Eel and shellfish grill in Oido with grilling tips: Sanhaejinmi

What kind of shellfish grill restaurant is Sanhaejinmi in Oido?

Sanhaejinmi (산해진미) is a newly opened all-you-can-eat shellfish grill restaurant by the sea in Oido. Domestic Japonica eel, giant scallops, shellfish, pork belly and even ramyeon are all unlimited.

An Oido favorite with unlimited domestic Japonica eel, giant scallops, shellfish, pork belly and ramyeon

Oido is famous for its shellfish grills. Lined up right along the seafront with its lovely views are plenty of shellfish grill restaurants, and this is the one my husband and I picked~ Sanhaejinmi stands out from the rest because even the domestic eel is unlimited. On top of that, it only just opened, so it's brand new~

Sanhaejinmi hours, location and parking

Sanhaejinmi is at 219 Oido-ro, 2nd floor, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi. It opens at 16:00 and closes between 22:00 and 24:00 depending on the day, and it's closed every Tuesday. Corkage is charged, there are high chairs, and parking is available.

It's almost at the very end of the seafront if you head toward the Oido lighthouse. The red building catches your eye right away. That's Sanhaejinmi~ For parking, there's room for one or two cars in front, and we were lucky enough to get a spot!

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and you go up by elevator. There's a standing sign for the all-you-can-eat deal at the entrance on the 1st floor, listing eel and giant scallops~ I think Sanhaejinmi is the one and only Oido restaurant where even the eel is unlimited. I like a place with a special angle like this better than ordinary shellfish grills. The more they give, the better, right? And domestic eel at that..

Sanhaejinmi interior and the Oido sunset view

The inside of Sanhaejinmi is clean, with tables that have both an induction cooktop and a charcoal-style brazier, and from the window seats you can see the Oido sea and the evening sunset in one sweep.

The window seats have a stunning view, and the sunset in the evening is really lovely. You can see the whole Oido sea.

Since it's all-you-can-eat, a self-service corner is a must~ It has ramyeon, instant rice and side dishes. The ramyeon options are Yeol Ramyeon and Jin Ramyeon spicy. We had the Jin Ramyeon spicy later on.

How much is the Sanhaejinmi all-you-can-eat?

The all-you-can-eat costs ₩45,000 per adult and includes domestic eel, giant scallops, shellfish, naengsam (thin-sliced unfrozen pork belly) and ramyeon. Children pay ₩20,000 for ages 8 to 10 and ₩12,000 for ages 5 to 8.

It's an Oido all-you-can-eat shellfish grill, so you order per person. Just tap on the T-order tablet.. And giant scallops, not the usual red scallops~ There are also high chairs, so it's a good place to eat out with kids on an outing.

Basic table setup

The table already has gochujang-vinegar sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, cups, tongs and scissors, so there's no need to order anything separately. A two-tier table~

What comes on the Sanhaejinmi 3-tier tray?

The first round comes on a 3-tier tray: cheese scallops at the bottom, giant scallops, clams, abalone and eel on the 2nd tier, and naengsam on the 1st. It looks so pretty that it's absolutely made for social media. Sit at a window seat and snap a photo with the sunset~

Cheese scallops are at the bottom, the shellfish on the 2nd tier are giant scallops, clams and abalone, plus eel, and naengsam sits on the 1st.

Two pieces of eel come out first. It's thick domestic eel that has been steamed once already, so you only need to grill it briefly, which was convenient.

It all looks fresh, and just like the restaurant's name (sanhaejinmi means a feast of delicacies from sea and mountain), it felt like everything was gathered here: seafood, meat and eel~ It was a day of feasting at an Oido favorite.

The shellfish looked fresh and neatly cleaned, and when I actually ate them, sure enough, there was no sand or grit at all. Usually when you go for shellfish grill in Oido, you're bound to hit a crunch.. some grit.. once or twice, but Sanhaejinmi's shellfish are really well prepared.

For naengsam, you bring it yourself from the self-service corner. You don't have to order it separately, which was convenient. Other shellfish and eel need a staff call, so note that! We first put the pork belly on the induction pan with kimchi.

How do you grill the eel at Sanhaejinmi?

At Sanhaejinmi you cut the eel with scissors into bite-size pieces, put it in a foil bowl and grill it a bit more over the brazier. Since it comes pre-steamed, it only needs a short grill.

I cut both pieces into bite-size bits, but the bowl was too small, so I took one piece out and grilled it on a scallop shell instead, which worked well.

Cheese is provided by default too. Nothing extra to pay, so that's a bargain. We put cheese scallops, shellfish, eel and abalone all on the brazier to grill~ Grilling meat and seafood together at one table was great.

The heat is easy to control separately, so we grilled slowly over low heat. If you go too high.. smoke~ Medium heat is just right, so keep that in mind.

Great view, great mood~ and the staff are so friendly too. Going on a date to Oido was a good call. The abalone is also nicely cleaned. Is it cooked yet?

Eel first~ It's thick and comes pre-cooked, so I grilled it briefly and dipped it in sauce, and the taste was the textbook definition of crispy outside, moist inside.

There's ginger in the self-service side dish corner too, and eating it together is great. If you go to Sanhaejinmi, be sure to grab the ginger from the side dish corner.. I think a lot of people don't know and skip it. Grilling the eel a bit more over the charcoal until golden makes it even nuttier, and the aroma is superb. The inside is fluffy and tender, and I couldn't help but marvel. The more I chewed, the more the rich, clean juices and oily nutty flavor of eel filled my mouth. With the shredded ginger it isn't greasy at all, so you can eat unlimited amounts, which I loved.

How do you grill shellfish and naengsam without burning them?

At Sanhaejinmi, grill both shellfish and naengsam over medium-low heat, move the kimchi and scallion salad on the pan to the edges from the start, and put the naengsam in the dipped center so nothing burns.

For the shellfish too, we put one each of clam and giant scallop and started grilling~ Over medium-low heat they don't burn quickly and cook slowly, so you can enjoy them even more.

Once we got to grilling naengsam as well, turning the heat up high meant things burned and it got hectic. So here's my tip: grill everything over medium-low heat~

The kimchi and scallions come already on the pan, and here's another tip: from grilling it myself, kimchi in the center burns fast, so move the kimchi and scallion salad to the edges from the start and put the naengsam in the center. Then it cooks evenly without burning and tastes even better. We grilled the kimchi right in the center from the beginning, and the kimchi burned first while the meat was still raw.. what a mess~ It's a tip I figured out after trying it once.. The pan is dipped toward the center, so grilling the meat in the middle is the smarter move.

You can't have this kind of food without alcohol~ If you choose the all-you-can-eat, there's a separate alcohol selection, including bokbunja wine and more. We just went with soju! Going to Oido for shellfish grill and skipping the drinks would be a shame~

How are the giant scallops, clams and abalone at Sanhaejinmi?

The giant scallops at Sanhaejinmi were plump and tender, the clams were well seasoned by the sea even on their own, and the abalone wasn't tough even grilled whole.

Red scallops are everywhere, but giant scallops are a rare treat. Fresh and plump..

Clams are good eaten with cheese and good dipped in gochujang-vinegar sauce, but I liked them plain, salty with the flavor of the sea just as it is.

When the shellfish pops its mouth open on the pan, the milky broth is rich and deep. The meat of the plump giant scallops isn't tough but tender, with a chewy texture that stays alive.

I grilled the abalone whole too, and it wasn't tough, with the sea's saltiness and a sweet savory depth bursting at the same time. With cheese or chojang (sweet-and-sour chili sauce), it's spicy-sweet and a perfect match.

The sunset view is so pretty that it's a treat for the eyes and mouth at once. The subtle sweetness of the shellfish and abalone makes the nuttiness burst the more you chew. I didn't expect much from an all-you-can-eat place, but the ingredients were so fresh and so well prepared..

Finishing with all-you-can-eat ramyeon

At Sanhaejinmi you boil the ramyeon from the self-service corner yourself at the table, and it's great with leftover eel and scallops added. I'd planned to ask for more shellfish only~ but honestly, we were already full from the basics alone. Gotta save room for ramyeon too~

I brought just one pack to boil, and sure enough, ramyeon is a must after Oido shellfish grill. It's the best way to rinse your mouth~

Boiling it yourself at the table makes it feel tastier. With leftover eel and scallops thrown in, it rivals a fancy ramyeon shop, so I really recommend eating it this way~

If you're looking for a hearty meal near Oido, I'd recommend Sanhaejinmi. It's the one and only shellfish grill buffet that gives you eel too!