Gimhae Korean restaurant, steamed ray lunch with Mom: Gaya Kkeutjip

A Korean restaurant everyone raves about in Samgye-dong, Gimhae — here's my report from stuffing my face with steamed ray at Gaya Kkeutjip Samgye!

Where exactly is Gaya Kkeutjip in Samgye-dong, Gimhae?

Gaya Kkeutjip is a genuinely great Korean restaurant in Samgye-dong, Gimhae. That red-brick exterior really leaves an impression!

When's the best time to go to avoid the wait at Gaya Kkeutjip?

Gaya Kkeutjip gets a wait at both lunch and dinner, so you almost have to time your visit for a quieter hour. Since my last visit, my mom told me it's become explosively popular as a Korean restaurant in Samgye-dong, Gimhae. And sure enough, there was an actual waiting board set up out front. Wow, somewhere along the way this place became the top spot in Samgye-dong for a meal...

Is the interior and seating good for a group meal?

As always, the inside of Gaya Kkeutjip is spotless. The tables are big and spaced generously apart, so it's a great pick for hosting important guests or for a group gathering! On the weekday lunch I visited, I actually saw all kinds of guests — group dinners, family outings, you name it.

We settled into a cozy spot too!

The menu board and what we ordered

The Gaya Kkeutjip menu board lists all kinds of set menus, plus à la carte extras and the basic side dishes. We went with the steamed ray set for two!

The basic side dishes — japchae and house-made tofu

Looking at the basic side dishes alone, you can see why Gaya Kkeutjip has become the number one Korean restaurant in Gimhae. Even the basic sides come loaded with care, and every single one is delicious.

Especially with the japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) — giving us this much of it earns extra points from me.

And then they brought out this plump, house-made tofu!

Dip this into the seasoned sauce and imagine how good it tastes. The tofu is seriously incredible. Protein lovers, assemble!

Grilled mackerel, included with every set

Every set at Gaya Kkeutjip comes with grilled mackerel as standard. For a broke solo dweller who rarely gets grilled fish, this is basically crying tears of joy. Look at that gorgeous golden color on the mackerel...

It wasn't over-salted, no fishy smell either, and I ate it up so happily! When the free grilled mackerel is this good, what am I supposed to do with myself?

How was the steamed ray at Gaya Kkeutjip?

The steamed ray at Gaya Kkeutjip has such tender flesh it practically melts in your mouth. The main dish had finally arrived — steamed ray. I'd wanted this so badly! And honestly, that fiery red color alone is a dish no Korean can resist.

Look at how tender this flesh is — you can just lift it right off with your chopsticks, but press a little too hard and it flakes apart instantly. Eat it and it just melts away in your mouth. I was so moved mid-bite that I told my mom you could eat this even without teeth.

The hidden star inside the steamed ray: rice cake

The hidden star of the steamed ray at Gaya Kkeutjip is the long, thick garaetteok (cylindrical rice cake) tucked inside...! It's truly, truly, truly delicious — genuinely rivals the ray itself. I might say that partly because I'm a complex-carb lover, but honestly, coat this rice cake in that sweet-spicy sauce and I don't think there's a single person who wouldn't love it. The real deal.

Snip it into pieces with scissors, drag it through the sauce, and in that moment you meet the Lord. Honestly, I wanted to grab the whole rice cake and go at it caveman-style like a mukbang YouTuber, but this is a restaurant, so I kept my dignity... Please, if you go to Gaya Kkeutjip, try the steamed ray. I'm going back for sure.

Seaweed soup, then plum tea and coffee to finish

The steamed ray set at Gaya Kkeutjip comes with seaweed soup, and plum tea and coffee follow after the meal. The seaweed soup was warm and gently, mildly seasoned — so good I drained the whole bowl, hehe.

And to send us off, plum tea and coffee. No wonder this place is popular. A hearty lunch completed at a genuinely great Korean restaurant in Samgye-dong, Gimhae!

Who should visit Gaya Kkeutjip?

Gaya Kkeutjip has basically earned the title of best Korean restaurant in Samgye. The interior is upscale and spotless, and the food is out-of-this-world good. It's the perfect Gimhae spot for hosting important guests, group gatherings, or even a formal meeting between families. If you're after the best steamed ray in Gimhae, I highly recommend Gaya Kkeutjip Samgye!