Solo snow crab meal, 1kg with crab-shell fried rice, Gijang: Gijang

I'm eating prawns right now, but snow crab is delicious too~~^^

Snow crab season is usually said to run from November to March, with January and February being the tastiest months. But snow crab is love, so seasons don't really matter — whenever you eat it is the good time haha. Right now is actually prawn grilling season, so today my girlfriend and I visited Namdang Port, famous for its prawn festival. The Hongseong Namdang Port Prawn Festival is already in its 31st year and the area is known for delicious grilled prawns. In summer, kids can splash around at the ocean fountain park there, and in spring and winter you can just gaze out at the wide West Sea and unwind. Right now in fall it's a great spot to enjoy the prawn festival with family. Highly recommend this season.

So that covers snow crab and prawn seasons — now let me tell you about a snow crab spot that's delicious to me no matter the season. When you think of snow crab, Yeongdeok and Uljin in North Gyeongsang Province usually come to mind first, but Gijang in Busan is impressive too. Gijang faces the endless East Sea, so you can spot the ocean pretty much anywhere you go, and naturally the seafood markets there are well developed. I went to Gijang Market, which has a whole crab alley inside it. Many people come here for fresh, delicious snow crab, so I went by myself this time too.

What kind of place is Gijang Myeongpum Daegae?

Enjoy a generous serving of honestly priced snow crab~ :)

True to its name, Gijang Myeongpum Daegae ('premium snow crab') in Busan's Gijang really lives up to it — they show you the live crab right in front of you, never include the basket weight, and put only the crab itself on the scale before cooking. Reservation guests also get carefully selected, high-quality live snow crab and king crab prepared at their reserved time, with transparent weighing and a final price given before cooking begins. Booking through Naver Reservations comes with perks, so it's worth using. The restaurant is located in the crab alley inside Gijang Market, Dongbu-ri, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan. Gijang Station on the Donghae Line is nearby — come out Exit 1 and it's a quick walk. Yongso Wellbeing Park, Gijang County Office, and the Gijang Modern History Museum are all close by too, so there's plenty to enjoy around Gijang.

Gijang Myeongpum Daegae

Where do you park?

First, here's the parking lot at Gijang Myeongpum Daegae. It's connected right to the same building, so it's very convenient to use. There's a restroom right there and you can see the restaurant entrance too. Super easy.

Easy to spot in the crab alley

Here's the outside of Gijang Myeongpum Daegae. The outdoor tanks are packed with snow crab and king crab, and the sign and storefront really stand out right in the middle of the crab alley, so it's easy to find.

Pick your own from the tank, weighed without the basket

Even at the entrance, huge numbers of snow crab and king crab are waiting in tanks. The origin labeling is clearly displayed, and the tanks themselves are clean and well kept. Customers can check the crab's condition themselves at the tank, and it's honestly weighed with no basket weight included before selling. Then it goes straight to cooking.

Is there group seating?

Head further into the restaurant and this big open hall appears. As you can see, it's spacious with plenty of group seating, so it works for group gatherings, work dinners, and family get-togethers. Even on a weekday, lots of families were there eating on a trip, and there were many foreign guests too.

Side dishes: all-you-can-eat self-serve bar

At Gijang Myeongpum Daegae, side dishes aren't brought to your table — instead you go to the all-you-can-eat self-serve bar near the kitchen and help yourself to as much as you want. Honestly, that's even better. There's a really wide variety of tasty side dishes.

1kg of snow crab, after 25 minutes of cooking

I ordered 1kg of snow crab first. They showed me the weight and the price directly, which I appreciated. After about 25 minutes of cooking, it finally arrived in front of me, and the meat looked plump and delicious. After cooking, they also cut it up for easy eating, which made it even simpler to enjoy.

Can you eat solo at a snow crab restaurant?

You might wonder if it's okay to go to a snow crab restaurant alone, and yes, it's absolutely fine. Besides me, there was a foreign visitor eating solo too, and 1kg was just the right amount to leave me pleasantly full. On top of that I added the classic combo — crab-shell fried rice, doenjang jjigae, and abalone — and thought I might burst, but it was all incredibly delicious. Next time I'll come back with family or my girlfriend.

The staff were kind too, so I recommend giving it a try. I'd definitely visit again~ :)