Yongin Korean restaurant with four seafood marinades: Sotbap Hansang

I ate the assorted seafood marinade set meal for two at Sotbap Hansang (솥밥한상) in Idong-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin. It came with soy-marinated female flower crab, shrimp, salmon, and abalone, so I could try four kinds at once. What stayed with me most was the seafood marinade sauce. It did not taste too salty to me, and its subtle sweetness and mild spiciness went well with the sotbap (rice cooked in a stone pot).

Where is it, and what are the parking and seats like?

The address is 68-1 Sangdeok-ro, Idong-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The parking lot was fairly spacious, so parking was easy. The hours listed in the original were daily from 10:00 to 21:00.

There was a garden, which made me think it would be nice to look around slowly after the meal. The interior was clean, with seating ranging from four-person tables to group tables. High chairs were also available, so I thought of it as a possible place for a family meal or group gathering.

What comes with the assorted seafood marinade set meal?

The menu had sotbap set meals, side dishes, and children’s meals. We ordered the assorted seafood marinade set meal for two, which came with soy-marinated female flower crab, shrimp, abalone, and salmon.

After ordering, I looked around the self-service bar. There was a section where we could get extra side dishes, along with pumpkin porridge and miyeok-guk (seaweed soup). Everything was generally neat and well organized.

I brought a bowl each of miyeok-guk and pumpkin porridge to eat before the meal.

The pumpkin porridge was subtly sweet and nutty. It was nice to eat before properly starting the meal.

The miyeok-guk had a deep flavor, as if it had been simmered for a long time. It was not strongly seasoned, and the seaweed was soft.

How many side dishes are there, and what do they taste like?

There were 12 side dishes in total. I especially liked the japchae (glass noodles with vegetables), so I went back for another serving.

The namul (seasoned vegetables) also stayed in my memory. I could taste the ingredients, and the seasoning was neither harsh nor bland. I thought the vegetables would be good even with just rice, and eating them made me think of my parents.

The jeon (savory pancake) contained onion and chives. It was crisp to bite into and nutty.

Grilled flounder also came with the meal. The flesh was thick, with a crisp exterior and moist, tender inside.

How were the four seafood marinades and soy sauce?

With the assorted seafood marinades added to the side dishes, the table became quite generous. I could even spoon up the marinade sauce by itself without finding it too salty. It had umami, subtle sweetness, and a slight spiciness.

The soy-marinated female flower crab was large, with plenty of meat and roe. The soft meat was followed by the rich, nutty flavor of the roe. There was also a lot of roe inside the shell.

I used chopsticks to take the roe from the corners of the crab shell and mixed it with a spoonful of rice.

When I wrapped the mixed rice in gim (dried seaweed), I could taste the roe’s nuttiness, the marinade sauce’s umami, and the rice’s sweetness together.

The soy-marinated salmon still had its characteristic rich, oily nuttiness. The soy sauce had seeped in subtly, making it good to eat with rice.

It felt rich and pleasantly chewy in my mouth. I put a little marinade sauce on the rice and topped it with salmon.

The soy-marinated abalone was seasoned all the way through. The abalone’s distinctive ocean flavor came through subtly as I chewed, and it was chewy but tender.

The shrimp were large and prepared so they were easy to eat. They had a firm, springy texture when chewed. Even while alternating among the four seafood marinades, I especially liked that the saltiness of the sauce never felt overpowering.

How were the sotbap and scorched rice with the seafood marinades?

The sotbap was glossy and sticky. The more I chewed, the more I noticed its subtle sweetness and nuttiness. I was told it was made by mixing Sindongjin rice with glutinous rice and corn rice.

While eating the seafood marinades and rice, I added hot water to the stone pot in advance so the scorched rice could soften.

At the end of the meal, I ate the softened scorched rice. Its nutty flavor made a good finish.

By the time I had tasted each seafood marinade and finished the scorched rice, I had emptied my bowl. It was a meal that suited my taste, from the side dishes to the main dish.

Is there somewhere to rest after the meal?

There was also an unmanned café and a lounge inside the restaurant.

An unmanned coffee vending machine made it possible to have dessert in the same place. The coffee also felt reasonably priced.

The garden, clean interior, and friendly service stayed with me. The food was generous too, so next time I would like to visit again with my parents.