Yangsan crab jang restaurant for a meal with mom: Deodo Gejang

🎈Deodo Gejang Address: 2648 Yangsan-daero, 2-dong 202-ho, Habuk-myeon, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea Hours: Daily 11:00–20:00 🅿️Private parking lot 👶🏻Baby chairs available

I took my mom on a Tongdosa outing after a long while. It had been ages since I'd visited, and since it happened to be chorae (the first day of the lunar month), the temple was packed with people.

After finishing our prayer schedule at Tongdosa, we headed off for lunch at a place that's word-of-mouth famous as a Yangsan gejang (marinated crab) spot. Grilled fish, spicy crab, bulgogi, seaweed soup, and plenty of kid-friendly options too — I'm sharing this Tongdosa restaurant recommendation for anyone who doesn't eat crab, or loves fish, or just wants to bring the whole family.

Parking and the dining room at Deodo Gejang near Tongdosa Temple

Deodo Gejang is a quick drive from Tongdosa in Habuk-myeon, Yangsan, and the private lot is huge, so you can visit without any parking worries at all.

This is Deodo Gejang right as you arrive. It's a Jeju yellow crab jang specialty restaurant that uses only yellow crab caught in the pristine waters off Jeju Island.

It's a mid-to-large restaurant of over 60 pyeong, and to keep waits short, it's open every single day with no break time.

Stepping inside, the space was genuinely spacious and pleasant. Group seating is definitely possible, and it'd work well for family gatherings or company dinners too.

Menu, takeout and the 28,000-won assorted jang pot rice set

At the entrance of Deodo Gejang there are various set menu combinations on display. In particular, the three types of grilled fish and the yellow crab jang menu seem like a good order if you're visiting with kids who can't eat crab jang.

We ordered two of the signature assorted jang nutrition pot rice set at ₩28,000 per person.

Open the drawer next to the table and you'll find spoons, chopsticks, wet wipes and tissues — no need to call a server, just grab what you need.

What comes with the set: grilled fish and side dishes

This must be what people mean when they say a table looks like it's about to break its legs. Nicely browned grilled fish, soy crab, spicy crab, and neat little side dishes — it all looked delicious just to see, and it was genuinely generous.

The grilled fish came first, browned to a nice color with no fishy smell at all, crisp on the outside with a light brush of soy glaze.

The basic side dishes tasted like a lot of care went into them too. The seasoned greens were perfectly seasoned, and the braised kimchi went great with sungnyung (scorched rice tea) afterward. The seaweed soup was simmered long and deep in flavor, and my child ate it well with rice.

Assorted jang lineup — spicy crab + soy yellow crab + spicy yellow crab + octopus jang + abalone jang + soy shrimp jang.

How does the assorted jang taste? My mother's take on the soy-marinated crab

My mom, who really loves gejang, was surprised by how varied and generous the assorted jang set at Deodo Gejang was!

The octopus pieces were on the larger side but not tough at all, really tender, and easy to snip up with scissors as a side dish for my kid. My child loves squid, baby octopus, and octopus in general, and ate this happily.

And then the star of the show, the soy crab — can you see how glossy and packed the meat is? To eat it properly I put on gloves and squeezed it, and the meat, fully packed inside, just poured out. One bite and sweet, salty crab meat filled my mouth — not salty at all, full of savory depth, and it really brought my appetite back.

My parents said the assorted jang wasn't salty at all and they could just keep eating it, and they really enjoyed it. It's made with the know-how of a chef with 20 years of experience from a 5-star hotel, and you can really tell the difference.

You can't skip mixing rice into the rich innards left in the crab shell. Mixed well, it's absolutely the real deal.

Spicy marinated crab, pot rice and why extra rice is a must

The spicy crab had an addictive sweet-and-spicy sauce that kept pulling me back for more. The set came with pot rice for two, but one bowl of rice was absolutely not enough, so adding extra rice is a must.

The spicy crab was spicy but in a clean, refreshing way, and my parents wanted to take some home! All the sauces are aged using natural fruit and other ingredients, so with the crab, shrimp jang, and abalone jang, you could really taste the natural flavors coming through.

Shrimp jang and abalone jang: how they eat

The shrimp in the shrimp jang were a good size with a chewy texture, and the abalone wasn't tough at all — easy to eat in one bite with rice. The seafood was fresh with zero fishy taste, making for a delicious, not-too-salty assorted jang set. They use only fresh, never-frozen seafood, and only handle the freshest catch, which made it taste even better.

Bulgogi and blue crab doenjang stew for the little one

The bulgogi and crab miso soup that come with the assorted jang set aren't spicy or heavy, so they went really well alongside the jang and were also great as a side dish for my child! The bulgogi had vegetables and glass noodles in it, and the miso soup was packed with crab, so you could really taste the crab flavor coming through.

The set also comes with freshly made pot rice for a neat, well-rounded meal, and with wide table spacing and a spacious dining room, eating never felt cramped. The staff were kind too, so we could eat comfortably.

Why Deodo Gejang works for a meal with parents

The staff were kind too, so we could eat comfortably. I heard Deodo Gejang cooks everything fresh to order the moment it's placed, and doesn't use any MSG at all.

Bringing my parents along, we got to enjoy fresh, healthy food, and they enjoyed it so much that I felt really satisfied. If you want a proper meal near Tongdosa, I'd recommend giving Deodo Gejang a visit — fresh ingredients are a given, and the generous spread and flavor leave nothing to be desired.