Daesan Susan in Ganghwa: Grilled Shrimp, Ramen, and Garlic Butter Heads

After spending plenty of time looking around Joyang Bangjik, we were starting to get hungry.

Luckily, our next stop was only about a 12-minute drive away.

Daesan Susan (대산수산).

We arrived at around 2:30 PM on a weekend, and the restaurant was already almost completely full.

There was just about one table left when we arrived, so we were lucky enough to sit down right away.

🐱 Nyang: “I think we came at exactly the right time ㅎㅎ”

🐶 Meong: “Perfect. Now let’s eat something good.”

And judging by what we ordered next…

we definitely came hungry ㅎㅎ

There’s one thing to know about eating in Korea:

we take seasonal food pretty seriously ㅎㅎ

As the weather changes, people start looking forward to the foods that are “in season” at that time of year.

And when September comes around, grilled shrimp is one of those foods people actively go looking for.

So for us, a Ganghwa trip in early autumn felt like the perfect excuse to have a proper shrimp meal.

Quick Info

📍 Address: 84 Wolgot-ri, Ganghwa-eup, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon
🕐 Hours: Daily 10:00–19:00
🦐 Main dish: Grilled king shrimp, 1 kg — ₩45,000
🍜 Shrimp ramen: ₩5,000
🧈 Garlic-butter shrimp heads: ₩5,000
🚗 From Joyang Bangjik: About a 12-minute drive
✨ Best for: Fresh shrimp, a casual seafood meal, and anyone visiting Ganghwa during shrimp season

Our tip: We arrived around 2:30 PM on a weekend and there was only about one table left, so it can still get busy even after the usual lunch rush ㅎㅎ

First thing we saw: live shrimp 🦐

Before we even sat down, we noticed the live shrimp near the entrance.

They were moving around in the tanks, and it was immediately clear that the shrimp here were very fresh.

For Nyang, it was a slightly mixed feeling.

🐱 Nyang: “They really are fresh… but I feel a little sorry too.”

That feeling came back again later when the shrimp were brought to the table alive before being cooked.

So, a small heads-up:

if seeing live seafood being cooked makes you uncomfortable, this is something worth knowing before you visit.

We didn’t want to make light of it either.

We simply felt grateful for the meal and decided that the best thing we could do was enjoy it properly.

ㅎㅎ

We went for the full shrimp course ㅎㅎ

Once we sat down, we decided to make this a proper shrimp meal.

We ordered:

Grilled king shrimp, 1 kg — ₩45,000
Shrimp ramen — ₩5,000
Garlic-butter shrimp heads — ₩5,000

Looking at that order now…

we clearly had no intention of leaving hungry ㅎㅎ

🐶 Meong: “If we’re here for shrimp, let’s enjoy the whole thing.”

🐱 Nyang: “Agreed ㅎㅎ”

Then the shrimp arrived… very much alive

A little while later, the shrimp were brought to our table.

And yes—

they were still very much alive.

They were moving around so much that Nyang quietly watched them for a moment before saying:

🐱 Nyang: “I’m sorry… but I’ll make sure I enjoy every bite.”

It was a little bittersweet to watch.

But once the shrimp were fully cooked, the smell filled the table, and we were ready to eat.

How we ate the shrimp

Once the shrimp were cooked, eating them was pretty simple.

We removed the head first, peeled off the shell, and ate the plump shrimp meat inside.

And there were two sauces on the table that worked especially well with it:

soy sauce and chojang (초장).

If you’ve never tried chojang before, it’s a bright red Korean sauce that people often eat with raw fish and seafood.

It tastes sweet, tangy, spicy, and savory all at once.

The flavor is stronger than soy sauce, but that little bit of acidity and sweetness works really well with seafood.

🐱 Nyang: “I think I like it even more with chojang ㅎㅎ”

The shrimp itself was already sweet and springy, so even eating it plain was good.

But dipping it into soy sauce or chojang made each bite taste a little different.

And somehow, Nyang only peeled one shrimp ㅎㅎ

Nyang put on a pair of plastic gloves and was ready to start peeling her own shrimp.

But Meong had other plans.

He kept peeling them first and handing them over.

🐱 Nyang: “Wait, I can peel them too ㅎㅎ”

🐶 Meong: “It’s okay. Just eat.”

So Nyang tried again.

And somehow…

she ended up peeling exactly one shrimp herself.

One.

ㅎㅎㅎㅎ

Meanwhile, the pile of shrimp shells in front of Meong kept getting bigger and bigger.

Before long, Nyang had somehow become a full-time shrimp eater while Meong handled almost all of the peeling.

🐱 Nyang: “So… I just eat now? ㅎㅎ”

And honestly?

It was a very happy arrangement.

The shrimp were plump, springy, and naturally sweet, and Nyang got to enjoy them one after another without doing much work at all.

Thank you, Meong 💛

Don’t throw away the shrimp heads

There’s one important thing to know when eating the shrimp here:

don’t throw away the heads.

As you peel the shrimp, cut off the heads and keep them together on the side.

Why?

Because later, if you order the garlic-butter shrimp heads, the restaurant takes the heads you saved and cooks them again with garlic and butter.

So the meal almost comes in two rounds.

First:

grilled shrimp meat.

Then:

the shrimp heads come back as a completely different dish ㅎㅎ

🐶 Meong: “Let’s save all of these.”

🐱 Nyang: “For the butter ones?”

🐶 Meong: “Of course ㅎㅎ”

And yes, you should get the shrimp ramen 🍜

While we were working our way through the grilled shrimp, we also ordered the shrimp ramen.

And if you visit Daesan Susan, we really recommend adding it.

The hot, slightly spicy broth was especially comforting after eating the grilled shrimp, and the seafood made the soup taste richer.

There’s something about having hot ramen in the middle of a seafood meal that just feels right in Korea ㅎㅎ

🐱 Nyang: “Now it feels like the meal is complete.”

Honestly, we’d say the ramen is almost part of the experience rather than just an extra side dish.

The surprise favorite: garlic-butter shrimp heads 🧈🦐

And finally, the shrimp heads we had saved came back to the table.

This time, covered in garlic butter.

Nyang wasn’t completely sure about this one at first.

Butter + shrimp heads sounded like it might be a little too rich.

Meong, on the other hand, looked very confident from the beginning.

🐶 Meong: “This is definitely going to be good ㅎㅎ”

And…

he was right.

The garlic butter was rich and savory, but it wasn’t nearly as heavy as Nyang expected.

It worked surprisingly well with the deep flavor of the shrimp heads.

🐱 Nyang: “Wait… why is this so good? ㅎㅎ”

Meong, who already likes buttery flavors, was very happy with this choice too.

And by the end, this was honestly one of the most memorable parts of the whole meal.

Our must-order combo

If we came back again, we would order the exact same combination:

1 kg grilled shrimp + shrimp ramen + garlic-butter shrimp heads

The grilled shrimp is obviously the main event.

But the ramen and garlic-butter heads are what make the meal feel complete.

So if you come all the way here…

don’t stop at just the grilled shrimp ㅎㅎ

A very full and happy ending to our Ganghwa day

It had been a long time since either of us had eaten this much grilled shrimp, so maybe that made it taste even better.

We ate plump shrimp, finished a bowl of ramen, and then somehow still found room for the garlic-butter shrimp heads.

By the end, we were completely full ㅎㅎ

And Nyang was especially comfortable thanks to Meong peeling almost every shrimp for her.

🐱 Nyang: “I think I became a professional shrimp eater today.”

🐶 Meong: “You did a very good job eating ㅎㅎ”

That might sound like a small thing, but moments like this are often what we remember most from a trip.

Eating something good together, looking after each other in little ways, and leaving the table far too full.

It was a simple meal, but a very happy one.

Thanks, Meong 💛

And yes—

next shrimp season, we would happily come back again.

ㅎㅎ

Planning a full day in Ganghwa? → See our Ganghwa Island day-trip itinerary