Sokcho Ajit — flower shrimp and dak-saeu, netted from the tank and steamed on the spot

Yeongnang Haean-gil, Sokcho. Fishmongers and pocha stalls line the strip between the breakwater and the road, and one of them carries a sign reading “Ajit”.

Walk in and the tank is the first thing you see: red shrimp covering the bottom, and in the next compartment snow crabs standing up on their legs.

You order by pointing. Which shrimp, how many, which crab. The owner nets them into a basket and takes it straight to the steamer.

It opens at 3pm. Walking the seafront and stepping in as the light drops is the approach that suits this place best.

The place — Yeongnang Haean-gil, a pocha that opens at 3pm

The address is 133-7 Yeongnang Haean-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon State. Google Maps files it under “pocha”, and it really is a stall-style setup with the tank out front. Phone: 033-637-4838.

It opens at 3pm. There is no lunch service, so daytime is not an option. Sokcho Saeng Daegu is nearby, which makes a clear cod soup at midday and this place in the evening a workable pairing.

The tank does the job of a menu. Shrimp in one compartment, snow crab in another, shellfish in a third, with the water circulating. You choose by looking at what came in today, which is more honest than a menu of photographs.

Sokcho Ajit at a glance (checked 2026-09-19)

Item	Details
Address	133-7 Yeongnang Haean-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon State
Phone	033-637-4838
Hours	Opens at 3pm (as listed on Google Maps)
Type	Pocha — a street stall where you pick from the tank
Popular dishes	Flower shrimp · seafood ramyeon (as listed on Google Maps)
Mentioned in reviews	Dak-saeu shrimp · steamed snow crab (Google Maps review tags)
Prices	Not listed here — the on-site price board could not be read; ask before ordering
Rating	Google Maps ★4.2 (144 reviews) — enough reviews, but below this site’s standard (★4.5)

Flower shrimp and dak-saeu — netted and straight to the steamer

The item Google Maps flags as popular is the flower shrimp. The one reviewers bring up most is the dak-saeu.

Flower shrimp are red and long, with thin shells and long antennae, so their legs splay in every direction as the net comes up. They are alive when netted, and the body gives one flick.

The dak-saeu is a different animal: thick shell, spines standing up along the surface, and real weight in the hand. As the name suggests, its flesh is often described as closer to the grain of chicken.

The netted shrimp go into a red basket and then into the steamer. No seasoning, just steam. The position here is that when the shrimp is good, doing nothing to it is the best cooking method available.

Steamed, the colour turns sharper. Peel the shell and the flesh slides out whole, sweetness first. Setting the heads aside and sucking out the tomalley at the end is part of the sequence here.

Steamed snow crab — a plate with the legs fanned around the rim

The crab is steamed, cleaned and arranged around the plate: legs fanned out radially, with the body meat and tomalley gathered in the centre.

The leg meat has a coarse grain. Push it with chopsticks and it slides out in one piece, and the sweetness lingers as you chew. The tomalley is gathered separately so you can eat it with rice or gim.

Order the shrimp and the crab together and the table turns red. They work differently, so alternating keeps either one from wearing thin: the shrimp is immediate sweetness, the crab a sweetness that builds as you chew.

To finish — seafood ramyeon

Alongside the flower shrimp, the other item Google Maps flags as popular is seafood ramyeon. It is the bowl you order last, once the steaming is done.

Bean sprouts pile up in the red broth, with a few shrimp and whole mussels dropped in. The noodles sit submerged.

The broth is hot and spicy. Because the shrimp are boiled in their shells, sweetness follows the salt, and the bean sprouts cut crisply between the two. If there has been drinking, this bowl is where the night closes.

Map and practicalities — getting there, prices, and the rating

Address 133-7 Yeongnang Haean-gil, Sokcho, Gangwon State
Phone 033-637-4838
Hours opens at 3pm (as listed on Google Maps)

Yeongnang Haean-gil is the coastal road along the north side of central Sokcho. Driving is easier, and putting the Yeongnangho Lake loop or Sokcho Saeng Daegu in the daytime and coming here in the evening makes a natural route.

Prices are left out of this article. There was a price board on site, but our photo of it came out too blurred to read the figures. These are also items that move with the market, so asking at the tank before ordering is the accurate approach.

The rating gets stated plainly. This site uses Google Maps ★4.5 with 100 or more reviews as its recommendation standard. As of September 2026, Ajit sits at ★4.2 with 144 reviews. The review count clears the bar, but the star rating falls a little short.

Seafood places that sell at market rates tend to split opinion. People can eat the same shrimp and come away with different impressions depending on how the price was explained to them. Confirm the count and the cost at the tank before ordering and you step out of that split.

FAQ

What time does it open?

Google Maps lists 3pm. There is no lunch service.

How do I order?

You pick from the tank out front. The owner nets your choice into a basket and steams it as is. It is safer to ask about the count and the price before ordering.

What should I order?

Google Maps lists flower shrimp and seafood ramyeon as the popular dishes, while reviews mention the dak-saeu shrimp and the steamed snow crab most often. The usual order is the steamed seafood first, then seafood ramyeon to finish.

How much does it cost?

This article does not list prices. Our photo of the on-site price board was too blurred to confirm the figures, and these are items that move with the market anyway.

Is there anywhere nearby to combine it with?

Sokcho Saeng Daegu, which serves clear fresh cod soup, is in the same Yeongnang-dong. Cod soup at midday and Ajit in the evening makes a natural route.