Weekday lunch snow crab by Gijang Station, Busan, ₩94,000 + red crab

I'd been craving snow crab so badly, so I finally went to Gijang Myeongpum Daegae (기장명품대게). It's right in front of Gijang Station, so it's super easy to get to even without a car, and easy to find too. After going, I immediately understood why everyone recommends this place when looking for a Busan Gijang snow crab restaurant haha. Let me tell you all about it!

• ⏰ Daily 10:00–21:00 (last order 20:00)
• 🚗 Private parking available

Where is Gijang Myeongpum Daegae? Right in front of Gijang Station

Gijang Myeongpum Daegae is a two-story building and honestly bigger than I expected. I sat on the first floor this time, and right as I walked in I could pick out my crab. You know how at crab restaurants you're sometimes curious how exactly they weigh things?

Here, they clearly deduct the water weight and basket weight before weighing the crab. I could watch the whole weighing process happen right in front of me, which I really appreciated. No weird feeling about the price since everything was transparent from the start haha. And when I told them the price range I wanted, they picked crabs to match, which was really convenient.

I ended up around ₩94,000 that day, and got a red crab as a free extra on top. That's probably part of why so many people call this the go-to Busan Gijang snow crab restaurant.

Self-serve bar at ₩5,000 per person, and it's required

After picking your crab and sitting down, they don't just bring out a full spread of side dishes automatically. Instead, there's a self-serve bar and you bring over only what you want to eat. The cost is ₩5,000 per person — not optional, it's required.

There was quite a variety — soy sauce, vinegar-chili sauce, fried food, chicken, corn, salad, kimchi and more. I actually liked this system better. Instead of side dishes piling up on the table that you never touch, you just grab what you actually want, which felt way more convenient.

While waiting for the crab, I picked at the fried food and chicken bit by bit, and time flew by haha. If you're looking for a Busan Gijang snow crab restaurant and also want to enjoy a self-serve bar, this part will probably appeal to you too.

What ₩94,000 of snow crab looks like at Gijang Myeongpum Daegae

I told the staff the price I wanted, and they picked out crab to match. Then they threw in a red crab for free, which made the meal feel more generous than expected. While the crab steamed, I waited about 15 minutes, snacking on self-serve bar food. After a bit, the crab came out warm, already trimmed and ready to eat.

The first thought I had the moment it arrived was, "the meat is really packed in." It wasn't mostly shell — the crab meat was properly filled in on the inside, so I was excited before even taking a bite.

Is the crab meat full? Sweet, packed and not fishy

Once I actually started eating, the crab was genuinely delicious. The meat was moist yet firm, and there was almost no fishy taste. Maybe because it was fresh, it tasted clean even plain, and as I chewed, a subtle sweetness came through. The leg meat pulled out easily and the claw meat was packed full too, so it was fun to eat haha. I liked it best dipped in mustard sauce rather than eating it plain. More than anything, I kept thinking, "the yield is really good" while eating.

I barely felt any hollow legs — the meat was well filled in, so I was satisfied even after finishing. That's when I really understood why people seek this place out when looking for a Busan Gijang snow crab restaurant.

Crab-shell fried rice: the dish to save room for next time

If there was one letdown that day, it's that I didn't get to try the fried rice ㅠㅠ I went for a weekday lunch, but between the snow crab and the red crab, I ended up way fuller than expected. So I ended up giving up on the fried rice... but seeing the fried rice at the next table, it looked seriously delicious lol. Having the crab-shell fried rice too would have made the meal perfect, so that part was a bit of a shame.

If you're looking for a Busan Gijang snow crab restaurant, Gijang Myeongpum Daegae is worth a visit. Next time I'll make sure to go with a more empty stomach so I can properly enjoy everything from the crab to the fried rice :)