Uiwang Korean restaurant with separate group seating: mackerel set

What is Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch like?

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch (화덕으로간고등어 백운호수점) is a newly opened Korean restaurant near Baegun Lake in Uiwang, serving wood-fired fish and rice pots as a neat full table. It suits anyone looking for a place for parents, a big family meal, hosting executives, or eating out with a baby.

• Recommended restaurant at Baegun Lake
• Good for meals with parents and big families
• Great for a neat, polite meal with executives or senior guests
• Wide spacing between tables, so OK with a baby
• Self-bar with plenty of side dishes
• Recommended menu: mackerel set
• Neat, clean flavors, would revisit

Anyang, Gunpo and Uiwang are the area I explore, and this time I visited Baegun Lake. It turns out to be a nice weekend spot for families. But when you come to Baegun Lake, deciding where to eat is a headache, right? Something heavy and spicy feels like too much, but grabbing a so-so meal would be a shame.

I heard a new restaurant had just opened at Baegun Lake, so I went. It's a Korean restaurant with a neat full table and wood-fired mackerel that melts in your mouth, and it was really good! I hope this helps anyone looking for a place for parents, a Baegun Lake restaurant, or somewhere to go with a baby.

Is parking easy at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch?

The restaurant has parking for 40 cars, and I hear you can also park at the sports academy building on weekends. Hours are 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20), with a break time on weekdays from 15:00 to 17:00.

When I look for a restaurant for family meals, the first thing I check is parking. A family gathering means two or three cars, and if parking is a hassle, finding another spot and waiting around is exhausting. With room for 40 cars, this place has plenty of parking.

Extra parking is also available at the sports academy building on weekends, so you can consider parking stress a non-issue!

How is the restaurant for visiting with a baby or parents?

Being newly opened, the restaurant is very clean, and the wide spacing between tables made it easy to get a stroller in. High chairs are available too, so eating with a child is comfortable.

When taking elderly parents or kids out to eat, the biggest worry is the restaurant's condition. Since you're bringing older people or children, I look closely at whether the place is hygienic and whether the table spacing makes it easy to move around.

The restaurant just opened, so it was very clean, and the interior and tables were sparkling.

The tables are widely spaced, so it was great for getting a stroller in.

❗Tip❗ The view from the window seats is gorgeous.

It's also very good for eating with a baby. There are high chairs, so you can come with a young child.

Are there dishes that work for parents and kids?

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo serves Korean food built around grilled mackerel and rice pots, so it's easy for parents and kids to eat together. Another worry when taking elderly parents or kids out is what to order, and Korean food is the safest choice.

Grilled mackerel is familiar from our own tables, but here it came with a refined taste and a neat full table that made me feel I was treating my family properly. Rice pots are something elders always love. Pouring hot water over the scorched rice (nurungji) after the meal soothes their stomachs, which makes it a lovely way to finish.

Also, when eating out with a baby, food that's too spicy or oily is awkward to feed. A grilled-fish Korean restaurant is centered on rice and side dishes, so you can eat comfortably without agonizing over the menu.

Recommended dish: mackerel set ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The recommended dish at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch is the mackerel set (godeungeo jeongsik). The wood-fired mackerel had no fishy smell and melted in my mouth.

As the name suggests, this is a Korean restaurant centered on grilled fish, with an atmosphere good for parents. Grilled mackerel is a familiar side for rice, and eating it with the rice pot and side dishes feels like a proper meal, so satisfaction was high.

The dish our family (Dungjjak-ne) recommends is ✅ the mackerel set.

True to the restaurant's name, mackerel is the signature move. It had no fishy smell at all and melted in my mouth..

I wondered, can mackerel really be this sweet? Maybe because it's grilled right in the wood-fired oven, the sweetness was concentrated and it was really delicious.

How spicy is the spicy marinated crab set? ⭐⭐⭐

The spicy marinated crab set (yangnyeom gejang jeongsik) at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch is clean with no fishiness, but about as hot as a cheongyang chili, so opinions will split. It's less spicy than Buldak noodles and spicier than Shin Ramyun.

I also ordered ✅ the spicy marinated crab set. Isn't the crab pretty? The neat full table looks appetizing too. It's a dish that often sells out, and luckily it was available today!

The taste is clean with no fishiness at all. It's spicy, though, so opinions will differ. The heat is about a cheongyang chili: less than Buldak noodles, more than Shin Ramyun. If you can't handle spice, it'll be hard. I love spicy food, so I enjoyed it (I eat Buldak noodles often). It leaves a lingering kick afterward, you know? Haha. It would probably be tough for elders who can't handle spice.

What's on the kids' menu? Handmade tteokgalbi ⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are a kids' wood-fired handmade tteokgalbi (₩10,000) and a kids' mackerel set (₩9,000). Children aged 4–7 reportedly must order a kids' menu.

This is a kid-friendly restaurant. The kids' dishes are set up separately so they're easy to eat, so it would be great to come with children.

We ordered the tteokgalbi set and the juices burst in your mouth, pop pop! Anyone of any age would enjoy it with no hit-or-miss. I recommend it for kids who don't eat fish! (If you order the mackerel set for adults, give your child a few bites, and if they refuse, feed them tteokgalbi, which works perfectly.)

How should a big family order?

Next time I bring elders and the whole family to Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo, I'd order 2 boyang (health-boosting) sets for 3 people, plus extra mackerel sets for the additional people, a kids' tteokgalbi set and a kids' mackerel set!

I also wanted to try the grilled Atka mackerel (imyeonsu), but I was about to burst... sadly I couldn't. (I ate at lunch and was full until dinner;) The owner is confident about Atka mackerel as well as mackerel, so if you visit, try the Atka mackerel too!

Is the self-bar unlimited refill?

A big plus of Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch is the self-bar with unlimited refills of side dishes, soup and rice. See it? Endless dishes... Parents especially like it more when the sides are clean and varied than when only one dish is good. With unlimited refills, I really recommend this restaurant.

❗Recommended self-bar side dishes❗

✅ Black sesame lotus root salad (heugimja yeongeun muchim): my husband and I said "Wow~" the moment we tasted it. The crunch and sweetness of the lotus root balanced with the saltiness beautifully. What is this auntie's touch..? I really want to learn this dish. I keep thinking about the lotus root texture.

✅ Japchae (glass noodle stir-fry): good restaurants always have good japchae~ Japchae is the test of the aunties' hand, and Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is a japchae winner ^^

❗Pro tip❗ The refill self-bar offers not just side dishes but soup and rice too. Children under 4 don't have to order a kids' menu, so it seems perfect for family meals with kids under 4, neighborhood moms' gatherings and family get-togethers.

Is it good for hosting executives and senior guests?

Group seating is separated into rooms of 12 and 8 seats, good for lunch gatherings or hosting a meal. Gentle music and tidy interiors keep the atmosphere calm.

Coming here, I thought the group seating is well separated. If executives or senior officials visiting Anyang, Gunpo or Uiwang want a comfortable Korean meal (like lunch), this restaurant works fine. With separated rooms of 12 and 8 seats, it's good for lunch gatherings. The interior and atmosphere are nice and calm, comfortable music plays, so I think there's no better place to bring important guests.

The mayor of Uiwang visited last month too!

Is there a café to visit after the meal?

Right next to the restaurant is a café called 'Serendipity', and they say you get a discount if you bring your receipt from the meal! A ₩5,000 coffee comes out to ₩4,000.

You've come all the way to Baegun Lake, so it would be a shame to end with just a neat Korean meal. Being able to have coffee easily too looked really great for coming together as a family.

Verdict: I'd go back for a family group meal

• Recommended for big family meals
• Recommended for eating out with kids
• Recommended for treating parents
• Recommended for company executives and senior officials
• Recommended if you're craving mackerel

Our family (Dungjjak-ne) gathers for a meal every holiday, and since every condition suited me, I plan to gather my parents and my brother's family and revisit Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch for our next family group meal! If you're eating as a family, I recommend Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo!