Baekseok-dong Korean restaurant in Cheonan: mackerel and pork stir-fry

Ever since I got pregnant, I've been strangely craving grilled fish, haha. During pregnancy it's important to get a balanced mix of nutrients like protein and omega-3s, and fish, eaten in the right kinds and amounts, is a great thing to add to a pregnancy diet — so I've been reaching for it more often lately.

Right when I was craving grilled mackerel, my mom and I went to Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo Cheonan Main Branch, a Cheonan Baekseok-dong spot we go to often. This wasn't my first time — it's actually my 5th visit with my mom, haha. It's not a place you visit once and forget about; whenever I think of grilled fish, I naturally end up back here, so I'd call it our mother-daughter regular spot.

Where is Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo Cheonan Main Branch, and what are its hours and parking?

Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo Cheonan Main Branch is located at 46-5 Handeul2-ro, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, and is open Mon–Sun 11:00–21:30. Weekday break time is 15:30–16:50, with last order at 14:50 and 20:50, while weekends run without a break time.

There's a parking lot in front of the restaurant, so it's convenient if you're driving.

There are other restaurants right next door too, so the lot can get a bit crowded during lunch or dinner peak times. We visited during a slightly quieter time again this trip, so parking wasn't too difficult.

A fifth visit with mom: what we ordered

One reason I've already come here 5 times is that it feels like a proper full meal, not just a main dish. When I eat with my mom, we usually go for comforting Korean food like grilled fish, and Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo lets you pick from mackerel, hairtail, and pork, which is why I keep coming back.

This time I was really craving mackerel, and since we were sharing, we ordered grilled mackerel + pork stir-fry (jeyuk bokkeum) + seasoned crab (yangnyeom gejang). Fish alone can feel a bit plain, but mixing in spicy pork in between made for a really good combo, haha.

What's on the self bar at Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo?

Another strong point of Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo is how well-stocked the self bar is.

There's a wide variety of namul (seasoned vegetable sides) for making bibimbap, plus japchae, kimchi, and various seasoned side dishes.

It's not just one or two side dishes — there's enough variety that it's fun to pick and choose, so we kept going back and forth to the self bar even before the main dishes arrived, haha. There were also ssam vegetables, which went great with the pork stir-fry.

The self corner also had japchae, tteokbokki, rice, and nurungji (scorched rice), so you can help yourself to as much as you want.

I love that they have so many side dishes here

Whenever we come, my mom and I always say "I love that they have so many side dishes here" while grabbing a little bit of this and that. Since getting pregnant, I've found I do better eating a variety of small things rather than a lot of one dish, so that was satisfying too.

The full table spread of wood-fired grilled mackerel

After a short wait, the basic side dishes came out along with grilled mackerel, pork stir-fry, and seasoned crab.

Once the mains and side dishes were all laid out, the table filled up fast. A table this full just looks reassuring, haha.

How does the wood-fired grilled mackerel taste?

The dish you can't skip here is, of course, the grilled mackerel. Maybe because it's cooked in a wood-fire oven, the outside is nicely browned while the inside stays moist and thick. Grilled fish can turn out dry or fishy if it's not done well, but every time I've come here, the taste has been consistently good.

The flesh is quite plump and satisfying to pick apart with chopsticks, and it pairs really well with rice — mild yet savory. I've been craving fish a lot since getting pregnant, and this was exactly the taste I wanted, so I was satisfied again this time, haha.

Honestly, a piece of mackerel over warm rice is enough on its own. Add a few side dishes on top of that and a bowl of rice disappears fast.

Pork stir-fry (jeyuk bokkeum)

This time we didn't just get mackerel — we also ordered pork stir-fry. If mackerel is the mild dish, the pork is spicier and richer, so ordering both together makes for good back-and-forth eating. The pork was well seasoned throughout, and eating it with the shredded green onion kept it from feeling too heavy.

Wrapping the pork in a lettuce leaf with a side dish on top gives a different feel altogether. Since it was just my mom and me, ordering one mackerel and one pork dish meant we could split everything evenly without overlap.

Why Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo works for a meal out with parents

Personally, I think this place is great for visiting with parents not just because the grilled mackerel is good, but because there's such a wide variety of side dishes and the self bar is freely accessible.

The fact that this is already my 5th visit with my mom probably shows best how often I come here, haha. A lot of well-known restaurants are places you go once and never return to, but Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo is the kind of place that naturally comes to mind whenever I want grilled fish. (The crab is delicious too, so I'd recommend it, haha.)

Especially when eating out with my mom, we tend to look for Korean food rather than anything too intense, and being able to have mackerel, pork, crab, and a bunch of side dishes all at once made both of us pretty happy.

If you're looking for a Baekseok-dong, Cheonan restaurant that serves grilled fish, or a Korean restaurant that's comfortable to eat at with your parents, Hwadeuro-ganggodeungeo Cheonan Main Branch is worth a visit. I once again left full and satisfied with the mackerel-and-pork combo. Fish has been calling to me hard since I got pregnant, and getting to eat exactly what I was craving made the meal even more satisfying, haha. Knowing me, once I think of mackerel again, my mom and I will probably be back for a 6th visit.