Hwaseong bar for live shrimp and butter-grilled heads: Susanjang

Susanjang Dongtan Branch Location and Information

• Address: 105–106, 18 Dongtanjiseong-ro, Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (경기 화성시 동탄구 동탄지성로 18 105호, 106호)
• Hours: Daily 17:00–00:50 the next day
• Last order: 23:50
• Group dining and reservations available; separate restrooms for men and women; no-kids zone

To feel like my husband and I were finally having a proper date again, we visited the newly opened Susanjang Dongtan Branch in Dongtan North Plaza~

A Place We Found Because We Wanted Live Raw Shrimp

Honestly, the biggest reason for this visit was the live raw shrimp! It is in season these days, and after constantly seeing mukbang YouTubers eating it, I suddenly wanted it so badly too~ There happened to be a new place in Dongtan North Plaza, so off we went right away!

We arrived just before 6 p.m. on a weekday, yet I was surprised to see several tables already taken~! There were also private rooms farther inside the restaurant for a more secluded meal.

We chose seats where we could sit side by side! They faced straight toward the kitchen, which I actually liked~ The moving fish ornaments placed at each seat especially stole my attention, haha.

What We Ordered by Table Order

We settled in and ordered easily through the table-order system! Live raw shrimp, Jangheung butter pen shell-beef brisket samhap (a three-ingredient combination), and Oneul Rice Soju, which I was curious to taste!

Not long after ordering, grilled flounder came out first~ And apparently, this was a complimentary starter!

A whole warm grilled flounder came as the basic dish, so it was perfect with a glass of soju!

When I tried the Oneul Rice Soju, it tasted like soju with a slight makgeolli (Korean rice wine) feel added in~ It really felt like a date with my husband for the first time in a while, haha.

Because our seats faced the kitchen, we could watch the food being made. I even got to see the dishes I ordered being scented with flame! The female owner? Or staff member? was completely absorbed in prepping live shrimp the whole time~!

The Jangheung Butter Pen Shell-Beef Brisket Samhap Combination

The first main dish to arrive was the Jangheung butter pen shell-beef brisket samhap! It looked pretty appetizing from the start, right?

I wondered what kind of three-way combination it would be, and it turned out to be served with gat kimchi (mustard-leaf kimchi)~

Taking all three ingredients in one bite, the tender brisket, chewy pen shell, and tangy gat kimchi came together better than I expected~!

Having meat and seafood together made the texture fun, and the gat kimchi brought everything together so well that I kept reaching for more~!

Moving Live Raw Shrimp and Sauce Preferences

Then, at last, the live raw shrimp I had been waiting for arrived. The amazing thing was that the shrimp were actually alive! Proof that they were live—their heads were moving~

Sorry, little shrimp, but to eat them, we separated the bodies from the heads~ We gathered the heads on a separate plate and immediately ordered the butter-grilled heads too~!

Looking at the live raw shrimp, they were quite plump! I first dipped one in the cho-gochujang (sweet-and-tangy chili sauce) set at the table~ Oh, it was fresh with a gently sweet flavor, and delicious~!

But when I tried it with the Buldak sauce they had provided too, that combination felt different in its own way~ The spicy Buldak sauce went so well with the shrimp's sweetness that I actually preferred it to the cho-gochujang! I think you can choose according to your taste~!

Butter-Grilled Heads After the Live Raw Shrimp

After waiting a little, the butter-grilled heads we ordered came out too~ I honestly think this is a must-order if you have live raw shrimp!! Grilling the shrimp heads in butter made that rich aroma rise right up~ They were crispy, nutty, and intensely flavorful—a real delicacy, so you really have to try them!

I liked the seats we chose too~ My husband and I are together 24 hours a day anyway, but sitting side by side somewhere other than home, eating tasty food and talking, felt different! We should come out and have this kind of lovey-dovey date feeling once in a while~!

How Was It for a Dongtan North Plaza Date or Gathering?

When we looked around the restaurant again as we were leaving, it had become much busier than when we first came in~ Even though we visited early on a weekday, the seats gradually filled up. It had not been open for long, but it already seemed like lots of people were coming by!

I was satisfied with Susanjang Dongtan Branch because I got to have the live raw shrimp I had been craving~ Beyond the shrimp, there were dishes like the pen shell-beef brisket samhap that let you enjoy meat and seafood together, so it seemed easy for a group to order according to everyone's tastes! The atmosphere was nice and there were private rooms, making it just right for a gathering or a date. I got my live raw shrimp, had a date-like evening with my husband, and if you are looking for an atmospheric bar or date spot in Dongtan North Plaza, I recommend Susanjang Dongtan Branch~!