Mapo seafood restaurant live shrimp sashimi: Hawaii Clam

Have you all had live shrimp this year? Haha, I’ve only had it three times, but honestly, I never get tired of this stuff no matter how much I eat it. I was suddenly craving fresh, springy live shrimp like crazy and whined to my friend about it, and they told me there was a place causing a stir as the ultimate value-for-money spot for live shrimp sashimi in Hongdae. So I went straight there while we were out in Hongdae!

To be honest, when you want proper seafood or live shrimp around Hongdae, it’s often either pricey or the portions feel a little sad... But!!! This place is so famous for Hongdae live shrimp sashimi that I went in with huge expectations, haha.

It was Hawaii Clam Hongdae Branch, a hot spot specializing in grilled clams and seafood.

Hawaii Clam Hongdae Branch hours and parking

Hours are 4:00 PM to 2:00 AM the next day, every day, with last orders at 1:00 AM. It’s seriously hard to find a restaurant with parking in the middle of Hongdae, but you can use the underground parking lot to the right of the storefront for free, so park without worrying.

Being open until 2:00 AM also made it perfect for dinner and a casual drink.

A Hongdae seafood pocha with a resort-like vibe

The moment I walked in, I thought, ahh, now I get why it’s called Hawaii Clam!

Instead of the slightly gloomy vibe of a typical pocha (Korean pub), it had this hip, energetic, resort-like atmosphere! Even though it’s on basement level one, the place was really spacious and clean, and the outdoor-stall-style vibe was no joke.

They had even just opened their outdoor seating in September??!? On nice-weather days like these, it would be so good to enjoy grilled clams outside with the breeze.

To get that vacation-outdoor feeling right in the middle of Hongdae while enjoying great-value live shrimp sashimi and grilled clams!!

No wonder it’s popular as a date spot too...

Live shrimp sashimi menu and our ordering dilemma

Here’s the Hawaii Clam menu! There were lots of clam dishes, from their signature Hawaii grilled clams to Hawaii clam hot pot with its wonderfully refreshing broth. But our goal was live shrimp!!! So haha, we focused on the live-shrimp menu.

The menu had live shrimp sashimi with 10 shrimp (₩25,000), grilled live shrimp, 500 g (₩28,000), and a live-shrimp set for two (₩75,000) that lets you enjoy both sashimi and grilled shrimp! The grilled clams plus live shrimp sashimi set for two was ₩75,000. When I asked the owner how many shrimp came with it, they said choosing 10 live shrimp means you get more grilled clams, while choosing 20 shrimp means you get fewer clams accordingly.

We debated so much between 20 live shrimp sashimi (₩50,000) and the grilled clams plus live shrimp sashimi set for two (₩75,000), but we’d eaten quite a lot of snacks before coming to Hawaii Clam, so we weren’t that hungry. We decided to just have the live shrimp sashimi!

Springy live shrimp sashimi and butter-grilled shrimp heads

First out was the live shrimp sashimi! The shrimp looked absolutely insane... they were seriously, literally wriggling like they were alive. It was a little scary at first... hahaha.

Maybe because they’re delivered directly from the source that day, the shrimp were incredibly fresh and packed with meat.

They give you butter with the live shrimp, so you can cut off the heads and grill them in it. I lightly dipped the flesh in chojang (sweet-spicy vinegar dipping sauce) and put it in my mouth—wow... the texture was unreal.

It was chewy yet bouncy, and that springy texture just burst with every bite.

The more I chewed, the more the shrimp’s distinct sweet umami filled my mouth—it was so sweet and delicious! Not even a hint of fishiness, just freshness and sweetness left behind!!!

I could see why it has the reputation of being a great Hongdae live shrimp sashimi spot, haha. Fresh live shrimp sashimi in Hongdae for something in the ₩20,000 range!!! I honestly think the value is really good... Other places sell live shrimp for ₩30,000 or ₩40,000, but 20 shrimp here are ₩50,000...?

And the highlight of grilled live shrimp is, of course, butter-grilled shrimp heads! Hahaha. We gathered them all up and grilled them, and the salty, nutty flavor of the butter was just the best.

Unlimited ramen cooked in mussel soup

And everyone, there’s one more truly amazing point about this place: unlimited ramen service!

One side of the restaurant has a self-service bar where you can choose from so many different ramyeon varieties, including Jin Ramen, Yeol Ramen, Samyang Ramen, and Snack Ramen.

The basic side dish is mussel soup, no less! If you order hot pot, cook ramen in the hot-pot broth; if you order grilled items or live shrimp sashimi, cook it in the mussel soup that comes as the basic side dish.

Cooking ramen in that deep, refreshing broth steeped with seafood and clams—there was literally no way it could taste bad, haha. The mussel soup itself was so tasty and refreshing, and adding ramen was pure heaven. We almost ordered two more bottles of soju.

After sweet live shrimp sashimi, butter-grilled shrimp heads, and spicy ramen to finish, everything felt warmed through and perfect!!

What I liked about Hawaii Clam Hongdae Branch

• Outstanding freshness: They say they use seasonal seafood brought in every dawn and live shrimp delivered directly the same day. The live shrimp were sooo fresh.
• Crazy value and unlimited ramen: The main dishes are already excellent value, and with unlimited ramen too, you can really eat until you burst.
• Resort-inspired interior: The outdoor-stall-style atmosphere is great, making it a good choice for a date, a gathering with friends, or a Hongdae company dinner!

It felt so satisfying to find a proper Hongdae live-shrimp spot that had it all—freshness, flavor, atmosphere, and value—for the first time in a while....! I highly recommend Hawaii Clam Hongdae Branch to anyone looking for fresh, great-value live shrimp sashimi in Hongdae, or a seafood pocha with a nice atmosphere or a date spot.

If you’re craving fresh seafood around Hongdae, definitely stop by Hawaii Clam Hongdae Branch at least once! I’m still thinking about that chewy, sweet Hongdae live shrimp sashimi even as I write this, hahaha. I need to go eat it again...