Cheonan restaurant: dried corvina A set with green tea rice, Kkotgeok

Not long ago I visited Kkotgeok, a well-known spot in Cheonan's Yuryang-dong, with my husband. That day he posted photos of what we ate in our family group chat, and my daughter saw them and said, "Mom, that looks so good, I want to go too!" She loves ganjang gejang (soy marinated crab) as much as I do, so I happily made plans. Not long after, I found myself back at Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch — this time with my daughter.

What is Kkotgeok, the hanok-style restaurant in Cheonan's Yuryang-dong?

Kkotgeok Cheonan Yuryang-dong Branch is a Korean restaurant with a hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, located on Yuryang-ro. Like last time, the exterior and overall atmosphere were really nice.

It suits the quiet mood of Yuryang-dong well, and there's a large parking lot in front of the building, making it convenient to visit by car.

Inside, there's a spacious hall along with several private rooms, which seemed great not just for family meals or dining with parents but also for gatherings with a larger group.

Last time, I ordered the Kkotgeok C Set because my husband wanted the crab stew he loves. This time, since I was with my daughter, we decided to try something different: the Kkotgeok A Set, which lets you try both boribulgogi (dried seasoned corvina) and soy marinated crab together.

What comes in the Kkotgeok A Set: dried corvina and soy crab

The Kkotgeok A Set comes with both dried corvina and soy marinated crab. After we ordered, the side dishes started arriving one by one.

With the neatly arranged side dishes joined by soy crab and dried corvina, the spread felt hearty and generous. My daughter's eyes lit up the moment she saw the soy crab.

Honestly, this time I was more excited about the dried corvina. It comes with green tea to pour over rice, and eating that rice alongside the corvina sounded like it would pair really well.

How the salt-dried corvina tastes with green tea rice

Kkotgeok's dried corvina hits salty first, then leaves a clean, plain fish flavor behind. I tried a piece first — lifting the flesh gently with my chopsticks, it flaked apart smoothly. Best of all, it didn't have a strong fishy smell, so it was easy to eat without hesitation.

The flesh wasn't dry at all — it was tender, and putting a piece on top of warm rice made a spoonful disappear in no time.

This time I tried soaking rice in the green tea and eating it with the dried corvina — the subtle aroma of the tea went really well with the salty fish. The aftertaste felt even cleaner, and I kept reaching for more.

I suddenly thought of my mom, who loves dried corvina like this.

I should bring Mom next time.

— that's how much I enjoyed the dried corvina.

Roe-filled soy-marinated crab, the dish you can't skip at Kkotgeok

And since we were at Kkotgeok, there was no skipping the ganjang gejang (soy marinated crab). I enjoyed the roe-filled soy crab again with my daughter, just like last time.

The crab meat was moist and tender, and the roe was rich with a subtle sweetness. Above all, the soy marinade blended beautifully with the crab meat, making it perfect with rice.

My daughter loves soy crab too, so she picked out the meat to put on rice, and also mixed rice right into the shell. Watching her enjoy it, I understood exactly why she wanted to come after seeing those photos in the group chat.

Is Kkotgeok Cheonan worth a family meal out?

Last time I visited with my husband and enjoyed the crab stew; this time, tasting the dried corvina and soy crab with my daughter revealed a different kind of charm. What stood out most from this visit was the dried corvina — it was even better than I expected.

It wasn't fishy at all and the flesh was so tender that I kept thinking of my mom, who loves dried corvina. Next time, I'd love to bring her along to try it together.

On a day when I'm craving soy marinated crab or dried corvina in Yuryang-dong, Cheonan, I think I'd come back to Kkotgeok. This time I came with my daughter, so next time I'd love to bring my parents and try a few other menu items too.