Sokcho Korean restaurant: 17-banchan crab gejang set, Jin Seiromushi

I'd heard that Sokcho is famous for red crab and snow crab. On our latest Sokcho trip we visited a red crab spot, and I'm introducing it here: Jin Seiromushi (진 세이로무시). It served red crab gejang (soy-marinated raw crab), 17 side dishes and delicious pot rice, and it works well for families as well as for taking elders along : )

Where is Jin Seiromushi, and what are the hours and parking?

Jin Seiromushi is at 13 Seonsa-ro 2-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon. It's open 10:30-21:00 with a break from 15:00 to 17:00. Last orders are at 14:00 and 20:00, and it's closed every Tuesday. There are high chairs, and parking is free.

It's close to Sokcho Beach and Cheongchoho Lake, so after your meal I recommend strolling around the nearby Sokcho sights : )

There's a parking lot right in front of the restaurant. It was fairly big and not hard to find.

Is Jin Seiromushi's interior good for groups and families?

The inside is really spacious, so big families and groups can eat here too. Private dining is possible as well, so if you want a room, I recommend reserving separately!

How much are the red crab and blue crab gejang sets?

We ordered one red crab gejang set (₩23,000) and one blue crab gejang set (₩30,000). They also sell steamed dishes in a cypress steamer (편백찜), just so you know : )

Basic side dishes and the main dishes

We went with our child, and they prepared children's tableware for us. High chairs are available too, so I'd recommend Jin Seiromushi as a family meal spot.

We came for the red crab and blue crab gejang sets and I thought these side dishes were all there was...

Nine more side dishes came out. Seriously, the table was groaning under the food. And that wasn't even the end.

How are the pot rice and doenjang stew at Jin Seiromushi?

The set comes with freshly cooked rice, and it's pot rice at that.. Rice thief gejang plus delicious rice, this was a great red crab restaurant. I don't usually eat much rice, but it was so good that my little one and I wiped out a whole bowl of pot rice.

Doenjang stew (soybean paste stew) is a must in a set meal, and it was delicious. Besides tofu it was packed with vegetables, and the earthy flavor with fresh rice was the kind where three of us eating would send a fourth person to heaven T_T Doenjang stew is the best for Korean food, as always!

Is Jin Seiromushi's red crab gejang fishy or too salty?

The red crab gejang at Jin Seiromushi had no smell and the seasoning wasn't too salty, so I finally understood why gejang is called a rice thief. I normally can't eat most uncooked food.

But the saltiness was just right. A spoonful of pot rice with the red crab gejang was slightly sweet and not that salty, so I kept going back for more. Salty food gets old fast, but this was easy to finish to the end.

What were the 17 side dishes like?

The gejang set has 17 side dishes besides the mains. I mean, how is the lineup this good for the price? The table was groaning. If you like side dishes more than rice, you should go. And the rice here is good too..

The seasoned cucumber and garlic chive stems (마늘쫑, maneuljjong) won me over, and every side dish was clean and tasty. The sweet-and-sour cucumber was totally my style. A spoonful of white rice with sweet bulgogi (marinated beef) and a bite of cucumber was just perfect.

Bulgogi and fish that are easy for kids

Bulgogi and fish came out too, so it was great for eating with a child. The bulgogi was sweet, not spicy, and the fish wasn't salty, so it was tasty with rice dunked in water and a piece of fish on top.

A Sokcho pot rice gem T_T I'm a meat person who normally eats only meat, but the red crab gejang and rice were so good that I finished a bowl in no time.. If there had been more rice, I'd probably have gone wild and eaten two bowls.

Finishing with pot rice nurungji

They pour water into the pot so you can have nurungji (scorched rice tea), and dessert is perfect too..! It was nutty, and even the nurungji on its own was so good..

What about bibimbap in the crab shell?

I still can't take on the innards in gejang, but when my husband put the leftover rice into the crab shell and mixed it, he gave it a big thumbs up for how delicious it was.

The crab shell is all his.. He eats fishy things well and said it was so nutty and delicious. If you're looking for a red crab spot in Sokcho, it's Jin Seiromushi!

Verdict: who is Jin Seiromushi right for?

With 17 neat, tasty side dishes, pot rice, doenjang stew and red crab gejang as the main, which wasn't fishy and went perfectly with the fluffy pot rice, this was a great red crab restaurant in Sokcho. It's the kind of food elders like, so I recommend Jin Seiromushi to families on a trip or anyone craving home-style food!! 😋❤️