Pohang mulhoe restaurant for a first squid mulhoe with somyeon: Ppwang

When I travel to Pohang I often eat mulhoe (raw fish cold soup), but this time I was curious about squid mulhoe, which I'd never tried before, so I visited Ppwang Mulhoe, a Pohang mulhoe restaurant.

Ppwang Mulhoe turned out to be a Yeongildae, Pohang spot where you can try all kinds of squid dishes besides squid mulhoe and flounder mulhoe — fried squid, boiled squid, raw squid sashimi, and more.

Where is Ppwang Mulhoe, and what are the hours and parking?

Ppwang Mulhoe 📍Location: 1F, 203-1 Haean-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do ⏰Hours: 10:30-22:00 / last order 21:00 Fri, Sat 10:30-23:00 / last order 22:00 🚘Parking: available ✅ Group seating available, high chairs available

There's a parking lot in front of the restaurant, and if it's full you can use the public parking lot. The lot was completely full, which made me think — yep, this is a place people flock to.

Beside the restaurant there's a tank full of live squid. Quite a few people were already eating, but luckily I got a seat right away without waiting.

Inside Ppwang Mulhoe: the menu and the pink-accent interior

Walking inside, the space was bigger than I expected.

There were pink accents on the walls and chairs here and there, giving it a cute, slightly different feel.

Even the baby chair and apron were pink, which caught my eye. There were plenty of tables too, so it looked good for group get-togethers or family meals.

Ordering was simple with a tablet order system.

• Squid mulhoe - ₩20,000
• Half-and-half mulhoe - ₩20,000
• Fried squid - ₩15,000

There was also a beef rice bowl on the menu, so it seemed fine to bring along a friend who doesn't like mulhoe. While we were ordering, the staff let us know that side dishes are self-serve at the self-bar.

Self-service corner with tteokbokki, chicken nuggets and squid soup

The self-bar had tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), chicken nuggets, and gimmari (fried seaweed rolls), so kids would probably enjoy those too.

On top of that, there was a wide variety of side dishes.

Minced garlic, gochujang (red pepper paste), and ssamjang (dipping sauce) were all set out too.

There was also squid soup at the self-bar — you ladle warm broth over it yourself.

The squid soup had plenty of bean sprouts and squid in it, and with the variety of side dishes, this alone could easily fill a bowl of rice. Good to keep in mind for family meals when looking for a Yeongildae, Pohang restaurant.

How to eat squid mulhoe: gochujang sauce first, then iced broth

After grabbing side dishes and coming back to the table, the mulhoe we'd been waiting for arrived.

The bowl had cucumber, pear, squid, and gochujang sauce all together. Apparently Pohang-style mulhoe isn't eaten by pouring in broth right away — the distinguishing feature is mixing everything with the gochujang sauce first.

True to a proper Pohang mulhoe restaurant, there were instructions on the best way to eat it, so I mixed the vegetables and squid thoroughly with the gochujang sauce and took the first bite that way. The seasoning blended well with the ingredients, and I could feel the squid's chewy, springy texture.

Next I poured in the ice broth and tried it that way — and honestly, I liked it better this way.

The sweet-and-sour seasoning combined with the cool broth made my mouth feel refreshed, and the chewy squid with crunchy vegetables together tasted better than I expected.

Adding somyeon noodles, then finishing with rice

I grabbed some somyeon (thin wheat noodles) from the self-bar and added them to the mulhoe. Mixing the noodles in too let the seasoning soak into them, giving a whole different flavor. After eating some of the mulhoe—

— add rice and mix it all together!!! With rice mixed into the sweet-and-sour mulhoe seasoning, it made a hearty way to finish the meal. I especially loved the combination of pouring in ice broth and then adding the noodles. With the cool broth, sweet-and-sour seasoning, chewy squid, and now noodles too, my spoon just kept going back for more. This was my first time trying squid mulhoe, and even for someone like me who's been hunting down Pohang mulhoe restaurants, it was quite satisfying.

Half-and-half mulhoe: flounder and squid in one bowl

The half-and-half mulhoe combined flounder and squid, which was great because you could taste two kinds of raw fish at once.

The flounder had a light, delicate feel, while the squid kept its chewy texture — comparing their different charms as we ate was fun.

The fried squid two of us cleared at Ppwang Mulhoe

And the dish that turned out even tastier than expected was the fried squid.

The squid pieces were generously sized, so every bite had crispy batter along with thick, meaty squid.

Crispy outside, chewy inside — it went really well alternating bites with the mulhoe. It looked like a lot for two people, so we figured we'd box up leftovers, but once we started eating, the two of us finished the whole plate of fried squid haha. That's how much we enjoyed it as a special treat. If you're craving cool mulhoe on a trip to Pohang, it's worth stopping by Ppwang Mulhoe, a solid Pohang mulhoe restaurant.

Is Ppwang Mulhoe worth it for a first squid mulhoe?

If you're like me and trying squid mulhoe for the first time, you'll probably enjoy discovering the combination of chewy texture, sweet-and-sour seasoning, and cool broth. There are also plenty of menu options for a family visit, and if you're looking for somewhere to eat near Yeongildae, this is a good Yeongildae, Pohang restaurant to remember.

I'd recommend it as a Pohang restaurant worth trying even for people who already eat mulhoe often on Pohang trips — it's a chance to taste something new. Most of all, what I loved most about this visit was discovering the appeal of squid mulhoe.

Next time I'm in Pohang, I want to come back to Ppwang Mulhoe, a Yeongildae, Pohang restaurant, and have squid mulhoe again. If you're looking for a Pohang mulhoe restaurant, or want to try mulhoe and fried squid together near Yeongildae, keep this one in mind. This time at Ppwang Mulhoe, a Yeongildae, Pohang restaurant, I enjoyed a delicious meal of squid mulhoe and fried squid.