Yeongdeungpo seafood restaurant set with kalguksu: Loco Loco

Loco Loco Steamed Clams in an alley by Yeongdeungpo Station

It’s tucked into an alley heading toward the market from Exit 5 of Yeongdeungpo Station!

This is Loco Loco, with its bright blue sign right from the start haha. The seafood-filled vibe was totally my thing ^_^

An aquarium full of seafood welcomes you first! They also run an unlimited kalguksu event on rainy days?! They were selling a variety of seafood too ^_^

The signature dishes were clearly introduced outside, which was great because we could decide before even going in!

A comfortable interior for group get-togethers and menu guidance

The interior was spacious and pleasant! There were sofa tables along the wall and generously spaced tables in the middle too, so it seemed great for group gatherings~

The restrooms were inside and separated by gender, which I loved haha. You know how inconvenient it is when they aren’t separated, right?!

Each table had information on the menu and seasonal seafood! The seasonal selections were clearly listed, which would be so helpful when ordering seafood haha. The set menus were well put together, and there was everything from individual steamed clams to steamed abalone, seafood, and side dishes!

When you order a set, you get a shrimp-loaded chive pancake as a free service item?! Since the price includes the pancake, it felt like great value! The instructions for enjoying everything were clearly laid out too, which was convenient ^_^

Each table also had information on the store’s services?! From Wi-Fi and odor remover to luggage storage and an ice maker, there was nothing they didn’t have, so convenient! My friend’s battery was dead, and they let it fully charge while we ate haha. The estimated completion times were clearly displayed above the kiosk too!

You order through the kiosk, and I liked that there were lots of alcoholic drinks and beverages too! They were also running a review event, with live octopus, fried shrimp, sea squirt, sea cucumber, and more—such good value, right???

Our steamed-clam-and-seafood set order for four

• Loco Loco steamed clams + seafood set: ₩71,000
• Upgrade to medium steamed clams: +₩17,000; chose sea cucumber
• Long kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup): ₩4,000
• Saero: ₩5,000
• Cass: ₩6,000

Order successfully placed, and they brought out the basic sides! Carrot, seaweed, pickled spicy peppers, and wasabi came first haha.

The sauce bowls came with onion already in them. The suggested combinations were chojang (sweet-tangy chili sauce) with onion, and soy sauce with wasabi, but I like dipping clams in soy sauce, so I switched to soy sauce with onion—and loved it haha. Then the steamed clams arrived with the lid still on!

Sea cucumber and a shrimp-loaded chive pancake

With the seafood set, we could choose one item, and I chose sea cucumber, which came with sesame oil sauce! That’s quite a lot of sea cucumber, right? Usually seafood comes in small portions, so I was really pleased with how much there was! More importantly, it was so fresh, with absolutely no fishy smell! I thought maybe it was just me, but my friend, who is seriously into seafood, said it was genuinely fresh and delicious too! It’s not great when it’s too tough, but this was tender with a lovely texture—such satisfying sea cucumber haha.

This is the shrimp-loaded chive pancake that comes free when you order a set! Calling it a service item hardly does it justice—it was substantial in size and packed with shrimp?! It was cooked just right, crispy yet soft and clean-tasting; topped with onion and dipped in soy sauce, it was heaven.. ^_^

A generous steamed-clam spread prepared by the staff

After about 10 minutes, a staff member opened the lid for us..?! The moment I saw it, wow.... They added crown daisy halfway through too haha. There was a whole octopus, plus abalone, clams, kabocha squash, and so much more! When choosing the steamed clams, you can select chicken; we included it, and there was a whole chicken in there too! Adding chicken doesn’t raise the price, and it seemed that if you skip it, you get a little more clam instead!

The staff kindly prepared everything for us too! They cut the octopus, scallop adductor muscle, and abalone over the large pen shell, then poured the broth that had been hidden underneath over the top. Everything was so moist, and the flavor of the clams was truly outstanding ㅜㅜ

You can keep refilling the broth too?! Since we included chicken, the broth—from the clams to the chicken stock—was seriously.... My stomach was feeling rough from a hangover the day before, but it settled it right down in one go ㅜㅜ The scallops and clams were so plump and delicious.. I mean, steamed clams—what more is there to say? So freaking good!!!!

Kalguksu cooked with the remaining clams and chicken

We left a little of the clams and chicken, then ordered kalguksu! Bok choy came with it too, so they added more broth and cooked it right away!

Now I understand why people say the kalguksu is the kicker! The broth had become sooo rich, and the noodles were truly delicious.. Eating them alongside the leftover chicken and clams was such a good combination! Kimchi came with it too, and it was better than at specialty kalguksu restaurants.. As expected, broth is what matters in kalguksu ^_^

That was Loco Loco Steamed Clams, where we ate until we were incredibly full right to the end! Every one of the four friends who went together was satisfied, making it such a lovely evening!