Sokcho Korean restaurant egg-yolk crab rice bowl: Jin Seiromushi

Opening-run visit for red snow crab during our Sokcho trip

During a trip to Sokcho with my husband, we visited Jin Seiromushi, which is famous for Sokcho red snow crab~ I already love king crab and red snow crab, but the owner at our regular spot has been closed while caring for her parents, so I had not had crab in ages. My husband found this place saying we could at least have the red snow crab set meal he loves~ Once he showed me the photos, I could not stop thinking about the marinated crab, so we did an opening run right when the doors opened at 10:30~

The restaurant had such an elegant atmosphere that it reminded me of a wedding hall~ I even thought that renting out the whole place for a house wedding could save a lot compared with a conventional wedding venue~ We were shown to a cozy private-room-style table, which made for such a nice, intimate meal~

You order directly from the kiosk at your table~ Then pay at the counter on your way out~ The menu included hinoki steam, grilled dishes, meals, sides, alcohol, and drinks. If I come back in the evening, I want the two-tier couple's hinoki-steam set with a shot of soju!!!

A table full of red snow crab, marinated shrimp, and pot rice

I absolutely loved the bright red marinated snow crab and soy-marinated shrimp, but I was also so happy that side dishes just kept coming~ With pot-cooked rice and doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) too, it truly filled the whole table. My husband and I are side-dish people, so we were very satisfied!!!

The red snow crab had been neatly prepared for easy eating, and they even put an egg yolk in the shell, which was so cute~ The colors of the marinated shrimp and red snow crab were just gorgeous. There was absolutely no fishiness, and it looked fresh: it passed both the visual inspection and the sniff test!!!

I was genuinely startled when I opened the lid of the pot rice~ The second I did, that warm, nutty aroma burst out, and there was this gleaming rice inside. I thought I had somehow ordered an Icheon rice set meal! I transferred the rice to a bowl, poured water into the pot to make sungnyung (scorched-rice tea), and then got down to eating~

Tasting every side dish, from stew onward

The doenjang-jjigae was pleasantly spicy and nicely seasoned—the kind of flavor that makes you want to mix it into rice~ I loved the substantial bite of the radish in it, and the broth was so refreshing too. First, I tried the white rice simply wrapped in gim (roasted seaweed). The rice was chewy with great stickiness, so satisfying to bite into~ It was delicious even with just seaweed~

The donggeurangttaeng (Korean meat patty) was moist, soft, and pleasantly salty, with great seasoning~ I also loved the crisp bite of the mushrooms.

The japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) was sweet and savory, the kind kids would love, but it passed my taste test too~ It was an easy-to-love japchae for everyone.

The precious beef tucked into the doenjang-jjigae~ Maybe it was so tasty because it was generously filled with beef, radish, zucchini, tofu, and more~

The pickled shiitake mushrooms had a sweet-salty jangjorim (braised soy sauce) flavor, and I loved their chewy texture~ The braised semi-dried pollock had no fishiness and a pleasantly firm, springy texture. Its gentle spice and savory depth went beautifully with rice~ The steamed shishito peppers were dusted with flour, steamed, then coated in seasoning, so the seasoning clung really well~ They were salty with an appealing sharp kick of spice.

The stir-fried anchovies had that sweet-and-salty balance, with the heat of shishito peppers coming through~ The anchovies were medium-sized, so they had a nice chew and were wonderfully nutty.

The seasoned seaweed stems seemed lightly spicy~ The savory heat and crunchy-chewy texture were the best.

The bracken fern was soft and salty, and it went so well with rice~ Wrap it in seaweed for twice the nuttiness!!! The spicy pork stir-fry had tender meat and a lovely smoky wok flavor~ It was sweetly spicy, with crisp vegetables, and so delicious.

The kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) was well-fermented, like aged kimchi~ It instantly made my mouth water and woke up my appetite. The bellflower root was crunchy, with the bitterness removed well, and it was perfectly seasoned and delicious~ It was nutty and deeply savory with rice too. The zucchini tasted like the country-style stir-fried zucchini that reminded me of my grandmother~ I miss my grandmother~~~ The stir-fried oyster mushrooms had a crisp texture and mild, clean flavor, and they were perfect as a rice side too.

The grilled fish was pleasantly salty, nutty, and not fishy at all~ When I picked out a big piece and put it over rice, the savory flavor kept building as I chewed. It was so good I wanted about 10 more fish~!!!

Red snow crab rice bowl with a burst egg yolk

I popped the egg yolk inside the red snow crab shell and stirred it well, then added a big spoonful of rice and mixed everything together~ The marinated crab was salty in just the right, pleasing way, never overwhelming~ That chewy rice was the winning move. The salty crab sauce and rice's natural sweetness came together and made the savory flavor soar—it was so good~

The leg meat was so tender it slipped out when I sucked on it~ Behind the salty seasoning, it left a soft, subtly sweet finish that was so charming. Many of the marinated shrimp were full of roe~ The roe did not pop as much as I expected; it went down softly instead. If you chewed the roe on its own, it had just a slight crunch.

The shrimp meat was deliciously chewy and sweet~ The shrimp had the same sauce as the red snow crab, and it was not overly salty, which I really liked.

Mix the remaining rice with crab sauce and wrap it in seaweed, and there is no bigger rice thief—so be careful if you are dieting~ If possible, put the diet aside for a little while and enjoy it! Delicious food has zero calories, haha.

The moment I tasted the kkakdugi, I knew I had to have it with the sungnyung, so I saved some~ The tangy kkakdugi and nutty sungnyung were indeed a perfect match. It also went wonderfully with the stir-fried anchovies, salty and nutty together~ It was such a happy mealtime with all those varied side dishes, red snow crab, and marinated shrimp. If you are looking for a delicious place for a family gathering or date, I recommend Jin Seiromushi!!!