40-minute weekend wait for soy crab in Goyang: Deodeo Ganjanggejang

Spent my own money + an hour from Seoul. And even after waiting about 40 minutes on a weekend, it's a place I want to go back to — Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil (더더간장게장무한리필), an all-you-can-eat soy crab restaurant.

A genuine Blue Ribbon-rated restaurant, five years running from 2022 to 2026. So let's start the review!

Location and hours

Address: 357-1 Wondang-ro, Deokyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor. The only public transit is bus, so driving is more convenient.

Amenities: groups, takeout, high chairs, waiting area, parking, seating.

11:00–21:20 (break time: 15:20–16:20) (last order: 20:30).

How long is the weekend wait?

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, an Ilsan favorite that's even been on TV shows like Saengsaeng Jeongbotong and has kept a Blue Ribbon for five years straight. When I went a year or two ago there was already a bit of a wait, but this time I was shocked to find over 20 people ahead of me.

I deliberately went after the lunch rush, but the parking lot was still packed with customers.

Waiting is simple — just write your name on the list and wait. There weren't even enough chairs in the waiting room, so I watched some rabbits while waiting and finally got in.

Inside, as expected, it was packed with people.

Menu and prices

Menu at Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, an Ilsan favorite: soy crab + marinated crab + crab stew ₩24,900, soy crab + marinated crab ₩15,000, crab to-go ₩50,000, crab stew ₩10,000, soft drinks ₩2,000, soju ₩5,000.

There's also a single-crab set menu, but here you must order the ₩24,900 soy crab + marinated crab + crab stew set. Guaranteed delicious by five Blue Ribbons!

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, a Goyang favorite. We ordered for two adults.

Along with the soy crab and marinated crab, a spicy crab stew, bean sprouts, diced radish kimchi, cucumber kimchi, and other side dishes come out too.

The gills and stomach sac are cleanly removed, so all you have to do is suck the meat right out. Crab of any kind is a pain to clean yourself, which is exactly why restaurants like this are great!

The marinated crab looks great too.

Is the soy crab seasoning too salty?

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, an Ilsan favorite. A lot of other restaurants deliberately season their soy crab too salty, which makes it hard to eat much of it.

Here the seasoning is light, so you can keep eating and eating. It's not bland-light, it's sweet-light and delicious.

Starting from the soy sauce, pressing firmly into the body made the plump Yeonpyeong-do crab meat pop right out.

They also gave a generous amount of seaweed and flying fish roe!

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, a Goyang favorite. I wrapped the crab meat with flying fish roe and seaweed and ate it in one bite. The salty savor of the soy sauce and the nutty softness of the crab meat just melted on my tongue. Certified Ilsan soy crab spot! My boyfriend is a picky eater, and he raved that Deodeo Ganjanggejang was seriously the best.

I even slurped down the innards... I'm usually not a fan of crab innards, but Deodeo Ganjanggejang's were surprisingly nutty and rich.

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, an Ilsan favorite. Pouring the crab sauce over rice deepens the salty umami and makes it even more insanely good.

How's the marinated crab?

The marinated crab was also packed with firm meat, and the sweet-and-tangy seasoning was seriously addictive.

It was a little spicy, so I cooled it down with a cola.

Crab stew and egg custard

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil in Goyang isn't just an Ilsan soy crab favorite — it's also a crab stew favorite.

Plump crab, bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms and green onion simmered into a refreshing broth — one spoonful and it's spicy yet clean, the kind of flavor that calls for soju.

So good it makes you want a drink!!

The egg custard was fluffy and soft — also seriously good.

Can you refill without feeling awkward?

Here's why I recommend Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, an Ilsan favorite! We ended up refilling the soy crab three times or more, and the staff refilled it right away without any hint of annoyance.

At a lot of all-you-can-eat places, staff try not to give you more or make you wait, but here they refilled it immediately, so there was absolutely nothing to feel bad about!!

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil in Goyang, maybe because the owner and staff are so kind, had a lot of families dining there too.

Finishing with crab ramyeon

I don't think they used to give you noodles, but this time they gave us an extra serving. We finished by boiling up crab ramyeon (crab stew with instant noodles) at the end.

Spicy and clean, the kind of flavor that keeps your chopsticks moving faster. An Ilsan soy crab favorite that made for a happy whole day.

We finished off with milk coffee for dessert.

To sum up

• A Blue Ribbon-rated restaurant for five years straight
• The owner is kind
• An all-you-can-eat place where staff refill your crab right away when you ask

The only drawbacks are that it's a bit far from Seoul and you have to wait. At this rate, the wait might hit over an hour next year. I genuinely recommend visiting Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil, an Ilsan favorite, before it gets even more famous! Seriously, highly recommend.