Yellow crab pot rice with butter fried egg in Yangsan: Deodo Gejang

I went to Tongdosa Temple over the weekend and stopped by Deodo Gejang nearby for lunch.

Jeju yellow soy-marinated crab near Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan

I really love soy-marinated crab (ganjang gejang) — enough that I go hunting for crab restaurants even in Jeju — so finding Jeju-style yellow crab (hwang gejang) near Tongdosa Temple in Yangsan had me pretty excited before I even walked in. Even though I arrived a bit after the lunch rush, the place was still packed with diners, which made me think this really is one of the well-known Tongdosa restaurant recommendations.

This time I ordered three kinds of grilled fish plus the yellow crab nutrient pot rice, and added a butter fried egg for an extra 2,500 won. After trying it, I understood exactly why this place gets recommended as a Tongdosa restaurant :)

Where Deodo Gejang is and how parking works before or after Tongdosa

Deodo Gejang is in a great spot to stop at before or after touring Tongdosa. The parking lot is also spacious, so there was zero parking stress — loved that!

I visited for a slightly late lunch after stopping by Tongdosa on the weekend. There are so many Korean restaurants around Tongdosa that I was torn on where to go, but this time soy-marinated crab, which I always love, caught my eye. Especially since I'd developed a taste for the distinct flavor of yellow crab while eating it in Jeju, I was happy to find Jeju-style yellow crab available in Yangsan.

Even though it was a bit past lunchtime, quite a lot of people were still eating inside, which only raised my expectations before I even sat down.

Inside Deodo Gejang: seating and baby chairs

Walking into Deodo Gejang, the space felt bigger and cleaner than I expected.

There were baby chairs, and the seating was mostly 4-person tables, making it comfortable for family visits too. If you're looking for a place to eat a hearty Korean spread with your parents after touring Tongdosa, I think this fits well as a Tongdosa restaurant recommendation.

What we ordered: 3 grilled fish, yellow crab pot rice, butter fried egg

I hesitated a bit looking at the menu — I wanted the yellow crab pot rice, but I couldn't give up on the grilled fish either, so I ordered three kinds of grilled fish plus the yellow crab nutrient pot rice. And one more addition: I added a butter fried egg to the pot rice for 2,500 won. I usually love mixing rice with crab marinade, so I was curious how well this combination would work.

After a short wait, the table filled up with food. As the three grilled fish, the crab, and the pot rice were placed on the table one by one, it really felt like a proper full lunch.

Along with the grilled fish and crab, there was a good variety of side dishes to pair with the meal, so it would be plenty filling even with a group.

When looking for a good crab restaurant in Yangsan, I prefer a spread like this — with grilled fish and pot rice alongside the crab — over a place that only serves crab.

How the yellow crab tastes: salty soy marinade with warm pot rice

What I was looking forward to most was the yellow crab. I love soy-marinated crab so much that I ate it often in Jeju, so meeting it again in Yangsan felt like a happy reunion.

Eating the crab with a bit of rice, the salty soy marinade paired really well with the warm pot rice. Mixing them together in small bites brought out even more savory flavor than eating the crab on its own. This is exactly why soy-marinated crab is called a 'rice thief' — the more I ate, the more rice kept disappearing haha.

Mixing the 2,500-won butter fried egg into the crab marinade

What surprisingly satisfied me most this meal was this butter fried egg. I ordered it as a 2,500-won add-on, placed it on the warm nutrient pot rice, and mixed it all together with the rice.

Adding a bit of the soy crab marinade on top of that, the savory butter and egg blended with the salty crab flavor, and this combination worked out better than I expected. If you love crab, I'd recommend mixing in an egg like this rather than just eating the rice plain.

Why the three kinds of grilled fish are worth ordering

If you keep eating just crab, you might start craving something different, but having grilled fish alongside made the meal much richer. The grilled fish went great with rice, and alternating between it and the soy crab meant I wasn't stuck with just one flavor. Especially since grilling fish at home is a hassle because of the smell, it was nice being able to try several kinds at once at a restaurant. If you're searching for Tongdosa restaurant recommendations and like both crab and grilled fish, this combination is really solid.

A Korean set meal that works for a visit with parents

Deodo Gejang is a good spot for lunch or a late lunch after visiting Tongdosa, and since the menu is Korean-food focused, it's an easy choice to bring along your parents. Crab lovers can eat crab, and grilled fish lovers can eat grilled fish, so it's convenient for families with slightly different tastes to visit together. That's why I think it's worth recommending as a Yangsan Tongdosa restaurant to anyone looking for a place to eat with their parents after visiting the temple.

I finished off even the last bit of the nurungji (scorched rice) at the bottom of the pot.

Tips before you visit Deodo Gejang

We visited a bit later than the weekend lunch rush, but there were still quite a lot of diners eating. It really felt like a place many people visit for lunch or a late meal after touring Tongdosa. If you're planning to visit Tongdosa on a weekend, I'd recommend not scheduling your meal too late, and instead giving yourself some buffer time.

And if you love soy-marinated crab like I do, try adding a butter fried egg to the nutrient pot rice and mixing it with the crab marinade. Personally, it was the most memorable combination from this meal.

If you want a hearty Korean lunch after touring Tongdosa, or you're looking for a good crab restaurant in Yangsan, Deodo Gejang is worth checking out.