Pohang crab restaurant same-day booking, Russian bakdal set: Gallilli

I was in Pohang for a trip, already had mulhoe and late-night chicken, and then woke up the next morning suddenly craving crab. After some deliberating I booked same-day and headed to "Gallilli Daegae Hoe Sikdang." I ordered the meaty bakdal crab set and ate my way through a mountain of seafood, crab roe fried rice, and even seafood ramyeon. A spicy fish stew comes out at the end too, but I was too full for it. Also — book through Naver and you get a free seafood ramyeon! There's a review event going on too, don't miss it~

What kind of place is Gallilli Daegae Hoe Sikdang? 30 years and two generations on Jukdo Market's crab street

Gallilli Daegae Hoe Sikdang has been run by the same family for over 30 years, now in its second generation, on Pohang's Jukdo Fish Market crab and sashimi street. With all that accumulated know-how, they say they serve fresh, varied seafood at reasonable prices. There's 1 hour of free parking at the public lot, and if you reserve via Naver and spend over ₩170,000, you get a ₩10,000 discount coupon.

There were families out with parents, couples on trips, and a group of men who'd just walked in and were ordering without hesitation — watching them with a drink in hand, it felt oddly romantic~ The place was spacious with big tables and plenty of seats, and seeing everyone digging into crab so happily made me feel like I'd picked the right spot.

Why the Russian bakdal crab set during the fishing ban: set contents and table charge

Order a crab set here and you get a whole array of seafood alongside it; if you just want crab on its own, you can order that and pay a ₩5,000 per-person table charge to enjoy it however you like — worth keeping in mind. The set menus (seafood, sashimi, side dishes, shellfish, spicy fish stew) come as Gallilli set, bakdal crab set, Yeongdeok crab set, red crab set, shrimp set, mixed sashimi, or mulhoe, and since domestic bakdal crab, Yeongdeok crab and red crab were all in their closed season, I had to order the Russian bakdal crab set instead. If you're not sure what to get, just ask the owner — they'll kindly walk you through it, so keep that in mind when you visit!

They bring out abalone porridge as an appetizer, which is great for cleansing the palate~

What comes with the bakdal crab set: side seafood, sashimi and mulhoe

I ordered the bakdal crab set and — can you see how full the table is?! I'm a seafood lover so getting to enjoy fresh in-season seafood alongside mulhoe, sashimi, and shellfish all at once was great, the textures kept building up as I went. It's such a generous set that by the time you're stuffed, the crab itself finally shows up — and you know you have to save room for crab, crab roe fried rice, AND the spicy fish stew, right???

Eat diligently and clear your plates quickly so you're ready to welcome the crab! You just know^^^^^

How the Russian bakdal crab tasted: meat yield and how it was prepped

And finally, the star of the show!!! 🦀 Can you see how gorgeous this bakdal crab looks~ I'd been waiting and waiting for it so I was genuinely a little nervous! The visual was amazing, and it came already fully prepped, so all I had to do was put on plastic gloves and dig in — snapped a quick photo first and then ate it like I meant it.

The meat was so densely packed that every bite was soft, warm and moist — honestly kind of blissful~~~ My boyfriend even scooped some crab guts onto my plate for me?!

Look how plump and stuffed the claw meat is~~~ Writing this post is making me want to eat it all over again, I genuinely want to hop on a bus to Pohang right now but reality is... where am I, who am I... ugh.

Honestly though... I woke up out of nowhere craving crab and came all the way here for it, and then my boyfriend went and neatly piled the meat together for me like this, I got so touched I nearly choked on my rockfish sashimi... what do I even do with myself...!

₩2,000 crab roe fried rice and seafood ramyeon instead of the spicy fish stew

You HAVE to get the crab roe fried rice, right?! Ask a staff member and they'll take the crab shell away and make it for you, ₩2,000, and it's incredible, no need to say more~ Nutty, with the roe melting into rich, savory goodness — it just dissolves in your mouth! I wanted the spicy fish stew with rice too but I was too full, so I skipped it.

Instead of the fish stew I had the seafood ramyeon from the Naver reservation perk, and part of me still regrets missing the stew, but you just have to pace yourself and eat smart~ My boyfriend ladled out portions of the ramyeon and topped it with picked crab meat, which made it taste even better~ Thanks, babe!

Tips for visiting Gallilli Daegae Hoe Sikdang in Pohang, and what to order next time

I ordered the bakdal crab set and ate until I was absolutely stuffed — pretty intense, right?! Finishing off with a drink was the perfect clean ending~ If you visit Gallilli Daegae Hoe Sikdang, a well-known crab restaurant in Pohang, I'd recommend the bakdal crab set for the full, generous spread of seafood, sashimi, shellfish, and fish stew all in one sitting.

🦀 You already know the crab roe fried rice is non-negotiable, right??? Make sure to eat the fish stew that I missed out on!!! Oh, and I found out the Gallilli set lets you enjoy bakdal crab together with Dokdo shrimp?! Next time I'm in Pohang I've got to try ⭐️Dokdo shrimp⭐️ for sure~