Goyang soy crab restaurant for light eaters, free steamed egg: Deodeo

Picturing rich crab innards mixed into rice and wrapped in seaweed, I headed to Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil (더더간장게장무한리필), a soy-marinated crab spot in Ilsan. I come here every time I crave soy crab, and I've lost count of how many times I've been back. Today was another tasty lunch.

Where is Deodeo Ganjanggejang, and is there parking?

Deodeo Ganjanggejang Muhalliripil is in Wondang, in the Ilsan area of Goyang.

The parking lot is huge, like an open field, so parking is always easy. Even nervous new drivers can go without worry.

What time should you go to avoid the wait?

After 11:30 there is often a line, so I did the opening-time run. This Ilsan soy crab restaurant is busy every time I go.

Atmosphere and service at Deodeo

The restaurant was clean and pleasant. The wood-tone interior felt calm and tidy, and the tall seat backs work like light partitions, so it feels a bit private. The staff were friendly, and when I asked for refills they brought them kindly.

Deodeo Ganjanggejang menu and prices

Here is the menu. The all-you-can-eat set (soy crab, spicy marinated crab and blue crab stew) is ₩24,900, and the one-crab set (one soy crab and one spicy crab) is ₩15,000.

• All-you-can-eat set: soy crab + spicy crab + crab stew, ₩24,900
• One-crab set: one soy crab + one spicy crab, ₩15,000
• Extra plate of soy crab: ₩8,000
• Extra plate of spicy crab: ₩6,000
• Other items: tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patty) ₩8,000, steamed egg ₩2,000, crab stew ₩5,000, rice ₩1,000

They have soft drinks, soju, Cheongha (rice wine) and beer. Alcohol is limited to one bottle per person.

There's a guide to getting the claw meat out easily, so check it before you dig in. What I ordered was the one-crab set for two.

What does the one-crab set for two look like?

And here it is, the one-crab set I ordered at Deodeo. Quite the sight, right?

Side dishes include oi sobagi (stuffed cucumber kimchi) and seaweed stems.

There's also kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and seasoned bean sprouts. Side dishes can be refilled too.

You also get seaweed and flying fish roe. I put the roe into the crab shell with rice and mixed it all together.

The steamed egg came as a freebie. It went really well with both the soy crab and the spicy crab.

How spicy is the spicy marinated crab?

One spicy marinated crab, part of the one-crab set, came out too. Deodeo's spicy crab wasn't very hot; it was zesty and sweet at the same time. That's why it's a real rice thief (밥도둑, a dish so good you keep eating rice).

Soy crab freshness and seasoning

The soy crab is two crabs for two people. It looked fresh at first glance.

The shell was packed with innards.

The body was full of meat. It wasn't fishy or salty, which I loved.

How we ate it: crab-shell rice and seaweed wraps

My favorite way is to put rice and flying fish roe into the shell full of innards and mix it up. It's really good.

I also wrapped rice, roe and crab meat in seaweed. Eaten like this it was nutty and so delicious. Another rice thief.

One-crab set or all-you-can-eat: which should you order?

I added one extra soy crab. The set comes with a bowl of rice each. Since we're light eaters I ordered the set rather than the all-you-can-eat, but the all-you-can-eat comes with crab stew. And if you want to eat a lot for good value, all-you-can-eat is a good choice too. Next time I'll go for that.

If you're looking for an Ilsan soy crab restaurant, Deodeo should satisfy you. It's good for company dinners and family gatherings too.