Gwangalli set-meal restaurant, gulbi and braised mackerel: Hwadeogeuro

📍 Grilled fish in Gwangalli: 'Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Gwangalli Waterside Park Branch'

🕖 Hours 11:00-21:00 / Last order 20:15 / Closed every Wednesday

📍 Address: 147 Minrak-subyeon-ro, 2nd floor, Suyeong-gu, Busan, South Korea (Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Gwangalli Waterside Park Branch)

Where is Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo in Gwangalli, and how do you find the entrance?

I visited Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Gwangalli Waterside Park Branch for some grilled fish in Gwangalli. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor — you can take the stairs on the right or use the elevator, which made it easy to get in. It was pretty accessible for visiting with family too, haha.

Parking near Gwangalli Waterside Park: 1,000 won covered per table

You can use the Subyeoneorini Park public parking lot (9-23 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 370beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan). It's open 24 hours a day, year-round, at ₩1,800 per hour.

* If you tell staff to register your parking after your meal, they'll give a ₩1,000 discount per table, so you only pay ₩800 when leaving the lot.

Hall seats, private rooms and baby chairs at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo

The outer hall seats

Once inside, the hall was bigger than I expected and had a clean overall look. Each table also had partitions, so it felt somewhat separated from the tables next to it, which made for a comfortable meal.

The private room

There's also a separate room space that seems well suited to family gatherings or work dinners with a larger group. If you want to use the room, it's probably a good idea to book ahead. 😊

Baby chairs and bibs

They also have baby chairs and bibs on hand, which is another plus for families visiting with kids, haha.

Self-serve banchan bar and dessert corner

The self-serve side dish corner had a wide variety of banchan (side dishes) ready to go. There was japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), leafy wraps, seasoned vegetables, and more — all great with rice. Since side dishes already come with your order, it's easiest to eat what's served first, then grab more from the self-serve corner if you want.

The dessert corner

There's also a dessert corner near the entrance. It had a coffee machine, warm barley tea, plum tea, and even candy, which made for a nice finish after the meal, haha.

The menu board has detailed usage instructions, so it's worth a read before ordering. There's also a review event going on — leave a review and you can get 3 marinated shrimp or a large canned drink.

There were so many types of fish that it was fun to pick based on preference, and besides grilled fish, they also had jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) and soy-marinated crab set menus. So it's not just great for fish lovers — it's also good if someone in your group doesn't eat grilled fish, since there are still other options.

📋 What we ordered — Gulbi set ₩21,000 / Bracken mackerel braise set ₩18,000

The two of us ordered the gulbi set and the bracken mackerel braise set. Every set menu comes with a main dish, rice, soup, and side dishes.

What comes with the 21,000 won gulbi set?

First, the gulbi set came out as this generous full-table spread — it looked hearty just from the sight of it.

You can choose your rice from white rice, brown rice, or gondeure (mountain vegetable) rice, with gondeure costing an extra ₩2,000. I went with brown rice, and it was softer than expected, not gritty at all, so I enjoyed it. But if you prefer completely soft rice, I'd recommend the white rice, haha!

The seaweed soup that came with the set was served hot too, which paired nicely with the grilled fish, and about six basic side dishes came along with it. If you're missing anything, or want japchae that isn't part of the basic side dishes, you can grab it from the self-serve bar.

The japchae in particular had nice chewy noodles and was just salty enough, so I enjoyed it a lot as a rice side. 🤤

And the main event — the gulbi! I don't eat gulbi often, so I was personally looking forward to this one, and once I picked apart the flesh, it was much softer than I expected. Instead of a chewy bite, it had a tender, light, clean flavor.

That said, gulbi does tend to have a lot of small bones, so if you're visiting with kids, it might be better to go with the mackerel or Spanish mackerel set instead, haha! It was tasty dipped lightly in the soy sauce on the table, and also worked really well just placed on top of warm white rice.

What comes with the 18,000 won bracken and braised mackerel set?

Next up, the bracken mackerel braise set! It looked appetizing at a glance — inside were bracken, big chunks of radish, and thick mackerel pieces, with a rich, well-soaked sauce.

There were 2 pieces of mackerel and 2 pieces of radish, and each piece was quite large, so it left me really full after finishing it. Eating the plump mackerel flesh with rice was, as expected, absolutely addictive — I could've gone for seconds! With a braise like this, mixing rice right into the sauce is the way to go, haha. Topping it with the soft, well-cooked radish made it even better!

Is Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo worth it for a Gwangalli lunch with family?

Overall, from grilled fish to braises, the menu pairs well with rice, making it a solid pick when you're searching for a good Gwangalli lunch spot. On the way out after eating, I also grabbed a cup of milk coffee, haha.

A great place to enjoy hearty grilled fish and braised fish sets in Gwangalli! With a spacious, clean interior and rooms available, it's also a top choice for family meals or group gatherings.