Donghae hotplate restaurant with octopus, pork belly and shrimp: Onda

This time I'm sharing a Donghae Mukho restaurant I visited with a friend who's kind of a big eater haha. Whenever you travel to Donghae, figuring out where to eat is always a struggle, right?

But this time, while searching for Mukho Port restaurant recommendations, I found Onda Mukho, right in front of the sea, and booked a table right away.

Where Onda Donghae Mukho Main Branch is, and its opening hours

Onda Donghae Mukho Main Branch is at 151 Ilchul-ro, Donghae-si, Gangwon-do. It's really a perfect spot for anyone looking for a Mukho Station lunch restaurant too.

• Address: 151 Ilchul-ro, Donghae-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• Hours: Sat 10:30–21:00 (break 14:45–16:30, last order 19:45) / Sun, Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10:50–20:30 (break 14:30–16:30, last order 19:15)
• Regular closed day: every Wednesday
• Reservations available; ask in-store about takeout
• Prices vary by menu combo, but adding shrimp made the meal quite filling

Inside Onda: floor-to-ceiling windows facing Kkamak Rock

My first impression walking in was definitely 'this view is insane' lol. It's right in front of Kkamak Rock, so the sea spreads out through the huge windows, and I was taking photos before I even sat down.

There's a 1st floor and a 2nd floor, so the space is fairly spacious, and there's a separate waiting area, so it's comfortable to wait even if there's a line.

The gap between tables was generous too, so I could eat comfortably without worrying about the next table.

How the octopus and pork belly hotplate with shrimp tasted

At Onda Donghae Mukho Main Branch, we ordered the octopus and pork belly hotplate with shrimp added. The basic side dishes were macaroni salad, savory pancake, seasoned bean sprouts, and white kimchi, and the pancake in particular was fried so crispy that I kept reaching for it even before the main dish arrived. The white kimchi was also nicely fermented and refreshing, perfect for whetting the appetite.

Ta-da — the moment the hotplate arrived, the sizzling sound alone got my appetite going. There was no fishy smell at all, just a clean hint of sea aroma, which really built up my expectations.

The octopus came pre-cooked, so once it was heated through a bit more it was ready to eat, and the chewy texture made every bite satisfying.

The pork belly kept giving off a savory aroma, and eating it together with the octopus was such a great combo.

I was glad we added the shrimp — the plump, well-cooked shrimp made the hotplate feel even richer. The shrimp meat was plump, so each piece was really satisfying. There was also plenty of glass noodles and enoki mushrooms, so the eating kept being fun.

The sauce wasn't too strong either, more of a savory umami style, so I never got tired of it until the end.

I'm a vinegar-gochujang dipping sauce person, so dipping it in that made it personally so much tastier ^^

Finishing with the self-serve fried rice

To finish, we thoroughly made ourselves some self-fried rice.

Frying the rice together with what was left on the hotplate brought out a lovely sesame oil aroma, and we scraped up every bit of the crispy rice at the bottom haha. Personally, I feel like you absolutely have to order the fried rice when you come here.

What fell short, and the verdict on Onda

There wasn't a separate dessert menu, but the staff kindly gave us cold water as a complimentary palate cleanser, which was perfect. One drawback I'd point out is that if there are more people, the hotplate size might feel a bit small for the group ㅜㅜ. Still, the value for money wasn't bad, and above all, eating with the sea and waves spread out right in front of you really made it feel like a proper trip.

On a nice weather day, sitting by the window would probably double that feeling. If you're looking for a Donghae Mukho restaurant, especially one that covers both a Mukho Station lunch spot and an ocean view, I'd recommend Onda Mukho. Next time I come back, I want to try some other menu items too~