Camille T.
Yelp
I had high hopes for Gebang Sikdang, especially given its reputation and pricing, but unfortunately, the experience fell flat across the board. From the banchan (side dishes) to the so-called signature crab set, the food ranged from forgettable to frustratingly flavorless.
Starting with the sides, none stood out--except for a passable octopus pancake. It had a decent texture and a relatively balanced flavor, though nothing I'd rave about. The rest of the sides, including the kimchi, were underwhelming. Personally, I judge a Korean restaurant by its kimchi, and this one missed the mark. It lacked a fresh crunch and leaned too heavily on an overpowering, one-note seasoning that overwhelmed the palate rather than complemented it.
The spicy marinated shrimp came next--$9 for three pieces, which seemed fair until the flavor (or lack thereof) kicked in. The shrimp was completely overpowered by the spicy marinade, eliminating any of the subtle sweetness or freshness you'd expect from seafood. Even pairing it with rice didn't help. Everything just tasted like the same flat, spicy sauce with zero depth or nuance.
Then came the crab roe buckwheat noodles--or rather, buckwheat noodles with a token appearance of crab roe. Honestly, calling this a crab roe dish is misleading. I found maybe two tiny bits of roe that added nothing to the overall flavor. Despite mixing thoroughly as recommended by the server, the dish was still bland. The noodle texture was fine, but honestly, I've had better soba noodles from a grocery store. It felt like an afterthought, with no seasoning and no direction.
The final (and most disappointing) dish was the crab set--supposedly the star of the menu at a steep $48 price point. What arrived was far from impressive: not even a full crab, just the head and two legs, served with a sheet of seaweed and a bowl of seaweed soup. While the soup was serviceable (and surprisingly one of the few things I actually enjoyed, along with the pancake), the crab was an utter letdown. It was drenched in spicy marinade to the point where there was zero crab flavor detectable. I even tried scraping the sauce off and pairing it with rice, hoping to salvage something from the dish--but it didn't help. It was all heat, no substance.
In summary, Gebang Sikdang felt more like a case study in how not to execute bold Korean flavors. Instead of depth, everything was buried under a monotonous spicy marinade. At a premium price point, this meal failed to deliver on both flavor and value. The portions were stingy, the dishes were one-dimensional, and for a restaurant that seems to highlight crab as its specialty, the signature dish was a true disappointment.
Final verdict: 4/10, and that's being generous. The octopus pancake and seaweed soup each earn a point or two, but the rest? Completely skippable. I won't be returning.