Friday giant clam hot pot with free pajeon, Yeouido: Gaetbeol-ui

Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch Location: 2F Geukdong VIP Building, 15-1 Gukhoedae-ro 70-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul (3-min walk from National Assembly Station) Hours: 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00)

Skipping summer vacation, getting the sea vibe in Yeouido instead

I couldn't get away far for summer vacation, so I picked Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch to get a bit of an ocean mood. The photos were packed with clams and looked so delicious that I chose this place.

There are two Gaetbeol-ui Jogae branches in Yeouido, and I went to the main branch near National Assembly Station.

Interior vibe, seating, and the Friday evening scene

The storefront looked really clean, and there was a model of their signature clam hot pot out front. I visited around 7pm on a Friday and there were a lot of families dining. We sat in the hall section, but there are also private rooms, so it seems great for family gatherings, groups, or company dinners!

Ordering by tablet, choosing the giant clam hot pot

You can order via tablet, and each table also has a paper menu. The tablet menu photos were a bit hard to see so I took a picture. I agonized between this and the seafood boiling dish, but to get a slight Eulwangni-beach feeling, I went with the Daewang Jogae Jeongol (giant clam hot pot) ^^ Living up to its reputation as a National Assembly Station favorite, they also had plenty of lunch options like seafood kalguksu (noodle soup) and cockle bibimbap.

The default water served is heotgae tea! I love it when a restaurant serves tea instead of plain water.

What's in the small clam hot pot at ₩59,000?

Clam hot pot, small, ₩59,000 Wow, the pot is huge. It's so big that calling it a 'pot' feels wrong.. Maybe I should call it a cauldron..?

• 4 scallops
• 2 fish cake skewers
• 1 razor clam
• 1 whole squid
• mussels, red scallops, various clams — surf clams? hard clams? so many...

The composition was seriously packed!

For a size comparison with my hand, it's about this big..? After bringing the hot pot and giving us time to take photos, they close the lid and set a timer.

Yeolmu barley rice at the self-bar, the fun of the 15-minute wait

While waiting, you can use the self-bar. You're free to help yourself to barley rice, doenjang paste, yeolmu kimchi, geotjeori, wasabi, and corn salad. It felt like eating a healthy home-cooked meal from mom for the first time in a while!

It'd been so long since I had barley rice.. With the combo of doenjang paste + sesame oil + yeolmu kimchi, I polished off a whole bowl before the clam hot pot even arrived! I got greedy and put in too much doenjang paste so it ended up a bit salty. I'd recommend using less doenjang paste than what's in the photo.

Soy sauce and vinegar-chili sauce are on the table so you can help yourself freely.

When the timer rings, the owner preps everything by hand

The clam hot pot timer went off. It's set for about 15 minutes, which turns out to be the perfect amount of time to finish the yeolmu barley rice ^^

When the timer rings, the owner opens the lid and personally preps anything that needs it — like the razor clam and squid. So you can just relax and focus on eating. The owner paid attention to every little detail and was so, so kind ㅠㅠ

Cheese on scallops, wasabi in the vinegar-chili sauce

There's cheese too, so putting cheese on scallops makes them nutty and delicious. The owner even placed one on my small plate haha, so kind ㅠㅠ There was plenty of cheese in the pot too, so you can have as much as you want.

When eating raw fish and seafood, I usually prefer dipping in soy sauce. But why is vinegar-chili sauce so much better with grilled clams and shrimp? I love loading it up with wasabi until my nose tingles.

A whole squid goes in too. The prepped seafood is placed on top of the razor clam shell, so it stays at just the right temperature — not too cold, not too hot.

I stacked up the mini scallops like this and ate them in one bite. Since it's a giant clam hot pot with such generous portions, you can eat like this without feeling self-conscious, haha.

Seafood pajeon from the Naver review event

The seafood pajeon (savory pancake) we got from the Naver review event! (I got hungry and tore off a bite, then hastily stuck it back together to take the photo...) As I recall, the review event let you choose between a drink, soju, or pajeon. We chose the pajeon haha.

Since it was a review-event freebie, I didn't expect much, but it was quite thick and packed with solid seafood. If you go, definitely take part and get the pajeon........!

The two of us never got to the kalguksu

A never-ending clam tower. At other clam hot pot or steamed clam places, there's often not much left once you get past the shells, but Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch serves so much even in the giant cauldron that the small size is plenty for two. How much, you ask.. we were so full we couldn't even eat the kalguksu............ ㅠㅠ I'm not a small eater, but I'm not a huge one either, and it's such a shame we couldn't get to the noodles!! Next time I'll make sure to eat the kalguksu add-on too.

Hair ties at the counter, plus a Heotgae stick

At the counter I noticed hair ties, floss, mouthwash, and candy. These little touches really show the owner's thoughtfulness. It's nice that more and more restaurants these days offer hair ties.. I didn't notice while eating, but if you're going, keep it in mind..!

You can't have clams without soju, so I had a glass, and when paying, the owner handed us a Heotgae stick!! Such a thoughtful touch.