Hongdae seafood pub: seasonal prawn set and seafood ramen, Eosa Chulto

Went to Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch to eat September's peak-season prawns. Great location near Hongdae and great value too, so this is a spot to hit again before prawn season ends (♥)

Where is Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch, and is there parking?

Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch is on the 1st floor of Hoseong Building, 8 Donggyo-ro 27-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It's 258m from exit 2 of Hongik University Station on Line 2, so it's an easy walk.

There's 1 parking spot in the building — free if you call ahead — and otherwise you can use the paid parking lot at Hyeonwoo Building right in front of the restaurant.

What the storefront looks like

I was wondering when it would finally cool down, and now prawn season is already here — time really does fly.

Hours and amenities at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch

• Closed Sept 25 for Chuseok
• Delivery, takeout, and group bookings available
• Wi-Fi, separate men's/women's restrooms, reservations
• Standing group seating for 8–48 people

What to order at Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch

Inside the restaurant: seating and atmosphere

Even at an early hour on a weekday, the place was fully booked, so a reservation would make things easier.

Living up to the saying that a sashimi restaurant is also a bar — there's soju at every table.

Table setting and the free side dishes

Soy sauce and chogochujang (vinegared chili paste) are on every table, and they give you disposable gloves too — a must-have.

The basic side dishes come out like this.

They also serve jeon (savory pancake) and miyeokguk (seaweed soup), and honestly these two alone would be enough as side dishes. We both really enjoyed them — satisfied.

Salt-grilled king prawns, September's first big prawns

First up, the salt-grilled king prawns. You have to press the lid down firmly so it doesn't fly off.

They explained that once the prawns turn red, you turn off the heat, open the lid, and wait 3 minutes before eating — and while I was having a staring contest with the prawns, the staff opened it at the perfect moment.

True to the menu name, it came packed with nothing but king prawns — this was my first prawn dish of September and I ate it very happily.

Waiting patiently while they peel the shells for you.

Butter-grilled prawn heads: be sure to ask for them

If you set the prawn heads aside and ask, they'll butter-grill them for you — so definitely ask.

Normally I think of this as delicious but pricey, but the set had so much volume for the price that we ended up stuffed.

Raw prawn sashimi: peeling costs 4,000 won extra

I'd honestly never prepped raw prawns myself, so I researched the method carefully and went in determined. Luckily they said they'd do the prep for an extra fee, so I asked. It's ₩4,000 extra, but note that it's not available when the kitchen is busy!

Look how translucent the raw prawns are — you can feel the freshness even through a photo.

Finishing the meal with seafood ramen

Anyone who doesn't know that seafood ramen is a must at a sashimi restaurant? I went back and forth with spicy fish stew but ordered the seafood ramen, which came packed with bean sprouts and clams — it doubled as a hangover cure.

What we liked and what fell short

Where else can you eat this composition at this price? Order one set of raw prawn sashimi, salt-grilled prawns, and butter-grilled prawn heads and two people can eat and be satisfied. Staff were kind too, and the place was clean and comfortable.

Nothing to complain about.

If you're looking for a seafood restaurant around Hongik University Station, this is a place you'll be happy visiting — Eosa Chulto Hongdae Branch (♥)