Stroller-friendly Uiwang fish restaurant: bracken mackerel stew set

Parenting has gotten so much harder lately that both my husband and I were completely running on empty, haha. We badly needed some real nourishment and a boost of energy, so when I heard about a newly opened fish grill restaurant near Baegun Lake in Uiwang, we took a drive out there. It's called Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo, and between the mountain view that basically cleansed my scattered mind and the wood-fired smoky fish, it turned out to be a fantastic find near Baegun Lake.

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch hours and address

• Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time: Weekdays 15:00–17:00
• Parking: Available
• Address: 148 Neungan-gil, Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

How to get there from Baegun Lake, and parking

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo sits in a quiet, calm little village a bit deeper into the foot of Moraksan from Baegun Lake. The moment we got out of the car, the lush green mountain view was seriously amazing! Maybe because it's early autumn, but the already-pretty scenery looked two or three times more atmospheric.

There's a huge private parking lot in front of the restaurant, so no worries about parking even on weekends or the lunch rush! For a family traveling with a baby, a restaurant with a big parking lot is honestly the best, haha.

Inside the hanok dining room: can you bring a baby?

True to its concept of a healthy Korean home-style table, Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is decorated in a serene, old-fashioned hanok (traditional Korean house) style. The warmth unique to hanok blends nicely with a trendy modern feel, so it seemed like a restaurant that would suit people of all ages.

Since it's a newly opened place and we came on a late weekday lunch, I thought it would be pretty relaxed, but I was surprised to see so many customers everywhere inside. In particular, there were a lot of customers in their 40s and 50s — with food this refined and an atmosphere this nice, it seems to have won over that age group right away, haha. I definitely thought I need to bring my mom and dad here sometime.

The restaurant is also spacious enough to park a stroller right next to the table, and there are several baby chairs, so families with young babies like us can eat comfortably here.

Menu and prices: the boyang set for two at 45,000 won

While looking around for something good for restoring energy, I found the boyang set for two (₩45,000). It comes with a rice pot and lets you try sea eel, grilled flounder, grilled mackerel, and braised mackerel all together, so I picked this one right away. I'd been debating between grilled and braised mackerel on the way here, so getting to eat both felt like a total win, haha.

Besides the set menu, there are various set meals ranging from ₩17,000 to ₩29,000. Considering the unlimited side dishes that come with the main dish, it doesn't seem like bad value at all!

What comes with the boyang set for two and the self-serve banchan bar

The boyang set for two looks gorgeous just sitting there. From the spicy bracken mackerel stew to the grilled fish, it's a spread that looks healthy just from the sight of it. So neatly arranged...!

The basic side dishes come out in small portions and are refillable, so you can taste each one first and grab more of whatever suits your taste at the self-serve bar.

The self-serve bar was well-stocked with nothing running low! You can trust the hygiene here for sure. There are a few side dishes only available at the self-serve bar and not in the basic set, so make sure to grab the kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake), tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), or macaroni salad, haha.

How the wood-fired grilled fish and sea eel taste

The mackerel, flounder, and sea eel that came out of the wood-fired oven had legendary smoky flavor from the moment they arrived. Personally, I really hate grilled fish where the moisture isn't controlled well, but maybe because it's cooked in a wood-fired oven here, the outside was crispy and the inside was moist — truly delicious. Taking a big scoop of the freshly cooked rice pot with it, you don't even need other side dishes — total rice thief.

The sea eel dipped in sauce was also amazing... Having only ever eaten it with a seasoned glaze before, this plain grilled version was clean and delicious in a different way.

Braised mackerel with bracken (gosari)

The braised mackerel needs no introduction — a true specialty among specialties. This was my first time having braised fish with bracken (fernbrake) in it, and the spicy, deep sauce with the thoroughly cooked bracken was exactly my style. The radish was also cooked down so much it had incredible savory depth!!

Something I found out on the way out after finishing our meal — apparently the café right upstairs gives you ₩1,000 off coffee. Once it gets a bit cooler soon, I'll definitely have to come back here for a family meal with my mom and dad.