Gojan-dong izakaya date night with flounder sashimi: Susan Jang, Ansan

My husband and I were on a weekend date in Gojan-dong, and of course we needed good snacks and a drink to go with it, so I searched for Gojan-dong restaurants~ An izakaya called Susan Jang caught my eye — great atmosphere, delicious-looking snacks~ I showed my husband and he wanted to go too, so we headed there right away~ Want to join us on our Susan Jang date full of tasty snacks?

Susan Jang in Gojan-dong: address, opening hours and parking

Location: 154 Gwangdeok-daero, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Hours: Sun–Thu 17:00–00:30 / Fri–Sat 18:00–01:30 Parking: free parking, 1.5 hours on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends, at Rodeo Town

Inside Susan Jang: which seat to take

The inside of Susan Jang felt cozy~ There was a bar table wrapping around the kitchen and high tables for two, plus regular tables for four further back~ We wanted to eat comfortably, so we headed to the back table~

We settled into the coziest spot in the back~ Even the lighting felt cozy and full of atmosphere, which made me really happy~

You order at the table using the kiosk machine~ There were so many delicious-looking snacks that after much deliberation we ordered grilled raw shrimp, flounder sashimi with salt gimbap, and a bottle of soju~

Grilled flounder came out as the complimentary side dish~ The flounder was such a cute little size, and even the small plate was shaped like a scallop shell — too cute, I laughed~

Watching the blue crabs and seafood swimming fresh in the clean tank by the kitchen gave me confidence in the freshness~ Among the customers filling the restaurant, there were clearly a lot of regulars who'd been back many times~ A place with lots of regulars means the taste is guaranteed, right!!!

Grilled raw shrimp at Susan Jang: how big are they?

The grilled raw shrimp were still hopping with freshness~ I loved how big and chunky the shrimp were~ They were jumping around so much I thought they'd pop the lid right off~

Watching the shrimp turn red as they cooked, my husband worried they must be hot, which made me laugh~ To me they just looked delicious, but my husband is quite the sensitive soul haha

Next up came the flounder sashimi with salt gimbap~ The flounder was so pretty and glossy, and I loved how neat the plating was!!!

Ta-da~ the grilled raw shrimp were finally done, and the staff opened the lid for us~ The shrimp were so plump and satisfying — the biggest grilled shrimp I've had in a while!!!

The perfect spread for our weekend date was complete~ My husband and I congratulated each other on choosing such a great menu~ Now I see why there are so many regulars!!!

One more look at just how plump these shrimp were~

How to cut off the shrimp heads cleanly

We cut off the shrimp heads with scissors first, to make butter-grilled shrimp heads later~ Butter-grilled shrimp heads taste best when a bit of shrimp meat is still attached, so make sure not to cut the head too close — leave a little meat toward the body, remember that~

The best way to eat flounder sashimi with salt gimbap

Since the shrimp were still hot, we started with the flounder sashimi and salt gimbap~ The chewy yet tender flounder paired so well with the nutty gimbap~

You know how when eating sushi, dipping pickled ginger in soy sauce and brushing it on makes it easy and even to coat? Put a piece of flounder on the salt gimbap, set the white kimchi and wasabi in place first, then dab soy sauce on using the pickled ginger — it's easier to shape and lets you control the amount of soy sauce, so keep that in mind~

First I tried the shrimp my husband carefully peeled, dipped in chogochujang (vinegared chili paste)~ The shrimp meat was tender yet chewy, and as I chewed, a sweet flavor rose up — so delicious~

My husband actually usually eats shrimp shell and all without peeling it~ But living with me, he's become an expert shrimp peeler~ Ever heard the term 'sae-kka-nam' (shrimp-peeling man)? A man who peels shrimp for you~ That's my husband!!!

We also tried topping the salt gimbap with wasabi, shrimp, and pickled ginger~ The combination of sesame-oil-scented salt gimbap and springy shrimp meat was so charming~ The fragrant pickled ginger is the kicker, so make sure to add it!!!

You know the gimbap end piece is love, right? I put the biggest piece of flounder on the end piece and popped it right into my husband's mouth~ He was so satisfied, saying flounder sashimi and salt gimbap go so well together~

Susan Jang's flounder: between live and aged sashimi

We ordered the saved shrimp heads butter-grilled~ The savory butter-coated shrimp heads came back garnished with chopped green onion, looking so mouthwatering~

Dipped in chogochujang, the flounder sashimi had a spicy kick without being too sweet or sour, so it ate clean~ Dipped in soy sauce, the tangy-salty sashimi soy sauce maximized the umami of the fish~ The sashimi had both the chewy texture of live sashimi and the tenderness of aged sashimi at once, which was so appealing~ When we asked on our way out, they said it's sashimi aged using a special technique, somewhere between aged and live — we were impressed at how exactly it matched our taste haha

We also made a fin gimbap using just the flounder fins~ It turned out shaped like a flower~ The fin's oily crunch and umami were so good — I could've eaten a whole kilo of fins alone!!!

Since shrimp and sashimi are both from the same sea, maybe that's why they paired so well~ The combination of umami-rich sashimi and sweet raw shrimp was great~

Butter-grilled shrimp heads: how to eat them

Glad we left body meat on the heads when cutting, right? Just pop off the hard, spiky part of the head shell and it's the best way to eat it~ The buttery aroma spreads out with a salty, savory taste that was pure art~ My husband complimented me on cutting them well, and I felt so proud haha

The shrimp heads with only the flesh left had round little eyes that were so cute~ The seasoning was perfect, so I'd recommend eating them plain without dipping in anything~ If you're looking for an atmospheric spot for a drinking date or a gathering, I recommend Susan Jang Gojan branch!!!