ganjang gejang blog review

Here’s a continuation of what we did on Day 2 of our Korea trip. We spent the morning having a photoshoot in our rented hanbok at Gyeongbokgung Palace which you can read about here.

After changing back into our casual attires, we grabbed a quick bite around the area and went back to Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) for more photos. This palace is steeped in history and its beauty is magnificent. We only took some photos outside where an admission ticket is not required as we did not intend to spend a lot of time there.

The weather in Seoul was really nice and cool back in mid to late April. Perfect for taking long leisurely walks while admiring the cherry blossoms around us.

Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)

Address: 161, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 사직로 161 (세종로)

Next, we visited Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천). It is 11km long and runs through downtown Seoul. In the summer, many people can be seen sitting by the stream and dipping their feet in the water to keep themselves cool from the sweltering heat.

There are also various art installations for people to admire and to take photos of.

CheonggyecheonStream (청계천)

Address: Changsin-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 창신동

We spend a short time at Tongin Market (통인시장). It is very famous for their bento boxes called Dosirak. First, you need to change your Korean won to old style coins which you can use at various stalls. See something you like and you can simply exchange your coins for the food items while filling up your bento box.

Address: 18, Jahamun-ro 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 자하문로15길 18 (통인동)

When we passed by Toksokchon Samgyetang (토속촌 삼계탕) earlier during lunch time, we saw a horrendous queue and decided to try our luck again. So we returned at a rather odd timing at 4pm! The restaurant was quite empty so the service was very prompt. We had the highly raved about ginseng chicken which was really nice and comforting to have in the chilly weather. The chicken was tender and I enjoyed dipping it in some salt and pepper for extra flavour.

The seafood pancake was fluffy and contained a chockful of fresh ingredients. The portion is good for sharing among 3 to 4 people if you are also ordering the ginseng chicken soup. Highly recommended!

Toksokchon Samgyetang (토속촌 삼계탕)

Address: 5, Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 자하문로5길 5

LOL I was really overjoyed to see Park Seo Joon! 😀

From watching Korean dramas, I had been very intrigued by this Korean dish called Ganjang Gejang. Basically, it is fresh raw crabs marinated in soy sauce and looks sooo delicious. I had been wanting to try this since forever! Just like Korean bbq, there are both buffet and a la carte restaurants for ganjang gejang as well. Since it was our first time, we decided to go for a la carte as we believe the quality is better. Morever, misterchewy wasn’t sure if he would like this dish.

We went to the famous Ganjang Gejang Alley in Sinsa-dong, where you can find about 6 to 7 restaurants serving this raw marinated crab dish. Based on positive online reviews, we decided to go to Wonjo Masan Halmae AguJjim. Prices are steep for this Korean dish that is complicated to prepare. We ordered a serving for 2 people which cost 60000 Korean won.

As expected, I fell in love with Ganjang Gejang at first bite. It was exploding with a multitude of flavors and the gooey gelatin consistency was really amazing. The dish was served cold which made it really appetite-whetting too. If you can handle Japanese uni, you may be able to stomach this dish.

The sauce was a little on the saltier side but went astonishingly well with plain rice. No wonder this dish is also known as “rice thief” or “rice stealer”; the sauce is so good that you will end up mixing spoonfuls of rice with it.