Weekend crab feast with Yuryang-dong flavor set: Kkotgeok, Cheonan

It started with a peaceful weekend morning and me thinking, "I want something delicious with my husband!!" — that's how we ended up at Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch. For two people craving something good, this place was exactly right. It's open every day from 11am to 9pm, with last order at 8pm, just so you know.

It's located in Cheonan Yuryang-dong's food street, so it was easy to stop by while out and about. Plenty of parking too, so you can come without any worries!

The menu at Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch

Time to look at the menu at Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch~ The basic Albaegi Set Menu (알배기정식, roe-filled crab set) starts at ₩35,000 per person! The set menu is great on its own, but upgrading gets you even more delicious food!! Set A comes with dried yellow corvina (보리굴비), Set B with sous-vide pork, and Set C with doenjang-based Yeonpyeong-do crab stew — and you can get any of these for just ₩10,000 more!! Order the set right away~ we went with Set C haha.

There's also a variety of other dishes, so people who can't eat crab still have options! That makes it a perfect spot for group gatherings too!!! The soy crab, seasoned crab, and dried corvina can all be packed to go, so if you love it, it could make a nice gift too.

Hanok building, split into rooms and an annex

The building is a hanok (traditional Korean house). Facing the entrance, the left side has room seating for groups, the right side has regular seating, and there's a separate annex space where pets are allowed. The overall vibe of the place reminded me of a hanok café. Also had to show off the crab headband I got from my trip to Taean yesterday lol.

I thought ordering the Albaegi Set Menu would mean lots of dishes and a cramped table, but the tables here are so big that space was never an issue. Even with just two of us, we got a table that could easily fit six people — so nice! Kids' chairs are also available for families with children.

Kkotgeok's basic side dishes

The side dish spread is solid too. And the flavors are even more amazing — Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch really made me think this place is excellent at Korean cooking. Laver, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), braised fish cake, seasoned lotus root, seaweed stem, young radish kimchi, white kimchi, braised squash — each one was so tasty and high quality... The japchae especially tasted like something from a dedicated Korean restaurant..!! The side dishes were the best too!

The C-set is perfect!

Then came today's main event! The Kkotgeok C-set!! The doenjang-based Yeonpyeong-do crab stew was the first thing to fill the table. The staff told us to keep letting it simmer, which seemed to mean boiling the radish and crab longer to deepen the broth. You can get broth refills too, just so you know!!

The seasoned crab needs no introduction — the herbs on top were the finishing touch that tied it all together perfectly. Wow, I could tell right away the seasoning was going to be incredible. It came as one whole crab per person for the two-person portion — and this C-set even includes the crab stew on top of that?? How is that even possible.

The highlight: soy-marinated crab. The crab, packed full of roe, was heart-fluttering just to look at. My husband had a hangover from drinking too much the night before, but after one bite of the soy crab, he said, "Whoa... my hangover's gone." I mean, isn't that just because it's delicious?! Lol.

They even gave us butter-fresh so we could pair it with the crab. Wow, I've never seen anything like this before and I love it! The two-person set came with two bowls of rice, and before I knew it, my husband was already ordering a second bowl.

Everything came out so neatly plated that I think this would be a great place to treat a group or family gathering. My husband even said he came here once for a company lunch get-together lol. And since every table has its own sesame oil, you can help yourself to as much as you want, which was nice.

Time to dig in!

The soy crab and seasoned crab, both packed with roe, were absolutely heavenly. Seriously, seriously, insanely delicious. I just started eating like I was in a trance lol. Each seat had vinyl gloves, which made it easy and comfortable to eat.

The roe was so packed that I put it over white rice, mixed it with the herbs from the seasoned crab, tried different combos, put it on laver — no matter how I ate it, it was amazing and I basically lost my mind...

The crab legs were also packed with meat, so I cut into them with scissors — such an incredible spread. Honestly, out of everything I've eaten lately, this was by far the best.

The portion was really solid for two people — we ate like this and skipped dinner that evening lol. The two-person menu left both of us completely and satisfyingly full.

And the crab stew was also incredible. This is basically the perfect hangover cure!!! Spicy, refreshing and delicious. The crab in it was packed with roe too, so there was plenty to eat, plus tofu and mushrooms added even more to chew on.

The roe in this stew was seriously packed and delicious. Partway through, a staff member came and cleaned the crab for us, and it was so good I almost ordered another bowl of rice haha. I highly recommend the C-set at Kkotgeok!!

Even the crab shell sauce was perfect!

And to finish, today's highlight: crab shell sauce (게딱지장). Add a bit of crab meat, scrape up the roe stuck to the shell — done. Add butter and sesame oil to taste, then a splash of the soy sauce from the soy crab, mix it with rice, and it's complete!!!

Isn't this the most amazing combo ever ㅠㅠ It was so delicious. Choosing this for a meal was such a great decision!! From the visuals to the restaurant's atmosphere to the menu lineup, everything made for a satisfying meal.

Paying was smooth too! There was even an autograph from a comedian couple at Kkotgeok!! Hope Kkotgeok keeps thriving haha.

There's also room seating for groups!

Going to the left, there are several group room seats, and the interior looked clean and nice. I'd recommend reserving ahead if you're visiting!

Dessert done right too!

Near the register there was a separate dessert drink corner where you could choose plum, pomegranate, or coffee, and they thoughtfully had ice ready too. Being well taken care of right to the end made for a satisfying meal.

Dog-friendly!

The annex is a separate space like this, so it's a restaurant you can visit without worry even if you have a pet!! The owner's attention to detail really stood out.