Sokcho market seafood shop with crab shell bibimbap to go: Yes Susan

Where is Yes Susan in Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, and when is it open?

On a sudden trip to Sokcho, Gangwon, I stopped by Sokcho Central Market — an unmissable part of any Sokcho trip — to pick up something to eat and drink with back at the hotel that evening. Yes Susan, a red snow crab spot in Sokcho Central Market, was selling king crab and red snow crab lunchboxes packed neatly and at good value.

When I go for seafood I always check how fresh the live catch looks, and the king crabs in Yes Susan's tank genuinely looked lively. Crustaceans taste better the bigger they are, and there were a lot of big ones, which made me even more curious about the taste.

Hours are 10:30–20:30, closed every Tuesday. It was easy to find — right across from the sulbbang (steamed rice bread) shop that's famous as a Sokcho Central Market food stop. (It's on the first floor, unit 124, of Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market.) I parked at the public lot and got a parking discount voucher for a free exit.

Yes Susan menu: red snow crab lunchbox, king crab lunchbox and crab shell bibimbap

Yes Susan, the red snow crab spot in Sokcho Central Market, sells red snow crab and king crab lunchboxes, plus crab shell bibimbap. When you're in Sokcho wanting crab but hesitant about the price, this is a price point where you can just get a taste without overthinking it, so I ordered takeout right away. Checking Naver, besides king crab and red snow crab, they also had seasonal steamed bay scallops.

Does the insulated bag keep the crab lunchbox warm 2 hours later at the hotel?

The Yes Susan red snow crab lunchbox was packed really neatly, and I think because the bag was insulated, it was still warm when I opened it at the hotel two hours later — I loved that. It was also cleaned and prepped so neatly that I could eat it without any separate tools, which made it super easy. They even threw in a spoon for the crab shell fried rice.

When I travel I love wandering markets, because there's a special fun in packing up various local snacks and eating them at the hotel in the evening. On this Sokcho trip too I stopped by the market and picked up a bunch of food, and the red snow crab lunchbox somehow gave off beach-trip vibes — great taste and great value.

Is Yes Susan's red snow crab lunchbox awkward to eat without tools?

Since I planned to take out a king crab or red snow crab lunchbox from the start, being a total planner (Powerful J), I brought latex gloves along. The meat yield was full, which I liked, and it was prepped so well that picking the meat out was easy. Because it was still warm, it tasted even better, and the sweetness was really nice.

The claws are always the hardest part for me to deal with when eating crab, but they were prepped so you could just grip and eat, which made things super convenient. I'd never done takeout red snow crab like this before, so I worried it might be a pain to eat — but once I tried it, it was as easy as eating fried chicken. If you're worried like I was, don't be — just go ahead and order it to go.

Red snow crab instead of king crab in Sokcho: worth it?

I usually prefer king crab over red snow crab, but after trying the red snow crab lunchbox at Yes Susan, the red snow crab spot in Sokcho Central Market, I realized red snow crab can be this good too. King crab is so pricey it makes you hesitate, and if red snow crab tastes this good, I felt like I made the right call skipping king crab without any regrets. There was plenty of meat in the body too, and the innards were nutty and delicious.

The crab shell bibimbap also had a really generous portion and tasted nutty and delicious. Eating it alongside a cup noodle from the convenience store made it even better. I enjoyed it enough that next time I visit Sokcho, I'll definitely revisit this red snow crab spot in Sokcho Central Market for takeout again. The owner was also so kind that I'm already planning to come back.