Family seafood platter night at Susan Jang, an Ansan izakaya

Across from Hosu-dong Post Office, you head into the alley between Lotteria and Starbucks. It's a secret that I was extra excited, since it had been three years since my last raw shrimp sashimi, back in Jeju Island. While looking for a good Gojan-dong restaurant and bar, we settled on Susan Jang for dinner, since Dad loves seasonal seafood and we wanted a drink together.

Susan Jang hours and location

• Sun–Thu 17:00–00:30 (last order 23:30)
• Fri–Sat 17:00–01:30 (last order 00:30)
• Reservations available
• Get off at Jungang Station
• 1-minute walk from Ansan Culture Bridge Plaza stop
• Parking: Rodeo Town (weekdays 1.5 hours / weekends 2 hours supported)

Atmosphere and seating

The kitchen is open, wrapped by an L-shaped bar table.

Walk further in and you'll find 2-tops, 4-tops, and group seating,

and next to that, a tank filled with abalone, sea cucumber, sea squirt, and clams.

Seasonal raw shrimp sashimi (₩26,000)

The raw shrimp sashimi had no fishy smell or off-flavor at all — crunchy yet chewy, alive with texture.

It's a different texture from the marinated shrimp I usually eat, so it was fun eating them one by one, and they went well dipped in either vinegar-gochujang sauce or buldak (fire chicken) sauce.

For the record, I dropped one shrimp into the buldak sauce and was surprised at how much spicier and tingly it was than I expected. If you can't handle spice, stick with the vinegar-gochujang sauce. Why do I know this? I really wish I didn't.

Since I can't eat spicy food, I dipped mine in sesame oil salt sauce instead, and it wasn't greasy at all.

Toward the end, I used scissors to snip off the shrimp heads ahead of time and set them aside for the butter-grilled version later. Thinking ahead about what to eat next while still eating — truly, I'm a wise woman.

Seasonal seafood platter special (₩59,000)

The seasonal seafood platter special brings together seasonal fish and seafood delivered fresh every morning, all on one plate. That day it included abalone, scallop, sea cucumber, sea squirt, plus flounder and rockfish sashimi, along with belly meat and fin meat.

The colors of each seafood came together into a visually delightful, mood-lifting plate. I care a lot about presentation and tableware, so this got bonus points from me.

When the dish arrives, the staff explains what each piece of seafood is. Dad and I loved the abalone; my mom and I loved the sea cucumber, fin meat, and belly meat most. I used to have low expectations of sea cucumber ever since I chipped a tooth on one, but its crunchy texture and slightly bitter taste actually suited my palate well.

The flounder and rockfish sashimi had a chewy texture I liked, and the belly and fin meat were especially delicious for how soft they were.

Alternating between white kimchi, ginger, and wasabi kept resetting my palate, and the drinks just kept flowing.

The little flower-petal-shaped sauce dishes were cute too.

Adding butter-grilled shrimp heads

If you order the shrimp, you can add butter-grilled heads. Instead of throwing away the shrimp heads, save them and the staff will grill them in butter right away, making a great pairing with the raw shrimp sashimi. The strong butter aroma and salty finish make it a satisfying way to end the meal. If you want both raw shrimp sashimi and grilled shrimp, this combo is the way to go.

Umeshu sake highball (₩8,500) and complimentary grilled flounder

We toasted with an umeshu sake highball (₩8,500) and a cider, as if to shake off all our worries.

The highball wasn't too strong or fizzy — the gentle plum flavor suited the vibe of Susan Jang.

The complimentary grilled flounder had no fishy taste and wasn't overly salty, which made me want to eat it alongside a freshly cooked pot of rice as a side dish.

A good izakaya for a slow drink

If you're looking for a Gojan-dong restaurant and bar for an izakaya night, this kind of atmosphere — slowly enjoying drinks and snacks — works well. That day there was a group of six and a couple dining alongside us, and the flow of the place suited slow drinking and snacking more than a quick meal.

The space isn't huge, so when it gets busy, conversations can overlap. When full, the stay is limited to 2.5 hours, so it's more comfortable to enjoy your food and drinks and head out rather than linger.

Reservations and parking

Reservations are available on weekdays from 5 to 7 pm, and on weekends at 6 or 6:30 pm. For bookings of 1–4 people, 2 people get a 2-top, 3 or more get a table, and groups of 5+ need to call ahead.

An alcohol order is required, and only preschool-age children (3–7) are allowed inside. Last order is one hour before closing, and writing a receipt review gets you a chapssal (sticky rice) ice cream.

Waitlisting is done via the Catch Table app inside the restaurant, and parking plus valet are free — 1.5 hours on weekdays and up to 2 hours on weekends.

A day for finding a good Gojan-dong seafood restaurant

The price felt worth it given the quality and taste of the seafood, and next time I order raw shrimp sashimi, I'll add the butter-grilled heads too.

While searching for a good Gojan-dong seafood restaurant, Susan Jang turned out to be exactly right for a day when I wanted seasonal seafood woven into good drinks and conversation. If you're looking for a Gojan-dong bar or izakaya, I'd love to stop by again for a second round.