ingredients kids will like

Bread comes on the side, and splitting it open to stuff with clam meat, sausage and pickles turned it into a fun, unusual little burger. If you come with kids, they'd probably love making these themselves.

Besides seafood, there's sausage and flat pasta noodles in the pot too. We were so busy eating the chewy, fresh clams that we barely touched the pasta or sausage.

Spaghetti and fried rice at the bottom of the pan

After picking through most of the clams, I looked at the spaghetti and all the warmth was gone. It could've tasted even better if we'd gotten to it sooner — a bit of a shame.

The fried rice itself isn't heavily seasoned or house-made-tasting — it's mild and plain. Eaten alone it might feel a little bland, but paired with the seafood from the boiling pot, the seasoning balances out perfectly. The sauce's umami soaks nicely into the plain rice.

Final verdict on Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch

In a word, today's visit to Gaetbeol-ui Jogae near National Assembly Station was 'a generous fusion seafood party for the eyes and the mouth.'

What stood out most was definitely the huge amount of fresh clams, and the delicious yeolmu barley rice we snacked on while waiting for the main dish. There were a few minor letdowns depending on personal taste — the clams cooling off, some of the extras — but given the value for money and the appealing, unusual tomato-based sauce, this seems like a great spot to bring family or friends for a beer and a hearty meal together. It's easy to get to and has convenient parking, so next time I'd like to come back and try the 'giant clam hot pot,' said to have an amazing warm, refreshing broth.

If you're in the mood to eat seafood until you're completely stuffed, I'd cautiously recommend stopping by at least once. ^^