Hongdae Korean restaurant crab kingdom — Restaurant in Seoul

Google Review for Seoul 弘大 花蟹世界 (Hongdae Flower Crab World) – 3 Stars I had high hopes for 弘大 花蟹世界 in Seoul, drawn by its reputation for fresh seafood. The food truly lived up to the hype—the shrimp and crab were incredibly fresh, with a delightful natural sweetness that made every bite a treat. Paired with perfectly cooked rice, seaweed, and a dollop of roe, the flavors were outstanding and a highlight of my trip. The presentation was also visually appealing, served in traditional metal bowls that added to the experience. However, the service was a major letdown. We were the first group in line, but the staff allowed the third group of five to enter before us. They assured the first two groups that we’d be seated soon, claiming the diners inside were almost done. Instead, we ended up waiting for 30 minutes, which was incredibly frustrating. The queue management was chaotic and unfair, leaving us very dissatisfied with the overall experience. While the food was exceptional, the poor service significantly impacted our visit. I hope they improve their organization in the future—great food alone isn’t enough to make up for such a...

A soy marinated crab hidden gem located on the second floor of a random building on the bustling street in Hongdae. The spot is not as popular/pricey as other famous restaurants. It has a more homey vibe (only one lady in the kitchen), and excellent value for what you get. You can order on their iPad with menus in different languages.

This was actually our first time trying soy marinated crab and WE WERE ADDICTED. We immediately ordered one more soy marinated crab set because we devoured the first round.

＊Soy Marinated Crab Set (370g) with fish roe rice and seafood tofu stew 간장게장(370g전후) Soy marinated crab is truly a “rice thief” food — it pairs tremendously well with the masago seaweed rice. The crabmeat was so sweet and fresh, literally melt in your mouth. The crab here is marinated in a mild soy sauce, so it still keeps the natural sweetness and umami flavor from the crab.

The seafood soft tofu stew was as impressive as the crab. It was slightly on the spicier side, but like a warm hug on an extremely cold...

Firstly, this place is legit and we found it totally clean and comfortable, just a bit small. We had to wait along the stairs before entering. (Stools provided) The food was good and I even think the 1-portion 3000won crab roe rice was worth it. I enjoyed the seafood pancake and though I don't love crabs my sister's portion was very tempting!! The chef looks 100% Korean though some of the waitresses spoke a mix of Korean and Mandarin.

It's a cool place to play "guess the east Asian" since everyone here is a tourist (which is revealing) from Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, HK... E.g. The doll-like tourists beside us looked Japanese until one started speaking Cantonese in a low cynical tone ("Faidi sek lah!". In short, nothing not to like if u don't mind a...