Sokcho Korean restaurant seafood set meals: Jin Seiromushi

While traveling in Sokcho, I stopped by Jin Seiromushi (진 세이로무시) while looking for a filling seafood meal. We ordered the red snow crab soy-marinated crab set meal and the soy-marinated shrimp set meal, and with pot-cooked rice and several side dishes, it was served almost like a Korean full-course table setting.

Is it easy to reach by car, and is there seating for family meals?

Jin Seiromushi is on Seonsa-ro 2-gil in Sokcho. It was not hard to find along the road, and I liked that there was plenty of parking once we arrived.

Since we were traveling by car, parking was one of the first things I checked when choosing a restaurant. Here, we were able to park comfortably and head inside.

The dining room was more spacious than I expected. There were several tables, so I thought it would suit a family meal, and it had the clean, orderly atmosphere of a Korean set-meal restaurant.

Which set meals did we order, and does hinoki steaming require a reservation?

The menu included several set meals and hinoki-steamed dishes. We ordered one red snow crab soy-marinated crab set meal and one soy-marinated shrimp set meal.

I was told that the hinoki-steamed dish needs to be reserved in advance because trimming and preparing the ingredients takes time. I did not have it this time, but I would like to reserve it and try it on a future visit.

After a short wait, the red snow crab, shrimp, and side dishes arrived covering the table. The amount of side dishes stood out as much as the main dishes.

How did I eat the red snow crab and shrimp with pot-cooked rice?

The red snow crab and shrimp came in a sweet and salty soy-based sauce. I first transferred the rice from the pot, then poured water into it to prepare nurungji (scorched rice).

Mixing the red snow crab meat and sauce into the rice worked well, with its salty flavor and savory depth. The seasoning went nicely with warm rice.

I especially liked putting rice into the crab shell and mixing it with the sauce. It was nutty and salty, so I kept reaching for it.

The soy-marinated shrimp had a springy texture that went well with rice. Alternating between the red snow crab and shrimp felt like enjoying Sokcho seafood in a different way from sashimi or king crab.

What were the side dishes and the end of the meal like?

The side dishes were varied, including grilled fish, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), seaweed, seasoned vegetables, and kimchi. Being able to sample a little of each gave the meal the feel of a Korean full-course table setting.

I tend to care about the side dishes as much as the main dishes. That day, they did not just feel numerous: I kept reaching for each one, eating them evenly alongside the red snow crab and shrimp.

To finish, I ate the warm nurungji from the pot I had filled with water earlier. After trying the rice and all the side dishes, it made for a satisfying end to the meal.

It suited a time during a trip when I wanted Korean food with seafood, rice, and several side dishes. The spacious parking area and dining room also stayed with me.