3-generation birthday dinner with monkfish bulgogi set: Deodo Gejang

A Jeju yellow crab jang spot in Yangsan?

It was my husband's birthday, and while wondering where to eat, I picked something the whole family loves — crab jang! It's peak crab season these days too haha. I heard there's a crab jang restaurant in Yangsan made with Jeju yellow crab called Deodo Gejang, so we went to check it out. Jeju yellow crab — just hearing that got me extra excited.

Since it was the weekend, we went a little earlier in the evening. Going during the crazy busy hours is too chaotic, so our family rule on weekends is always to eat during a quieter time slot!

Inside a food street — and what about parking?

This wasn't just a single restaurant — it turned out to be more like a whole food street. Besides Deodo Gejang, there were cafés, grilled meat restaurants, and more, so it seemed perfect for a nearby drive followed by a meal and coffee all in one spot.

Best of all, parking was really easy. The lot wasn't just on one side — there was plenty of space set up on the opposite side and even further up too.

The menu was posted right at the entrance, and it already had my mouth watering. I had an early lunch so I could eat an early dinner, and now I was starving haha.

True to a popular spot, they even have Catch Table reservations!

The interior and seating

Walking through the door, the space felt really spacious. High ceilings and big windows made it feel open and never cramped.

The spacing between tables was also generous, which made it comfortable to eat with my parents too.

Most other guests seemed to be there with friends or family, all having a great time.

Since it was around 5 PM, an early weekend evening, the tables were still fairly open, so we could eat comfortably.

What we ordered at Deodo Gejang

Deodo Gejang specializes in yellow crab jang (marinated crab) and mixed jang. Their signature menus include the mixed jang nutritious pot rice set, the monkfish-octopus bulgogi + yellow crab pot rice set, and the grilled fish + yellow crab pot rice set. Looking around, most tables seemed to be enjoying the mixed jang pot rice set haha. Watching other people eat made it look so delicious too!

Oh, and most jang varieties here are available for takeout! If you're still craving crab jang after your meal, takeout is a great option. And with Chuseok coming up soon, I thought it'd also make a nice holiday gift.

We ordered the monkfish-octopus bulgogi + yellow crab pot rice set, two servings of the yellow crab pot rice set menu, and an extra bowl of rice for our son. Ajju bulgogi is a dish made by stir-frying monkfish (agu) and octopus (jjukkumi) like bulgogi — I'd never had this anywhere else, so I was curious. For the crab jang, we chose two servings spicy-marinated and two soy-marinated.

A little while later, the food arrived... wow! The wide table filled up in an instant.

The spread was so generous it was hard to fit it all in one photo haha.

Is the spicy marinated crab okay for kids?

First, the spicy marinated crab was deeply infused with spicy seasoning. Our third-grade son also likes spicy marinated crab so we ordered it, but it was a bit too spicy for him, while my husband and I, and my parents, enjoyed the deliciously spicy flavor.

The yellow crab soy-marinated crab our son fell for

And then the soy-marinated crab our son completely fell in love with! He kept saying "So good!" and even sucked his fingers clean haha. He ate so well it disappeared in the blink of an eye. My parents also enjoyed it, saying the salty flavor went perfectly with rice. The yellow crab itself isn't huge, but it was packed with meat and sweet.

How was the monkfish-octopus bulgogi (ajju bulgogi)?

The ajju bulgogi here is also excellent! Our son said it was less spicy than the marinated crab. Tasting it, it had a nice smoky char with a spicy-sweet flavor, and the monkfish meat was plump too.

The pork bulgogi that came as a side dish

And this pork bulgogi — I thought it was something we'd separately ordered, but it turned out to be a basic side dish! I thought it would be great to bring family members who can't eat crab jang, since there's still a hearty dish for them.

The doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) with crab in it had a subtle crab flavor infused in the broth, and it was refreshing,

and fried tofu, seasoned vegetables, kimchi pancake, sour kimchi, salad, and other side dishes were also served generously, making it fun to keep picking at different things.

The nutritious pot rice, down to the scorched rice tea

Last but not least, the nutritious pot rice! We scooped out all the rice, then poured water into the pot to enjoy the scorched rice (nurungji) at the bottom too. After the meal, my parents said, "We had no appetite because of the heat, but today it really came back," adding that it was well worth the money — which made me feel proud. Our son also finished his bowl of rice completely.

There's a high chair on one side too, so use it if you need one!

Review event! You can receive abalone jang, fried crab, or alcohol, so it's definitely worth participating, right?

If you eat at Deodo Gejang, you get a 10% discount at Sunji Café! It's so nice being able to take care of everything from meal to dessert in one place.

Points to remember from our visit

• Plenty of parking, so no stress finding a spot
• Spacious, comfortable interior with generous spacing between tables
• Not just crab jang — even the basic side dishes are plentiful in this full spread
• Both soy-marinated and spicy marinated crab pair well with rice
• There are menu options for family members who can't eat crab jang, making it good for a family outing
• The nutritious pot rice finishes things off heartily, down to the scorched rice
• The mixed jang, which lets you try a variety of jang, is a must-try for our next visit

Next time, I'll have to come back for the mixed jang nutritious pot rice set that the tables around us were enjoying so much. Looking back, I think Deodo Gejang was a great pick for a Yangsan crab jang spot that satisfied the whole family for my husband's birthday dinner. :) We ate so well today!