Self-serve banchan bar at Siheung Korean restaurant Seolak Chueotang

I went out for a drive to get some fresh air at Mulwang Reservoir and ended up having a proper meal. I'd heard this place had been on TV, so I was curious, and after eating there I got why so many people come. With both chueotang (loach soup) and wood-fired grilled fish on the menu, it was actually a good pick for anyone who loves Korean food.

Seolak Chueotang Hwadeok Saenggeongui Mulwang Reservoir Main Branch / Hours: daily 10:00 – 21:00 / Address: 40 Dongseo-ro 857beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea / Parking: free parking space next to the restaurant

Easy to find right by Mulwang Reservoir in Siheung

Seolak Chueotang Hwadeok Saenggeongui Mulwang Reservoir Main Branch sits among the cluster of restaurants near Mulwang Reservoir, so it wasn't hard to find. What I especially liked was that there's parking space right next to the restaurant!

Finding a parking spot around Mulwang Reservoir on weekends is always a bit of a hassle, so being able to park and walk straight in was really convenient.

What Seolak Chueotang is like with kids in tow

Inside, the place had an overall clean feel with tables set up generously spaced apart. There were also high chairs and a microwave for baby food, so it seemed comfortable to visit with a child too.

With seating not just on the 1st floor but also on the 2nd, it looked good for family meals or larger groups too. At the entrance I could see the TV appearances it's had, and there were already quite a few diners in before lunchtime, which got my expectations up.

What we ordered: loach soup for two and a mackerel set

This time we kept it simple: chueotang (loach soup) for two and a mackerel grill set.

Both the chueotang and wood-fired grill sets come with hot pot rice, so you get a proper serving of rice too. There were several types of chueotang available, from the basic version to whole loach, mud snail, and abalone chueotang. The grilled fish also came in several varieties beyond mackerel — atka mackerel, Spanish mackerel, tilefish, and more — so it seemed easy to pick according to your taste.

The side dishes were varied too, each one tasty, and it was great that you could just help yourself from the self-serve bar.

How the chueotang (loach soup) tastes

The chueotang came out first, and the sight of it bubbling away in the stone pot really got my appetite going.

Even from the color it looked rich and thick, so I could tell before my spoon even touched it that the broth would be pretty intense.

One spoonful in, it had a savory, hearty flavor, and the warm broth felt like it filled you right up. Adding minced garlic brought a sharp aroma that made the broth even richer. I also tried adding a bit of perilla powder to taste, which added a nutty flavor for a different twist.

If you like the deep, distinctive flavor of chueotang, it goes really well with a spoonful of rice mixed in too. We ordered two servings that day, and with the hot broth plus hot pot rice, it made for a pretty filling meal.

Mackerel set grilled in the wood-fired oven

Then the mackerel grill set we'd also ordered showed up.

I was actually surprised that Seolak Chueotang Hwadeok Saenggeongui, a hanjeongsik (Korean set meal) spot near Mulwang Reservoir, really does have a wood-fired oven in the kitchen.

The mackerel was a decent size, and it came out whole, which made for a pretty appetizing presentation right away.

Maybe because it was grilled in the wood-fired oven, the skin was golden brown while the flesh underneath stayed moist. Picking at it with chopsticks, the meat came away easily, so it was easy to eat.

The mackerel's characteristic salty flavor came with a clean, nutty richness that paired really well with the hot rice. There's a reason you always end up going for an extra bowl of rice when eating grilled fish, haha.

Putting a piece of mackerel on top of freshly made hot pot rice, I kept reaching for more with my spoon even without any other side dishes. The mackerel set also came with a savory soybean paste stew, which paired nicely with the grilled fish.

Hot pot rice and the self-serve banchan bar

And personally, what I loved just as much was this hot pot rice.

You scoop the rice out first, then pour water into the pot, and by the time you finish eating, a crispy scorched rice (nurungji) has formed. Finishing with that warm scorched rice made for a really satisfying end to the meal.

Between the chueotang, the mackerel grill, and the hot pot rice with scorched rice at the end, I was completely full, haha. I went out just to get some air and came back having had a proper meal.

Is Seolak Chueotang worth a stop near Mulwang Reservoir?

After this visit, I'd say Mokgam-dong's Seolak Chueotang Hwadeok Saenggeongui isn't just a chueotang place — it's a good spot for chueotang lovers and grilled fish lovers to go together, each picking their own dish.

I also liked that it's in a convenient location for when you're driving around Mulwang Reservoir and want a warm Korean meal. Best of all, being able to try both the rich chueotang broth and the wood-fired grilled mackerel in one sitting gave a nice range of menu choices.

If you're out getting some air at Mulwang Reservoir and find yourself craving a hearty Korean meal, this place is worth a visit. If you like both chueotang and grilled fish like I do, you'll enjoy it even more.