West Suwon grilled fish, jumbo bakdae with extra rice: Godeungeo

Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch: why it became my number one grilled fish

Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch (고등어명품이되다 수원점) is a grilled fish restaurant on Seobu-ro in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, and it took first place among all the grilled fish I've ever eaten. I'd heard so much about it that I assumed it would be like any other grilled fish place, but I came away having eaten truly crispy, totally non-fishy, all-time-great grilled fish..!

The address is 1731 Seobu-ro, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, and it's open from 10:40 to 22:00. It has a large parking lot with plenty of spaces, so I think it's a good pick for family gatherings or group meals.

The signature dishes here are mackerel sashimi, grilled mackerel and mackerel mulhoe (cold sashimi soup). You can even have sashimi at a grilled fish place, so just order whatever you like~ The mackerel is cooked in a wood-fired oven, so it was really crispy and moist and so good.

How does waiting work at Godeungeo Suwon?

There's a Catchtable waiting machine at the entrance. I went on an early weekday evening, so I got in without waiting, and I'm not sure whether remote waiting is possible..!

Is this a good Suwon grilled fish restaurant for babies?

There are lots of baby chairs, so this was a great place to go with a baby in Suwon!! There are sooo many seats, and you order through a convenient table ordering system. The staff were friendly, and the delicious side dishes can be refilled self-service!

The moment you walk in, the high ceiling makes the interior look cool and airy! There are tables for 4 and 6, so you can pick where to sit. Even a family group usually comes in around six people, so I guess the biggest table seats 6!

In the kitchen, a huge wood-fired oven keeps grilling fish nonstop, and the turnover seemed surprisingly fast.

Godeungeo menu and what we ordered

Menu of Godeungeo, a Gwonseon-gu favorite

We decided to eat only grilled fish, so we ordered two things: the jumbo grilled bakdae (croaker) for ₩30,000 and the grilled cutlassfish for ₩19,000! And it was so good that halfway through... we added a bowl of rice haha.

Table drawers and a self-bar: a well-prepared restaurant

You don't need to call the staff, because everything you need is set up at the table and nearby, which was so convenient. When we came in, they handed us a bottle of water and told us to sit wherever we liked haha.

Open the table drawer and it's packed with spoons, chopsticks, napkins, wet wipes, wasabi and soy sauce. When some restaurants don't keep these stocked, it feels under-prepared, but this place was truly well prepared.

The basic side dishes are brought to your table, and they come out as soon as you order. Seeing the neat side dishes, it felt like a proper Suwon Korean restaurant. The seaweed soup was really good too, and every side dish tasted homemade.. so tasty. They go really well with the grilled fish.

If you run out of side dishes, you can refill them at the self-bar. The self-bar is kept really hygienic and well stocked, which gives customers the impression of a well-managed restaurant.

The self-bar also has sikhye (sweet rice drink) to finish the meal, and I enjoyed it on my way out~ A Gwonseon-gu favorite that was perfect right down to dessert. While I was playing with the baby, the grilled fish came out quickly.

How was the jumbo grilled bakdae?

The jumbo grilled bakdae (₩30,000) was nutty and crispy through and through, and it was really big. Since we ordered the jumbo bakdae, each fish came on its own plate, though it seemed they usually serve several fish together on one plate. The jumbo bakdae... was so big!!!

It was cooked through with no fishy smell at all, and the bones came out in big clean chunks. I sometimes skip grilled fish because picking out the bones is a hassle, but here the bones slid right out, so it was easy to eat.

The jumbo bakdae really was nutty and crispy through and through! The flesh was springy yet tender, with a great texture. I love the crispy parts of fish, and the large size made it even better~

Putting a big piece of fish on top of rice is just... so good ㅠㅠ A grilled fish place that makes you wonder, did I always love fish this much? If you have kids who hate fish, try taking them here... haha.

Grilled cutlassfish for ₩19,000: size and taste

The grilled cutlassfish (₩19,000) was salty enough to be a real rice thief (a dish that makes you finish your rice), and the bones came out fairly easily too, so it was easy to eat. At other restaurants the cutlassfish isn't this big, but here it came out really plump, and I was totally satisfied!

The tender cutlassfish makes you polish off a whole bowl of rice..! I ordered one more bowl and split it with my husband....

On the way out I noticed that at most tables people had left some fish, because the portions are so big. The amount of fish is huge, and the side dishes can be refilled generously, which I loved. You can see why there's a wait on weekends.

A cafeteria corner with dessert coffee and a microwave

Godeungeo Suwon has a cafeteria corner where you can get dessert coffee for free. There aren't tables there, of course, but I think you could chat there for a bit before heading out!

There's also a microwave in the middle so you can reheat your fish if it gets cold while you eat, and I thought it would be handy for feeding baby food if you come with a baby!

Is it worth recommending as a Suwon grilled fish restaurant?

Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch is the place where the writer had the best-grilled fish she has ever eaten. Grilled fish wasn't something I ate often, but after finding this place it became something I really want to eat all the time. If you're looking for a great grilled fish restaurant in Suwon, please go!!!

It's a no-fail restaurant for taking older relatives or treating guests, too! I think I'll be thinking about it often ㅠㅠ