Weekend walk-in lunch at a Yeouido grilled fish restaurant for two

Story number 556 for Azure & Blanc is a grilled fish restaurant near Saetgang Station in Yeongdeungpo: Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido!!

Back when I briefly lived in Cheonan, this grilled fish place had just opened and I was so curious about it... it recently showed up on a show too, and I heard it had a Yeouido branch, so I finally made it here!!

Where is Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido, and where do you park?

For parking at this Yeouido grilled fish spot, the building it's in — Lotte Castle Ivy — offers free parking for 90 minutes on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends, so keep that in mind!!

Can you walk in on a weekend without a reservation?

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido has a huge dining room, so it'd work fine even for a group gathering or company dinner! Being a weekend, there were tons of families in, and most seemed to have walked in without a reservation — the place is big enough that you can get seated right away on weekends without waiting!!

There's also a spot in the back that isn't a private room, but still gives you a bit of privacy!!

Menu and sets for two at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido

• Wood-fired mackerel set ₩13,500
• Wood-fired Atka mackerel set ₩15,500
• Wood-fired Spanish mackerel set ₩16,500
• Wood-fired hairtail set ₩20,000
• Wood-fired salted croaker set ₩21,000
• Wood-fired jeyuk (spicy pork) set ₩13,500
• Mokpo braised hairtail set ₩16,500
• Fish roe stew set ₩13,500
• Wood-fired handmade tteokgalbi set ₩12,500
• Gabrisal bossam set ₩13,500
• Spicy wood-fired mackerel set ₩15,500
• Spicy wood-fired Atka mackerel set ₩17,500
• Spicy wood-fired Spanish mackerel set ₩18,500
• Spicy wood-fired hairtail set ₩22,000
• Wood-fired gorgonzola pizza ₩14,900
• Kids' wood-fired mackerel set ₩9,000
• Kids' tteokgalbi set ₩9,000

It's also great that they've got a kids' menu! On top of that, there are set-for-two options — mackerel x2 + jeyuk ₩34,500, mackerel x2 + pizza ₩39,400, mackerel x2 + braised fish ₩37,500, mackerel x2 + fish roe stew — so if you want to try a variety, these sets are a better value!!

Glimpsed past the kitchen — the wood-fired oven! It's fired to a whopping 500℃, so the fish that comes out of it can't possibly not be delicious!!

What comes with the 34,500 won mackerel-and-jeyuk set for two

I'm on a diet lately but was craving jeyuk, so it worked out perfectly that they had this set — ordered it right away! It arrives as one full spread, and even the basic banchan (side dishes) are excellent!!

From simple japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) to a mild, nutty mung bean jelly salad, well-fermented yeolmu kimchi (young radish kimchi), and lotus root tossed in black sesame sauce!!

They even bring a proper napa cabbage doenjang (soybean paste) soup made with anchovy stock, savory and delicious — a real Yeouido Korean spread

Self-bar tteokbokki and sungnyung (scorched rice tea)

The basic banchan can be refilled at the self-bar, and there's also tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and sungnyung (scorched rice tea) available there!!

We grabbed a little tteokbokki — it's a broth-based version, not spicy, and sweet, so it'd be great for kids too!!

How does the 500℃ wood-fired mackerel taste?

A whole mackerel grilled properly crisp on the outside! It's a perfect single portion, and easy to bone!!

The fish's fattiness really shines through! Mixing the accompanying wasabi into soy sauce and dipping it in — so nutty and delicious~

The jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) that comes with the set

The jeyuk in the set comes in a really generous portion!! It had a nice basic spiciness, topped with shredded scallions and stir-fried whole garlic cloves!

There's also gangdoenjang (thick soybean paste dip) on the table — wrapping it all together is the best!!

Lettuce wraps come as a default, and you can grab extra from the self-bar too!

After a proper Yeouido lunch, finish it off with the plum tea by the entrance!

If you want a Yeouido lunch spot, if you're after grilled fish in Yeouido, how about this Korean restaurant near Saetgang Station, Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido?! (a Yeouido lunch grilled fish spread — pretty great, right)