Live sweet shrimp sashimi at reserved dachi seats: Susan Jang

Today I'm bringing you a story about the live sweet shrimp sashimi that's completely taken over my algorithm lately! It's from Susan Jang Yeongtong Branch, a seafood izakaya in Yeongtong.

Every time I saw live sweet shrimp sashimi videos I'd think, "ugh... I really want to eat that..." and I finally made it there haha.

To cut to the conclusion first — the live sweet shrimp were so fresh they were literally flopping around. Add in the Japanese izakaya vibe and surprisingly reasonable prices, and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for live sweet shrimp sashimi in Yeongtong, or anyone in Yeongtong who wants seafood with a drink haha.

Basic info and reservations at Susan Jang Yeongtong Branch

• 📍 Address: 경기 수원시 영통구 청명남로28번길 20 1층 119호
• ⏰ Hours: Mon–Sun 17:00 – 01:00 (next day)
• 🕚 Last order: 23:50
• 🚗 Parking: 1 hour free if you park at the Plustown building
• 📅 Reservations available
• 🍷 Corkage available for a fee

I reserved a 2-person dachi seat in advance through Naver Reservation. There were quite a few other guests when I visited, so I think it's better to reserve ahead, especially during busy times like Friday or weekend evenings.

Japanese izakaya vibes in the middle of Yeongtong

The moment I walked in, my first thought was "oh, the vibe here is nice" haha. Instead of the bright, bustling feel of a typical raw fish restaurant, the lighting is a bit dim with an interior that really leans into that Japanese izakaya feel.

What really stood out was the sake bottles lined up along the ceiling — it made the atmosphere pop way more than I expected. It's the perfect setting for ordering a seafood dish and sipping sake or beer. Good for a date for two, and would work just as well for a group dinner with seafood-loving friends.

Each table has a tablet, so you can order directly from your seat without calling a staff member over — really convenient.

Susan Jang's menu and prices

The menu item I was most excited about was, of course, the live sweet shrimp sashimi! It's ₩26,000, butter-grilled shrimp heads are ₩3,000, and salt-grilled live shrimp is ₩37,000!

There's also a mixed seafood platter that seems to be Susan Jang's signature: the seasonal special platter is ₩59,000, and the mixed platter is ₩39,000. You can also order specific types of sashimi separately, and they even sell uni for ₩25,000.

Ugh, I love uni so much... I held off this time since we'd already ordered plenty, but next time I definitely want to try the uni too lol.

Here's what we ordered that day!

• Susan Jang mixed platter (₩39,000)
• Live sweet shrimp sashimi (₩26,000)
• Beer (₩5,000)

The banchan alone is a drinking snack

While waiting after ordering, they bring out grilled fish as a complimentary side dish. It looked like a small grilled flounder to me, but it was way better than expected lol. Salty, savory, and the flesh came off the bone easily — I was like "wait, this is just a free side dish?" Honestly this alone could carry a whole bottle of beer.

We started picking at the complimentary side dish and sipping beer before the main dishes even arrived haha.

What's in the Susan Jang mixed platter?

After a short wait, the Susan Jang mixed platter arrived! And honestly... it looked gorgeous.

A big plate piled generously with sashimi, shellfish, abalone and various other seafood. On the day I visited, it was made up like this:

• Flounder
• What looked like flounder belly or fin meat
• Abalone
• Scallop
• What appeared to be sea squirt (dolmeongge)

They said the composition can change depending on the seasonal catch, so there's some fun in seeing what shows up on a given day. What I liked especially was that instead of one type of sashimi in bulk, you get to try a little of several kinds of seafood. If you're also planning to order the live shrimp separately, this platter alone is already quite generous for two people.

Starting with the flounder — I tried the most familiar one first. The flounder flesh looked clear and pale, and clearly bouncy and firm haha. My first bite of sashimi always goes to chojang (vinegar chili sauce), so I dipped it in and took a bite! The texture had just the right firmness without being mushy, and it was clean and savory — really good.

I also tried the scallop sitting large at the top of the photo. The scallop meat was quite substantial, and biting into it gave a soft chew with a faint sweetness. The sea squirt was also super delicious and fresh haha.

Live sweet shrimp sashimi — does it really move?

While I was busy eating the sashimi and shellfish... the dish I'd been waiting for all day finally arrived — the live sweet shrimp sashimi!!!!!

But you guys... it was genuinely alive. It kept flopping around and I couldn't bring myself to eat it right away.

I thought, it'll settle down soon... and waited. But it just kept moving, so while we were sitting there hesitating in front of the shrimp, the owner noticed and offered to personally separate the heads for us. Such a kind owner... thank you so much!!

Mild squeamish warning! But even the heads kept moving afterward. It genuinely made me think, wow, this is insanely fresh!!

Once peeled, the shrimp bodies looked clear and bouncy, and it was finally time to eat! I dipped it in the buldak mayo sauce that came with the shrimp and took a bite — so good!

Every bite was firm and springy, and the further into it I got, the more that distinct shrimp sweetness came through. It got sweeter and more savory the more I chewed, and I kept reaching for another one after another. I came here specifically wanting live sweet shrimp sashimi in Yeongtong, and this dish lived up to every bit of my expectations haha.

Butter-grilled shrimp heads can be ordered separately

Apparently after finishing the shrimp, you can pay extra to have the leftover heads butter-grilled. I genuinely love butter-grilled shrimp heads... crispy heads with that rich, savory taste from the innards — the ultimate drinking snack.

The problem was, we were already way too full. The mixed platter alone was quite hearty, and with the live shrimp on top, it turned out to be a surprisingly big portion for two people. So sadly, we skipped the grilled shrimp heads this time.

Overall thoughts on Susan Jang Yeongtong — who's it for?

• Anyone looking for live sweet shrimp sashimi in Yeongtong
• Anyone who wants to try a variety of fresh sashimi and shellfish
• Anyone looking for a seafood izakaya with better atmosphere than a typical raw fish restaurant
• Anyone who wants seafood and drinks on a date
• Anyone looking for a group dinner spot in Yeongtong
• Anyone who loves seasonal seafood platters

If any of these describe you, it's worth a visit haha.

For me, the live sweet shrimp sashimi was easily the most memorable part of the day. It was funny how flustered we got when it kept flopping around, and once I actually ate it, the flesh was firm and bouncy and got sweeter the more I chewed — I finally got it, "ah, this is why people eat live sweet shrimp sashimi..."

If you're looking for live sweet shrimp sashimi or good seafood in Yeongtong, I'd recommend Susan Jang Yeongtong Branch haha. Turns out Susan Jang has several branches beyond Yeongtong too, including Ansan and Dongtan — if one's near you, it's worth checking out!