Goyang soy crab all-you-can-eat with sea urchin roe wraps: Deodeo

Craving soy crab even with a broken toe: Deodeo all-you-can-eat

This time it was just my husband and me at Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil (더더간장게장 무한리필) on Wondang-ro in Deogyang-gu, Goyang. It's been a month since I broke my toe. Maybe it's my age, but it still hasn't healed, so I can't walk much. No walks, nothing, I just go around eating, haha. Then I started craving soy sauce marinated crab (ganjang gejang), so off we went together.

We used to come here with our sons, but now it's just the two of us.

Deodeo all-you-can-eat crab: location, parking and hours

Deodeo is at 357-1 Wondang-ro, Deogyang-gu, Goyang, on the first floor. There's a bus stop (Samneung Station) right in front, so it's easy to reach without a car. The parking lot in front is big too, so parking is convenient.

• Address: 357-1 Wondang-ro, Deogyang-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, 1st floor
• Hours: daily 11:00–21:20
• Break time: 15:20–16:20 (none on weekends)
• Last order: 20:30
• Facilities: groups welcome, takeout, high chairs, waiting area, Wi-Fi
• Parking: available

TV appearances and Blue Ribbon

This Ilsan-area soy crab spot has been featured on TV a lot. They say it has been a Blue Ribbon–certified restaurant five years in a row.

• 2TV Saengsaeng Jeongbo, episode 2089, 2024.07.09: spicy crab / soy crab / crab stew
• Saengbangsong Today, episode 2552, 2020.04.14: soy crab / spicy crab
• Saengbangsong Oneul Jeonyeok, episode 567, 2017.03.23: soy crab / spicy crab
• 2TV Saengsaeng Jeongbo, episode 147, 2016.08.03: soy crab / spicy crab

One-crab set ₩15,000 vs all-you-can-eat set ₩24,900: which did we pick?

In the end we went with the ₩24,900 all-you-can-eat set. The wall even has a guide on how to eat soy crab well. The portions aren't huge, so I considered the one-crab set (one soy crab and one spicy crab) for ₩15,000, but since I wanted the crab stew as well as the crab, I always end up with the all-you-can-eat set. Rice isn't included in the set, so you have to order it separately.

Crab takeout

The counter also sells crab to take away, and a lot of people pack some up after eating. I once took some home for my son because it felt a shame for just the two of us to eat it, and it vanished in a flash, so I told him to come along next time and eat it all-you-can-eat style.. haha.

If you love soy crab, I recommend Deodeo as an Ilsan-area soy crab restaurant. They say everything is made in-house, leftover food is never reused, and all the blue crabs are washed thoroughly under running water.

Is it crowded on a weekday before 6pm?

Yes. It wasn't even 6pm yet, and on a weekday no less, but the tables were almost full. This is a soy crab place with a wait even on weekdays.

The claw-eating guide on every table

I wanted plenty of soy crab, so we chose the all-you-can-eat. Every table has a guide to getting the claw meat out easily. Honestly, at an all-you-can-eat place people tend to eat only the easy parts, and it's a waste when the claws get thrown away. We followed the guide and picked them clean.

I'm too busy with the crab to eat many side dishes, yet the cucumber salad was so good I kept going back for it..haha.

The one-crab set has the advantage of a neat, fixed amount, but I think you might wish for a bit more partway through. With all-you-can-eat, your satisfaction depends on how much you eat, so if you love crab, just pick all-you-can-eat without a second thought.

All-you-can-eat soy crab table for two, with rice

We ordered the all-you-can-eat for two and added rice separately. Crab alone isn't as filling as crab with hot rice. Put the salty soy crab meat on top of the rice, and of course you can't skip mixing rice into the crab shell.

Crab stew and ramyeon noodles

The all-you-can-eat set also includes crab stew (kkotgetang), and ramyeon noodles come with it. At first I wondered if the broth was a bit thin.. but as it keeps boiling it gets richer, and the spicy broth is the kind you keep going back to. Honestly I was already full, but I added the ramyeon noodles and ate them too.

Spicy marinated crab and steamed egg

Eaten with the spicy marinated crab, the steamed egg (gyeran jjim) softened the heat and was delicious.

All-you-can-eat soy crab: the first serving and how we ate it

This is the soy crab that came out first. Being able to get more if it's not enough is the charm of all-you-can-eat. We started with just what we could eat and added more as our pace allowed, so it felt less of a burden.

Ordering rice separately to go with the crab made it a properly filling meal. The salty marinade and tender crab meat go well with rice.

I picked out the meaty parts and put them on rice, and held the small parts in my hand to eat, and before I knew it a bowl of rice was gone. Mixing rice into the crab shell is part of the fun of soy crab too. That day, rather than fixing a quantity, ordering all-you-can-eat let us eat at leisure. If you like soy crab but think the one-crab portion won't be enough, the all-you-can-eat menu lets you enjoy it with a little more peace of mind.

Crab meat wrapped in seaweed with sea urchin roe

Deodeo serves seaweed (gim) and sea urchin roe, and wrapping them with the crab meat in the seaweed is seriously delicious.

How do refills work?

At Deodeo, once you've finished and ask for more, the staff ladies come straight to your table and fill your plate. If you're looking for a soy crab meal in Ilsan, or want more than one crab, Deodeo is worth a look as an Ilsan soy crab restaurant.

I think I'll think of it again next time I want a hearty soy crab meal with rice. The days have gotten so short lately. After eating all the soy crab we wanted, it was already night when we came out. Take care of your health in this changing season.