Suwon seafood izakaya with aged sashimi: Susan Jang

Last week, I visited Susan Jang's Dongtan branch, and it turns out there is one in Yeongtong too! I had such a satisfying meal in Dongtan that this time I came with my dad and older brother. The place we chose to properly enjoy umami-rich aged sashimi, varied seafood, and special dishes was Susan Jang Suwon Yeongtong Branch, famous for aged sashimi near Yeongtong Station.

The address is 20 Cheongmyeongnam-ro 28beon-gil, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, Unit 119 on the first floor.

A mountain-lodge-like exterior and parking

This is the exterior of Susan Jang Yeongtong Branch. At first I wandered a little because the Korean sign did not immediately catch my eye, but its distinctive mountain-lodge-like interior made it easy to find. The atmospheric exterior combines logs and wood tones, with small, clean tanks set out in front.

The building parking lot provides one hour free. We stayed around an hour and a half to two hours, and the extra parking charge was about ₩2,000, so it did not feel burdensome. Recommended items were posted by the entrance, and they were also selling fresh seasonal raw shrimp. With the assorted special platter, packed with sashimi and seafood, already on our minds, we happily headed inside.

An interior suited to a Yeongtong Station date

Inside, a long walkway stretched ahead. Near the entrance were counter seats facing the kitchen for one or two people, along with two-person tables perfect for a quiet chat. The warm wood interior stood out throughout, and the izakaya atmosphere looked just right for a date near Yeongtong Station.

Further inside are tables comfortably seating four or more, plus seats for up to six. There were three of us, so we were shown to a four-person table. The restaurant is not enormous and does not have a huge number of seats, but even though we arrived right at its 5 p.m. opening time, it was already nearly full. If you are visiting at peak time, I recommend reserving ahead.

What we ordered by tablet

Each table has a tablet kiosk, so it was easy to browse and order. Craving fresh sashimi and seafood, we chose Susan Jang's Seasonal Assorted Special, a generous set of three seasonal sashimi varieties and six kinds of seafood. On the side, we added the tomato clam sake-steamed dish and Jangheung butter pen shell and brisket ssamhap (three ingredients wrapped and eaten together). For drinks, we tried the easygoing Whale Sake and the First Glass Showmaek, which I had been curious about.

• Susan Jang Seasonal Assorted Special ₩64,000
• Tomato clam sake-steamed dish ₩20,000
• Extra pasta ₩4,000
• Jangheung butter pen shell and brisket ssamhap ₩28,000
• Whale Sake ₩8,000
• First Glass Showmaek ₩11,000

From the starter to the Seasonal Assorted Special

Once we had finished ordering, grilled flounder arrived first as the complimentary starter. Its coating was savory and crisp, while the flesh inside was so moist it felt fluffy—such a treat, almost like eating mild chicken. It was perfect for whetting our appetites, and my dad enjoyed it too, haha.

Then the main dish, Susan Jang's Seasonal Assorted Special, arrived. An upgraded version of the standard assorted platter, it had a gorgeous presentation of seasonal aged sashimi topped with six varied seafood items.

The well-aged sashimi and seafood were plated beautifully and generously, making it a visual pleasure too. With its neat, pretty plating, this looked especially great as a date stop among the bars near Yeongtong Station.

The sashimi lineup included Korea's ever-popular live flounder, springy engawa (flounder fin), rich red sea bream, and seasonal sashimi from the sea-bream family. As befits a quality aged-sashimi spot in Yeongtong, the fish itself was excellent.

It was aged just enough, not excessively, so the chewy, springy texture characteristic of live fish remained while the gentle umami of aged sashimi deepened with every bite. It was superb.

The six-seafood section was freshly arranged with sea squirt, sea cucumber, pen shell adductor, raw abalone, stone sea squirt, and scallop. Every item was very fresh, as you would expect from a Yeongtong seafood restaurant full of ocean aroma, but the stone sea squirt with its deep flavor stayed especially in my memory.

Stone sea squirt sake and Whale Sake

I first slurped down the intensely ocean-scented stone sea squirt meat with a little chojang (sweet-and-tangy red chili dipping sauce). Then I used the remaining shell as a cup and filled it with gently flavored sake. That created dolmeonggeju—stone sea squirt sake—with an ocean flavor that filled my mouth, and it was truly wonderful.

The Whale Sake we had alongside it was clean with a characteristically smooth finish, pairing reliably with the aged sashimi. It was my first time trying Whale Sake, and at ₩8,000 it was such a good value and so delicious...! I fell for it! Also, the sake cups at Susan Jang Yeongtong Branch were seriously, seriously cute...!

Tomato clam sake-steam and showmaek

We ordered the tomato clam sake-steamed dish because we wanted something brothy. We added pasta for ₩4,000, and its thin noodles soaked up plenty of broth without going mushy or drinking it all up, so the balance was excellent. Sake-steamed dishes are often heavily seasoned or salty, but Susan Jang near Yeongtong Station was not overpowering—it was gently spicy, warming, and just right on umami, so we happily finished it.

Tomato clam sake-steam made me think of a cool beer pairing, so we added a drink called First Glass Showmaek. With Mugishibori shochu as its base and red Evian beer combined in it, it went down smoothly and had plenty of flavor while still being light and easy to drink.

Jangheung butter pen shell and brisket ssamhap

Our final special dish was the Jangheung butter pen shell and brisket ssamhap. Rich beef brisket, tender pen shell adductor, chewy shiitake mushrooms, refreshing gat-kimchi (mustard-leaf kimchi), and crisp cabbage arrived together—a perfect combination that simply could not be bad.

I wrapped the well-cooked brisket, rich adductor, and crunchy gat-kimchi together for a ssamhap bite. Not only the sashimi but the special dishes were excellent, making this the ultimate bar snack.

The butter-scented adductor went down tenderly with no toughness, while the thick-cut brisket released savory juices the more I chewed. The gat-kimchi cut through the richness completely, bringing everything together cleanly. Even the cabbage and shiitake, browned in butter and beef fat, were wonderfully flavorful, and we cleared it in no time.

A satisfying spot for family meals and gatherings

From the cozy, atmospheric setting to the wonderful quality of the main dishes, this visit was completely to my liking. The neat flavors were easy even for an older palate, so my dad, whom I had brought along, enjoyed his meal right through to the end.

If you are tired of ordinary bar snacks and looking for a place near Yeongtong Station where you can enjoy fresh seasonal aged sashimi, seafood, and varied special dishes together, I really want to recommend it. Its lovely atmosphere makes it just as suitable for a Yeongtong date as for a cheerful company dinner or group gathering. When you are craving proper sashimi and seafood near Yeongtong, go without hesitation!