Ansan izakaya date with salt-grilled shrimp: Susan Jang

A Gojan-dong dinner date with my husband after a long time

It had been a while since my husband and I went out for dinner, just the two of us. Eating with the kids is lovely too, but every now and then, it feels so nice to eat slowly together and have a drink. This time, we went to Susan Jang, a great spot in Gojan-dong, Ansan.

It is behind the Burger King building in Gojan New Town, and even though I often passed through this area, I found myself thinking, “Was there a place like this here?” I had been curious, so I finally went. When we arrived, it was very compact, but that was actually part of its charm. It felt like a tiny pub tucked down an alley somewhere in Japan.

Inside the restaurant

A compact space with counter and table seating

Once inside, I saw that it was not large, but the space had been used really well. There were counter seats facing straight toward the kitchen,

and tables for four and six, so it looked fine for a gathering too. The counter seats faced directly onto the kitchen, so you could naturally watch the food being made. Since it was an open kitchen, I also liked how neat and clean it felt.

The young staff prepared our food, and their friendly service made a great first impression. Perhaps because the name is Susan Jang, the fish tanks caught my eye too. There was a tank with shrimp outside, and another was visible near the kitchen even from the inner seats. Having these details in such a small restaurant somehow made it feel as though I had travelled abroad and stepped into a little pub.

Menu

Ordering salt-grilled raw shrimp and butter scallop brisket samhap

There were so many tempting dishes that it was hard to choose. I wanted sea squirts, uni, and the shrimp that are in season right now too.

After much deliberation, we ordered the seasonal salt-grilled raw shrimp for ₩37,000, butter scallop brisket samhap for ₩28,000, and a Chill Green Highball for ₩8,500.

Wow!! Grilled flounder came as the complimentary snack. The lighting at my seat was so dim that the photo did not come out well at all, but it was warm and really delicious.

Seasonal raw shrimp grilled over coarse salt

The salt-grilled raw shrimp came out first. Since they were raw shrimp, the shrimp on the plate were still wriggling, and at first I felt a little sorry for them. 😅 But once they were grilled and I tried them, I thought again that with fresh seafood, the ingredient itself does all the work.

Grilled golden over coarse salt, the shrimp had a savory saltiness around the shell, while the flesh was springy and gently sweet. There was not much seasoning, but the shrimp’s own nutty, sweet flavor came through beautifully, making them perfect with drinks.

A highball with warm shrimp!! Ahhh, so good!!!! 👍

They even gave us gloves, so it was time to properly dig in. This is happiness: eating plump seasonal food.

Butter scallop brisket samhap with gat kimchi

Personally, the dish I really loved was the butter scallop brisket samhap, a trio of butter-seared scallop, beef brisket, and gat kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi). I wondered what it would taste like at first, but the combination worked far better than I expected.

The rich, tender scallop was joined by the deep flavor of brisket, then the fizzy, pungent bite of the gat kimchi came in and cut through the richness perfectly. Eating everything in one bite was salty and nutty, with the gat kimchi finishing it off with a little heat, so I kept reaching for more.

I thought the shiitake mushrooms and onions served on the hot plate would just be sides, but they were quite good together too. The shiitakes, infused with butter, and sweetly cooked onions made another nice combination with the brisket.

Even with one dish, there were several ways to eat it, which made it especially satisfying as something to have with drinks. In the end, we ordered another beer too. Haha.

A night when the atmosphere stayed with me more than the food

I think it had been a really long time since my husband and I sat together without the kids and had a drink. Usually, meals end in a rush while looking after the children, but that day we leisurely picked at delicious dishes, talked about this and that, and thought back to when we were dating. The food was delicious, of course, but I think it was the atmosphere itself that I will remember more. Susan Jang seemed to have quite a varied menu, so it was fun looking through it and wondering what to try next time.

The gizzard shad looked delicious and I was curious about the sea squirts too, but there are only so many things two people can eat, so we sadly passed this time. On our next visit, I will have to try the other dishes one by one. If you want a drink with good bar snacks in a slightly different atmosphere in Gojan-dong, Ansan, rather than at an ordinary barbecue restaurant or eatery, this is a nice choice. I will remember it as a place worth stopping by if you are looking for a Gojan-dong izakaya or an atmospheric seafood restaurant. It was an even more enjoyable night because it felt like a late-night dinner that my husband and I got to enjoy together after so long.