Yeongdeungpo seafood restaurant, cheesy scallops: Gaetbeol-ui Jogae

If you want to properly dig into seafood in Yeouido, pay attention. Let me introduce Gaetbeol-ui Jogae Yeouido Main Branch, where I went this time.

I thought there wouldn't be anyone here on a weekend, you know? Because... isn't Yeouido totally a city of office workers...? But I was so surprised at how many people there were! I guess it was already a popular restaurant for a reason.

Thankfully, there was no wait, and after we went in, the owner kindly showed us to the seats we wanted :)

Inside a Yeouido seafood restaurant with private rooms

This is what the interior looks like! It's neat, and there are private rooms too, so it looked like they get a lot of company dinners. There weren't office workers on the weekend, and there definitely seemed to be lots of families and couples.

And what we ordered was the Giant Clam Hot Pot (small) for two! We kept eating while saying, “Is this really for two people...?” It felt like even three people could leave full. It looked generous in the photos too, but when it actually arrived, the presentation was even more incredible. 😂

From clams filling a huge pot to shrimp, blue crab, and squid! If you love seafood, this is the kind of place that gets you excited at first sight.

Yeolmu bibimbap from the self-serve bar before the seafood

Before the haemul-jjim (braised seafood) came out, I took a look around the self-serve bar while we waited after ordering. There were side dishes including kimchi and yeolmu kimchi (young-radish kimchi), and what I was happiest to see was the barley rice!

Add yeolmu kimchi to the barley rice and mix in the seasoned sauce, and you have simple yeolmu bibimbap (mixed rice). 🌿 With a little drizzle of sesame oil, it was quite delicious even on its own. But don't eat too much here. The real main event hasn't even started yet. 😂

A seafood feast that fills the table

And then, finally, the main dish arrived! You can probably tell from the photos, but even the pot itself is enormous.

It was truly packed into one pot with scallops, mussels, all kinds of clams, shrimp, blue crab, squid, and even fish cakes. 🦐 As it bubbled away and steam rose up all at once, it was a sight I simply had to photograph.

A staff member set a timer, then came back to open the lid when it was ready and helped prepare the seafood so it was easy to eat. They took things out one by one, and it felt like more kept appearing no matter how much we ate! There were especially lots of scallops, so as a scallop lover, I was very happy. And there is one combination you absolutely have to try here.

You must dip the scallops in cheese

Scallops + cheese, of course. 🧀 Cheese is bubbling and melting away on one side of the pot. I took out a perfectly cooked scallop and gave it a generous dip in the cheese... why is this so delicious? 😂 The chewy, moist scallop with the rich cheese stretching out was a much better match than I expected. After trying it once, every scallop went straight to the cheese.

Personally, it was one of the most memorable things I've eaten recently. My dad can't eat raw fish, but he really likes crustaceans among seafood. So as we ate, I kept thinking of my parents, you know...? I definitely have to bring them here someday! Next time, I'll have to bring them here on my own dime.

If you're looking for a good restaurant near National Assembly Station, this place had a great variety of seafood and quite generous portions overall. Taking sips of the hot broth in between and bites of yeolmu bibimbap, we left after a truly filling meal.

And these thoughtful supplies I spotted on the way out... The owner is seriously kind and works so hard. The whole time we were there, he was sweating as he went from table to table and cleared away all the shells piled in the buckets... I was so touched.

Especially if you're looking for a good restaurant near National Assembly Station or in Yeouido, I think this would be a nice place to visit on a day when you crave seafood instead of meat. Anyone who loves shellfish would be even more satisfied! And when you eat the scallops, make sure to have them with the cheese. 🤤 Looking at the photos makes me want to eat it again too.