Near 뱅뱅사거리 (Baengbaeng Sageori) in southern Seoul, 무화잠 강남점 is a long-running Korean seafood restaurant specializing in 대게 (snow crab), 킹크랩 (king crab), and 랍스터 (lobster). The Gangnam branch is at 서울 강남구 강남대로 292, close to the office-heavy area between Gangnam and Yangjae. 

무화잠 is not just a single restaurant. The company behind it was established in 2009 as a Korean seafood dining business, and company information describes it as operating multiple directly managed branches in Seoul, including Yangjae, Nonhyeon, Apgujeong, and Gangnam. Its concept has long focused on full-course meals built around premium crab and lobster rather than simply serving one large seafood plate. 

The Gangnam location also has a bit of television history. It appeared on the Korean food program 수요미식회 (Wednesday Food Talk) in January 2018 during an episode focused on snow crab. At the time, the restaurant was highlighted for serving crab as a more formal Korean course meal, including preparations such as 대게회 and 대게찜. 

That course-style approach is exactly what makes eating here interesting. Our meal moved through several dishes: fresh greens and seafood, sashimi, noodles with garnishes, slices of raw fish, a large platter of crab, a creamy soup, rice finished in a hot stone bowl with roasted seaweed, and a spicy seafood soup with tofu and shellfish. Instead of one main dish arriving by itself, the table keeps changing as each course appears.

The current menu still centers on snow crab, king crab, and lobster courses, but there are also Korean seafood and lunch dishes such as 간장게장, 보리굴비, 대게탕, 생대구탕, and 대게살비빔밥. 

For visitors learning Korean, the location name is useful too. 사거리 (sageori) means a four-way intersection, so 뱅뱅사거리 literally means “Baengbaeng Intersection.”

Vocabulary

• 대게 (daege) — snow crab
• 킹크랩 (kingkeuraep) — king crab
• 랍스터 (rapseuteo) — lobster
• 해산물 (haesanmul) — seafood
• 코스요리 (koseu-yori) — course meal
• 사거리 (sageori) — four-way intersection