Ansan Korean restaurant, mustard salad and two mackerel: Yeongwolae

This review was written after visiting with a discount. Ansan Korean restaurant pick — Yeongwolae Gondre Ansan Branch.

Parking at Yeongwolae Gondre Ansan Branch on a weekday evening

Lately I haven't had much of an appetite, so I'd been craving a proper Korean meal. My partner Mokseong and I came here after work on a weekday to eat something filling. We parked in the building's underground lot, and there was more space than expected, which made it easy to visit straight from work.

Walking down the corridor, the Yeongwolae Gondre storefront came into view right away — and honestly, I was a bit surprised at how big it looked from the entrance. Out front was a long waiting sofa, and everything felt clean and well kept.

Further in was a separate waiting area, and my eye was drawn to a large aquatic-plant tank on one side. Thanks to the tank full of green plants, the space felt more upscale than a typical waiting area.

There was also a simple hand-washing sink near the entrance. Being able to wash up before or after the meal without walking all the way to the restroom was a small but surprisingly convenient touch.

Off to the side, there was also a space where you could buy side dishes separately.

Inside Yeongwolae Gondre Ansan: private rooms and group tables

Walking into the Yeongwolae Gondre Ansan Branch dining room, it was much bigger than I'd expected.

The interior used a lot of wood tones, so it felt warm but tidy, and the floor-to-ceiling windows by the window seats gave a nice open view outside. Even on a weekday evening, there were quite a few diners already seated.

What I especially liked were the private rooms. Beyond the regular tables, there were separate enclosed spaces, which looked great for families eating comfortably together, or for group dinners and work gatherings. Seating ranged from tables for 2–4 up to larger group tables.

Ordering the Yeongwol Mureung Dowon set, an assorted table for two

Time to check out the menu properly! There was a wide range of Korean dishes — bulgogi sets, soy crab sets, grilled mackerel sets, Namdo cockle salad sets, and more. We thought about ordering dishes individually, but since we wanted to taste a bit of everything, we went with the Yeongwol Muneungdowon set, a 2-person assorted table.

Self-serve bar: side dishes, gondre rice, plum tea and sikhye

We had a look around the self-serve bar. The side dishes were neatly laid out, and you could just take as much as you wanted.

There were two rice options — white rice and gondre rice — so you could pick whichever you liked. After the meal, plum tea and sikhye (sweet rice drink) were also available, so even dessert was self-serve.

How do the spicy pork, gangdoenjang and grilled mackerel taste?

After browsing the self-serve bar, we got back to our seats and the Yeongwol Muneungdowon set was already laid out in full. Side dishes and mains kept arriving one after another, and it added up to a pretty generous spread for two.

The reason we ordered this menu was so we could try three main dishes at once — spicy pork, doenjang stew, and grilled mackerel — haha! When just one dish feels like it's not quite enough, this kind of assorted set really comes through.

The chilled mustard salad that woke up our appetites

The mustard salad really woke up my appetite! It had a tangy, subtly pungent mustard aroma that stood out clearly among the milder side dishes. I'd come here specifically craving Korean food because I hadn't had much of an appetite lately, and eating this refreshing side dish made me feel my hunger slowly coming back.

The night the grilled mackerel came as two fish

Normally the set comes with one large mackerel, but that day the mackerel was a bit smaller, so they gave us two fish instead. That actually worked out great — we each got to happily eat one whole fish, haha.

Putting a piece of the grilled mackerel on top of the fragrant gondre rice, the mild rice and the savory, salty mackerel went really well together.

Gangdoenjang and spicy stir-fried pork at Yeongwolae Gondre

The doenjang (soybean paste) stew had a savory, salty depth to it, and spooned over rice and mixed in, it was seriously a rice thief. Instead of just being aggressively salty, it had a savory, deep flavor that paired well with the gondre rice too.

And personally, the spicy pork was the best thing I ate that day! The seasoning had just the right amount of sweet heat, with a subtle char flavor soaked into the meat that came through with every bite.

It was already tasty just spooned over rice, but wrapping the pork and vegetables in fresh lettuce leaves made it even better. It had been a while since I'd had such a healthy, filling Korean meal. I'd come here with no appetite, and left feeling like it had come back a little — the gondre rice and variety of side dishes made for an easy, satisfying meal. The place is spacious with good private rooms too, so it seemed like a great spot for families. Next time I should bring my parents and enjoy a leisurely full spread.

Where is Yeongwolae Gondre Ansan Branch?

33 Danggok-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi, South Korea, 2nd floor of Gojan Praum City.