Dongtan seafood izakaya with a 30-minute weekend wait: Susanjang

📍Location 18 Dongtanjiseong-ro, 105-106, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea ⏰Hours OPEN 11:00 – 00:50 next day (Mon–Sat) 17:00 – 00:50 next day (Sun) BREAK TIME 15:00 – 17:00 LAST ORDER: 23:50 🚘 Parking Hanbit public parking lot, free for 1 hour 30 minutes

My husband and I went out for a weekend evening date, just the two of us, after a long while. Meals with the kids are great too, but there's something so nice about taking it slow, chatting over good food and a drink, just us. That day I was really craving seafood, so I searched for seafood spots around Dongtan and one caught my eye — Susanjang Dongtan. It had a lot of reviews and a wide variety of seafood menu items, so after some searching I thought, 'today's the day' and headed straight over.

How long is the wait at Susanjang Dongtan Branch at 7pm on a weekend?

We arrived at Susanjang Dongtan Branch around 7pm on a weekend, and about six parties were already waiting. When we got there the place was already packed inside, and once we put our name down, there were six parties ahead of us.

The estimated wait was about 35 minutes. 'Of course it's busy, it's dinner time,' I thought — but since we'd already made up our minds to come, we decided to wait it out patiently.

While waiting, we looked around the outside of the restaurant and noticed a tank out front. Seeing live shrimp swimming in the tank, I thought, 'ah, this is a place that really handles seafood properly.'

Seeing it in person felt way more vivid than any photo. We also noticed a sign about draft beer posted at the restaurant.

Seeing the sign that said they specialize in Suntory The Premium Malts draft beer, my husband — who loves a good draft — looked like he was already looking forward to it.

Seated at Susanjang after about 30 minutes in line

After waiting about 30 minutes, we were finally seated. Inside, there were table seats, but also spaces that looked good for solo drinking, and a room-style space that seemed suited to group use.

The two of us settled in comfortably and picked our menu. Here's what we ordered first:

• Suntory draft beer
• Susanjang mixed seafood platter special
• Butter-grilled shrimp heads
• Raw shrimp sashimi

That's what we ordered. With the mindset of really eating seafood properly, I could already tell the table was going to be quite full.

Suntory draft beer and a complimentary grilled flounder

The first thing to arrive at Susanjang Dongtan Branch was a complimentary fried flounder. Not long after ordering, the first thing out was a whole fried flounder, on the house.

A whole flounder came out fried crispy, and it had more flesh on it than I expected, making it a great beer snack. Then the Suntory The Premium Malts draft beer we'd been waiting for arrived too. I lifted the glass and took a sip — it felt quite smooth to me. The refreshing chill typical of beer combined with a smooth finish, and pairing it with the fried flounder, the beer went down naturally from the very first bite. A crispy piece of flounder, then a sip of draft beer. This combo worked better than I expected 👍. I didn't expect much from a free menu item, but it actually turned out to be a great starter to set the mood.

Raw shrimp sashimi at Susanjang Dongtan: is it fishy?

The raw shrimp sashimi at Susanjang Dongtan Branch had almost none of the fishy taste I worried about, and a chewy, springy texture that really stood out. And then finally, the raw shrimp sashimi I'd been curious about all day arrived.

Honestly, before ordering I was a bit worried. I'm not used to eating raw shrimp as sashimi, so I wondered if it might be fishy. But once the plate arrived, the shrimp looked really fresh right off the bat. I picked one up and tried it, and it was much better than I'd expected.

Above all, the texture stuck with me. Rather than mushy, it had a chewy, springy bite, and the fishy taste I'd worried about was barely noticeable. The clean, subtle shrimp flavor combined with that chewy texture, and I kept reaching for more than I expected. I thought, 'so this is why people eat raw shrimp sashimi — for this texture.' If you like seafood, I think it's a menu item worth trying at least once.

The shrimp heads, served butter-grilled

After finishing the raw shrimp sashimi, instead of tossing the heads, we asked to have them butter-grilled. But once the heads were cut off, I noticed the shrimp were still moving. Their legs and antennae were twitching, and just then, music happened to be playing in the restaurant. It looked like they were moving in time with the music, and the two of us ended up laughing about it for a while.

It was a little strange but also felt very alive. A bit later, the shrimp heads came back out beautifully butter-grilled. They were genuinely nutty and delicious.

The rich, distinctive flavor of the shrimp heads combined with the butter aroma made it a great beer snack as well. If you order the raw shrimp sashimi, instead of wondering what to do with the leftover heads, I'd say give the butter-grilled version a try. Since we'd already planned to order the butter-grilled heads from the start, we got to enjoy it fully.

The highlight: Susanjang mixed seafood platter special

The Susanjang mixed seafood platter special is a dish that comes with everything from sashimi to various types of seafood on a single plate. And then the menu item I'd been most looking forward to arrived.

The moment the plate showed up, the visual alone was overwhelming. Various types of seafood were piled generously on one plate, so much so that I thought, 'what do I even eat first?' It was the kind of dish you enjoy with your eyes first — we spent so much time taking photos we almost forgot to pick up our chopsticks.

With sashimi and various seafood all layered together, it was nice to enjoy a variety of flavors and textures rather than eating just one thing over and over. I picked up a piece of sashimi to try, and the texture was great, as expected. Overall it had a chewy, refreshing feel, and the bite was satisfying.

Each type of seafood had a slightly different texture, so there was a fun element in trying one at a time. Especially for us as a couple who love sashimi, this kind of mixed platter really suited us 👏. Having a variety of seafood on one plate made it good as a drinking snack, and also good for talking over a slow meal together.

What the atmosphere is like at this Dongtan seafood bar

Beyond the food, the atmosphere of the restaurant stuck with me too. When we visited, 90s hit songs were playing, and hearing familiar music brought back some old memories for no reason. Places with the latest music are nice too, but with familiar songs playing, waiting for food wasn't boring at all. My husband and I ended up saying 'you know this song, right?' and reminiscing about the past.

Maybe that's why that day felt less like just having dinner and more like a proper date night for the two of us after a long time. There were also partitioned seats that looked great for solo drinking, and rooms for group use, so it seemed like a good spot to pick seating based on your purpose. Whether you want to talk quietly as a couple or gather with a big group, there's a wide range of options.

Finishing the meal with gyedumyeon (ramyeon with two eggs)

The final dish was gyeduymyeon, a spicy ramyeon (instant noodle soup) with two eggs. We'd eaten plenty of sashimi and seafood, but a bowl of soup was still needed. So for the last order, we got gyeduymyeon (two-egg ramyeon).

Ramyeon is something you can easily make at home, but ramyeon at a restaurant just tastes different somehow. Especially after eating seafood, the spicy broth felt even more welcome. The noodles were cooked to just the doneness I like, making it the perfect palate-cleansing finish. With eggs and scallions on top of the spicy broth, it was a great way to wrap up the flavors of everything we'd eaten before.

The lunch special posted on the wall at Susanjang

There was also a lunch special menu posted on the wall at Susanjang Dongtan Branch. After finishing our meal, while looking around, we noticed the lunch special posted on the wall.

We visited in the evening, but this could be useful for anyone looking for a light lunch. After enjoying seafood so much that evening, I found myself curious about the lunch special too. 'I should come back for lunch sometime,' I thought. I imagine it would give a different feel from visiting in the evening for seafood and drinks.

A rare night out for just the two of us

That day was truly a rare chance for some time alone with my husband. We ate great food, talked slowly, had a draft beer, and even tried raw shrimp sashimi, something we don't usually eat. Above all, what stayed with me was the chewy texture of the raw shrimp sashimi and the generous composition of the mixed seafood platter. At first I worried raw shrimp might be fishy, but eating it, it was far less intimidating than I'd thought. Adding the butter-grilled heads on top of that made it even more fun, enjoying one ingredient in multiple ways. From the complimentary fried flounder to the draft beer, raw shrimp sashimi, mixed seafood platter, and ramyeon — it was quite a full dinner for the two of us.

Tips before you visit Susanjang Dongtan Branch

If you love seafood, or if you're in the mood to try a variety of sashimi and seafood, it's worth ordering a diverse spread. Like us, ordering the raw shrimp sashimi together with the mixed seafood platter gave us a range of textures and let us enjoy multiple types of seafood at once, which made choosing fun. If you order the raw shrimp sashimi in particular, I'd recommend trying the butter-grilled heads as well. It has a different kind of nutty flavor from the raw sashimi, and pairs well as a drinking snack. That said, there can be a wait, so if you're visiting during dinner hours, it's better to plan with some extra time in mind. When we visited around 7pm, there were about six parties waiting, and we got seated after about 30 minutes. Just keep in mind that during busy hours, some waiting is likely.

Since it was a rare evening out alone with my husband, I wanted it to feel a bit special, and this choice was quite satisfying. I initially just searched with the simple thought of 'let's go eat seafood,' but by the time we tried the raw shrimp sashimi, enjoyed the generous mixed seafood platter, and finished with ramyeon, it turned into a proper seafood dinner. The chewy texture of the raw shrimp sashimi and the generous visual of the mixed seafood platter still stick with me. More than anything, I loved the time we spent sitting together after so long, having a beer, listening to music, and chatting about this and that. If you're craving sashimi or seafood in Dongtan, and looking for somewhere to eat with a relaxed drink on the side, I'd recommend putting Susanjang Dongtan Branch on your list. Next time, I want to try the lunch special too. Since this visit was in the evening, next time I'll have to go try something different.

If you're looking for a place to date in Dongtan, or if today's the day you want good food and a quiet drink alone, I don't think you'll find many places as good as Susanjang.

From fresh seafood to raw shrimp sashimi, butter-grilled heads, and spicy ramyeon, the menu is varied, and the atmosphere works well both for a couple enjoying time together and for solo drinking. It's a place I'd like to come back to again. If you're looking for a seafood spot or a bar in Dongtan, I'd highly recommend Susanjang! 😊