Quick Info
Location: Daecheon Beach, Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
Korean Food: Steamed Shellfish + Thin-Sliced Pork Belly + Kimchi Trio
Main Menu: Steamed Shellfish & Korean BBQ
Meat: Thin-Sliced Pork Belly (대패삼겹살) & Pork Neck (목살)
Best For: Families, groups, seafood lovers, Korean food experience
Price We Paid: About ₩70,000
Unlimited: Thin-Sliced Pork Belly & Pork Neck from the self-service bar
Recommended Combination: Shellfish + Pork Belly + Kimchi
Best Sauce: Chojang or Soy Mustard Sauce
Area: Near Daecheon Beach
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👉 Get directions from your current location to a popular Korean West Coast steamed shellfish spot near Daecheon Beach.
Daecheon Beach is famous for its long sandy beach and the Boryeong Mud Festival, but seafood is another reason to enjoy Korea’s west coast.
During our family trip to Daecheon Beach, we wanted to eat seafood for dinner.
There are many ways to enjoy shellfish in Korea, including grilled shellfish (조개구이) and steamed shellfish (조개찜).
Because we were visiting with our children, we chose steamed shellfish instead of grilled shellfish.
Our meal came with steamed shellfish and thin-sliced pork belly, and we could get more thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck from the unlimited self-service bar.
But the best part was combining the foods together.
Shellfish + Thin-Sliced Pork Belly + Kimchi
Dip all three in chojang and eat them together.
This became our own delicious Korean-style samhap at Daecheon Beach.
Why Is Seafood Famous on Korea’s West Coast?
Korea’s west coast, known as the West Sea or Yellow Sea, is famous for shellfish, crabs, and many other types of seafood.
One of the main characteristics of the west coast is the large difference between high and low tide.
When the tide goes out, wide tidal flats are exposed along many parts of the coastline.
These tidal flats provide habitats and feeding grounds for various marine creatures, including clams, crabs, sea snails, and other shellfish.
This natural environment is closely connected to the seafood culture found along Korea’s west coast.
That is why travelers visiting west-coast destinations such as Daecheon can find many places serving shellfish and other seafood.
Grilled or Steamed Shellfish?
Two popular ways to enjoy shellfish are:
Jogae-gui (조개구이) – Grilled shellfish
Jogae-jjim (조개찜) – Steamed shellfish
Grilled shellfish is cooked directly over a grill, while steamed shellfish is cooked together in a large pot.
Both are popular, but we were traveling with our children, so we chose jogae-jjim (steamed shellfish).
For our family, sitting together and eating shellfish from a steaming pot was an easy and comfortable way to enjoy dinner after spending the day at Daecheon Beach.
Steamed Shellfish – Jogae-jjim
Our main seafood dish was jogae-jjim (조개찜).
A large serving of shellfish is steamed until the shells open.
You can take the shellfish out one by one and eat them while they are still hot.
Different shellfish have different sizes, textures, and flavors, so part of the fun is trying the different varieties.
Be careful when opening freshly steamed shells because both the shells and the liquid inside can be very hot.
This is especially important when eating with children.
Thin-Sliced Pork Belly & Pork Neck
The meal wasn’t only seafood.
We also had daepae samgyeopsal (대패삼겹살), which is very thinly sliced Korean pork belly.
Because the meat is thin, it cooks quickly on the grill.
It has the rich flavor of pork belly, but the thin edges can become slightly crispy when grilled.
There was also moksal (목살), or pork neck.
One of the best parts was that the thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck were available from the unlimited self-service bar.
We could go back and get more meat and continue grilling it at the table.
So one meal gave us both:
Korean Seafood + Korean BBQ
This was especially good for our family because everyone could choose what they wanted to eat.
Unlimited Self-Service Bar
The self-service bar made the meal more convenient.
After finishing some of the meat, we could return and get more thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck.
You don’t have to eat only shellfish throughout the entire meal.
You can eat some seafood, grill some pork, eat it with kimchi, and then go back for more meat.
For travelers who want to experience both seafood and Korean BBQ during one dinner, this is an interesting combination.
The Best Way to Eat It – Shellfish Samhap
This was my favorite part of the meal.
Instead of eating everything separately, try combining three foods.
Take:
1 piece of shellfish
+ 1 piece of thin-sliced pork belly
+ 1 piece of kimchi
Put them together.
Then dip them lightly in chojang (초장) and eat everything in one bite.
Chojang is a Korean red chili sauce with a sweet, spicy, and tangy flavor.
The combination works surprisingly well.
The shellfish adds the flavor of the sea.
The pork belly adds a rich and savory flavor.
The kimchi adds spice and acidity.
And the chojang brings everything together.
Shellfish + Pork Belly + Kimchi + Chojang
If you visit Daecheon Beach and order a similar meal, this is the combination I recommend trying.
Try It with Soy Mustard Sauce
There is another way to eat the same combination.
Take:
Shellfish + Pork Belly + Kimchi
But instead of chojang, dip it in soy mustard sauce (간장 겨자소스).
The flavor is completely different.
Chojang gives you a sweet, spicy, and tangy taste.
Soy mustard sauce is more savory and has a slightly sharp mustard flavor.
Both work well with shellfish and pork.
I recommend trying the chojang version first and then trying the soy mustard sauce version.
You may be surprised by how different the same three ingredients can taste depending on the sauce.
Why Shellfish, Pork Belly & Kimchi Work Together
Korean food is often about combining different flavors and textures in one bite.
This meal is a good example.
Shellfish is soft and has a clean seafood flavor.
Pork belly is rich and fatty.
Kimchi is spicy, sour, and crunchy.
When you eat all three together, each ingredient balances the others.
This is why I think of it as a Korean-style samhap (삼합).
Samhap literally means a combination of three things.
Our Daecheon combination was:
Shellfish + Pork Belly + Kimchi
It is a simple way for foreign travelers to experience how Koreans often enjoy several foods together rather than eating every dish separately.
Our Family Dinner at Daecheon Beach
We ate this meal during our family trip to Daecheon Beach.
After spending the day by the sea, we wanted a filling dinner that included both seafood and meat.
Because we had children with us, we chose steamed shellfish rather than grilled shellfish.
The adults could enjoy the shellfish and Korean BBQ, while everyone could choose their preferred food from the table.
The unlimited thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck also meant we could continue eating meat after enjoying the shellfish.
Our meal cost about ₩70,000.
For us, it wasn’t simply a seafood dinner.
Eating steamed shellfish, grilling pork, and discovering the shellfish-pork-kimchi combination became part of our Daecheon Beach travel experience.
Local Atmosphere
Daecheon Beach is one of the popular beach destinations on Korea’s west coast.
In summer, families, couples, and groups of friends come here for swimming and beach activities.
The area is also closely connected with Korea’s west-coast seafood culture.
That makes shellfish a natural choice for dinner after spending the day at the beach.
During the day, you can enjoy the sea.
In the evening, you can sit down with a steaming pot of shellfish and Korean BBQ.
For me, that combination of beach + seafood + Korean BBQ is part of the Daecheon experience.
Tips for Foreign Travelers
Choose Steamed Shellfish with Children
If you are deciding between grilled and steamed shellfish while traveling with children, steamed shellfish can be a convenient option.
This is what we chose during our family visit.
Try the Three Foods Together
Don’t eat everything separately.
Try:
Shellfish + Pork Belly + Kimchi
Then dip it in chojang.
Try Both Sauces
First try the combination with chojang.
Then try it with soy mustard sauce.
The same food tastes surprisingly different.
Use the Self-Service Bar
If your restaurant offers unlimited meat, check the self-service bar.
At the restaurant we visited, we could get more thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck.
Be Careful with Hot Shells
Steamed shellfish can be extremely hot when it first arrives.
Be especially careful when children are eating at the table.
Nearby Attractions
Daecheon Beach
Spend the day swimming, walking along the beach, and enjoying the west-coast scenery before dinner.
Best Korea Beach Trip from Seoul – Daecheon Beach & Boryeong Mud Festival
Boryeong Mud Attractions
Boryeong is internationally known for the Boryeong Mud Festival and related attractions.
Kkotji Beach
Kkotji Beach in Taean is another west-coast destination worth visiting.
Best Korea Beach from Seoul – Kkotji Beach, Tidal Flats & Famous Sunset
At high tide, you can enjoy the sea, while low tide exposes wide tidal flats where you can look for crabs, shellfish, and sea snails.
It is also one of Korea’s famous sunset locations.
More Places to Eat
Korean Fried Chicken
Chicken is an easy meal around Daecheon Beach, especially for lunch or when eating near the beach.
Convenience Store Food
Korean convenience stores are useful for ramen, snacks, drinks, and simple meals during a beach trip.
Seolleongtang
A hot bowl of Korean ox-bone soup can be a good breakfast after staying overnight near Daecheon Beach.
Mom’s Touch
Chicken and burgers are convenient when you want a quick meal during your beach trip.
Mega Coffee
A useful stop for coffee and cold drinks before or after spending time at the beach.
Practical Information
If you are visiting Daecheon Beach and want to experience both Korean seafood and Korean BBQ, this type of meal is worth trying.
The west coast is known for its shellfish and seafood, so steamed or grilled shellfish fits naturally into a Daecheon Beach trip.
For our family, we chose steamed shellfish because we were traveling with children.
The addition of unlimited thin-sliced pork belly and pork neck made the meal much more filling.
And if you order something similar, don’t forget to try our favorite combination:
Shellfish + Thin-Sliced Pork Belly + Kimchi + Chojang
Then try the same combination with soy mustard sauce.
Two sauces, two very different flavors.
✔ Google Maps
👉 Get directions from your current location to a popular Korean West Coast steamed shellfish spot near Daecheon Beach.
Review
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