# Bongdam dinner after an endoscopy: wood-fired mackerel at Hwadamga

- By Yeji (https://superchart.com/en/@counter-seat-meals/)
- Written Sep 17, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Hwaseong, Gyeonggi
- Sponsored: This visit was sponsored by the business.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@counter-seat-meals/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@counter-seat-meals/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/index.md)

## In short

Hwadamga is a wood-fired grilled fish restaurant on Nangnaegi-gil in Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. On the evening of a stomach and colon endoscopy, the writer booked a table and shared the wood-fired mackerel set, the traditional boiled pork set and the flame-grilled pork set with her husband and child, with unlimited side dishes from the self-serve bar and mango juice for dessert. Hwadamga is the kind of Bongdam Korean restaurant to return to on days when plain, gentle home cooking is what you want.

## Good to know

- **Address**: 1F, 58 Nangnaegi-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hyohaeng-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
- **Hours**: 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30)
- **Break time**: 15:00–17:00
- **Parking**: Plenty of parking available
- **Dishes ordered**: Wood-fired mackerel set, traditional boiled pork set, flame-grilled pork set
- **Good to know**: High chairs, private rooms, unlimited side dish refills at the self-serve bar

*as written by the visitor on Sep 17, 2026*

Today's post is a review of Hwadamga, a restaurant in Bongdam-eup, Hwaseong. I'd had a stomach and colon endoscopy that morning, so I was craving Korean home cooking rather than anything spicy or heavy. That's how I found this Bongdam spot, Hwadamga! Let's get right into the review haha.

![Exterior of Hwadamga, a grilled fish restaurant in Bongdam](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-01-rj0t9-1200.webp)

## Where Hwadamga is in Bongdam, plus parking and hours

- 58 Nangnaegi-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hyohaeng-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
- Parking available (plenty of space)
- 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30)
- Break time 15:00–17:00
- Baby chairs available

![Spacious interior and tables at Hwadamga](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-02-lnzid-900.webp)

![Upscale interior atmosphere with private rooms at Hwadamga](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-03-fz5fo-900.webp)

It's about a 30-minute drive from my house, so I made a reservation ahead of time. The restaurant was huge, had private rooms, and had a genuinely upscale feel. It looked big enough to seat large groups too, so it seemed like a great spot in Hwaseong for a company dinner or family gathering!

![Hwadamga's set menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-04-1l6n3-900.webp)

## Ordering the wood-fired mackerel set with boiled pork and flame-grilled pork

I was starving by the time we arrived, so I'd already decided on the menu on the way and ordered quickly. Since this is a Bongdam grilled fish spot, the wood-fired mackerel set was non-negotiable, and I also ordered the traditional boiled pork set and the stir-fried pork set for my meat-loving husband! My kid loves fish, but the smell makes me hesitant to cook it often at home, so I was especially excited for the wood-fired fish menu.

![Seasoned vegetable side dishes included with the set at Hwadamga](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-05-1u04l-900.webp)

![Basic side dishes including tofu doenjang dip and spicy radish salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-06-1kbhc-900.webp)

### What comes with the set: vegetable sides and barley rice

After we ordered, the staff set down the side dishes included with the sets: seasoned bean sprouts, tofu doenjang (soybean paste) dip, sautéed mushrooms, spicy radish salad, and a green vegetable dish tossed in a doenjang base whose name I don't know! My husband, who normally never touches vegetable side dishes, tasted these and said they were genuinely delicious — the flavor was deep and the texture was great haha. Even just the barley rice and basic sides were satisfying enough on their own. Gochujang (red chili paste) and sesame oil were set out on the table too, perfect for making bibimbap.

![Table set with barley rice, gochujang, and sesame oil](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-07-1n18u-900.webp)

![A plate of Hwadamga's traditional boiled pork set](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-08-p8xpg-900.webp)

![Stir-fried pork served with vegetables](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-09-1lzbu-900.webp)

![Doenjang jjigae bubbling in a stone pot](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-10-a2zqh-900.webp)

## How the boiled pork, flame-grilled pork and doenjang jjigae tasted

We were enjoying the basic side dishes when the main dishes arrived pretty quickly. The boiled pork came out first, and I actually gasped — wow. The chunks were big, with a great ratio of lean meat to fat, and there was a generous amount too. It was so tender that even my kid could eat it easily. Next came the stir-fried pork, seasoned just right — not too strong — so eating it with the vegetables felt like a healthy meal too haha. The doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) arrived bubbling in a stone pot, with a clean broth and plenty of ingredients — a perfect match with the barley rice!

![Hwadamga's wood-fired grilled mackerel](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-11-w1goq-900.webp)

### Is the wood-fired mackerel big enough to share with a child?

The wood-fired mackerel I'd been most looking forward to had plump, well-filled flesh and was really large. It's true — it tastes even better eaten out than grilled at home haha. My kid and I shared it, but it was so big that even after finishing our rice, we kept picking at the fish for a while longer. Eating the fish, doenjang jjigae, stir-fried pork, and healthy vegetable sides together gave me a strong feeling of a home-cooked meal made with care, like something my mom used to make. As a homemaker, I often miss that kind of caring meal my mother used to set out, and Hwadamga satisfied that craving completely.

![Full table spread with grilled mackerel and set dishes](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-12-17dl4-900.webp)

![Additional side dish corner in Hwadamga's self-serve zone](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-13-5kr18-900.webp)

![Self-serve bar with japchae and Korean-style meat patties](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-14-oip0m-900.webp)

![Self-serve corner with wrap vegetables and salad](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-15-846mm-900.webp)

## What's on Hwadamga's unlimited self-serve side dish bar

Another thing I loved about this Hwaseong restaurant, Hwadamga — the self-serve zone offers unlimited refills of side dishes, and beyond the six basic sides set on the table, there are even more options to add. There's also japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), Korean-style meat patties, seaweed soup, wrap vegetables, and salad, so you could really eat your fill. I'm a big eater with a large appetite, and I eat especially a lot when it comes to Korean food haha. (Saving this as a lifetime favorite...)

My kid was humming along that day, saying the food was a hundred times delicious — the highest praise — and eating a ton. When I asked if she also wanted to try the tomato salad in the wrap vegetable corner, she said yes without any hesitation lol. And so dessert was completed with tomatoes!

![Hwadamga's coffee and drinks dessert corner](https://img.superchart.com/images/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner/hwadamga-bongdam-grilled-mackerel-dinner-16-oqzt5-900.webp)

### Mango juice for dessert at the coffee and drinks corner

It's not over yet haha. Dessert round two! There's a coffee and drinks corner off to one side of Hwadamga. I quietly brought over a mango juice for my husband, who'd worked hard feeding our kid, and he was surprised, asking if they even had this here lol. Hwadamga, this Hwaseong restaurant, was satisfying in every way. The owner and staff were kind too, and I was grateful for that — it was a happy day, finding a place I'll want to return to whenever I want a healthy meal out or a craving for a caring home-cooked meal strikes haha.

## Where it is

- Hwadamga (화담가)
- 58 Nangnaegi-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hyohaeng-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
- 경기도 화성시 효행구 봉담읍 낭내기길 58 1층
- 37.220904, 126.9651196
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%99%94%EB%8B%B4%EA%B0%80/@37.220904,126.9651196,17z

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