Daejeon fish restaurant, mackerel vs Spanish mackerel: Hwadeogeuro

Heard a new grilled fish spot opened up recently in Sintanjin, Daejeon, so I went and here's the review!

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo has its main branch in Cheonan and locations nationwide. In Daejeon, right now there's only the Sintanjin branch! I've always loved grilled fish and heard so much buzz about this place, so I went in with high expectations.

Where is Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Sintanjin Branch, and where do you park?

The entrance! Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is located in Sintanjin. There's a huge parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so it was easy to get to.

How big is the dining room? Group tables and high chairs

The interior! It looked big from outside, but the inside was even more spacious. The tables were wide too, so you could load them up with food and still eat comfortably.

There's also a spot for group seating, so it'd be great for gatherings. The whole vibe of the place was clean and tidy, so it also seemed like a great place to bring parents or older relatives!

They also have baby chairs, so it looked like a lot of families come here too.

What's on the free self-bar at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo

The self-bar! A self-bar at a grilled fish restaurant! I was so surprised. And every item on it was actually good. Tteokbokki, japchae, pork cutlet — there wasn't a single miss on this self-bar.

You could also make yourself bibimbap. There was a huge variety of herbs and greens, and they all looked fresh and delicious.

Fish grilled in a real clay oven

On one side of the restaurant, you could actually watch the fish being grilled in a real clay oven. It's not just a name — seeing them actually grill in a wood-fired oven made it feel special, and somehow it seemed like it would taste even better.

The order: grilled mackerel set plus grilled Spanish mackerel set

The menu! Beyond the various grilled fish sets, there was also jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) and stew sets. We ordered one grilled mackerel set and one grilled Spanish mackerel set.

The basic side dishes! They came out neat and tidy. All of them paired well with the grilled fish set, and everything was delicious! The soybean paste soup in particular was really good.

On top of the basic side dishes, we also brought over more from the self-bar. You can really eat until you're stuffed here.

I especially liked that there was pork cutlet, which is easy to feed kids if you come with children. We were two adults, but we still ate the pork cutlet with gusto.

After a short wait, the grilled fish set arrived!

Rice: white or brown, your choice

You could choose between regular white rice and brown rice — I picked brown rice since I'm on a diet and already like it anyway. They gave a completely heaping bowl of rice, and the brown rice was really good too.

How does the grilled mackerel taste?

First up, the grilled mackerel! Perfectly golden-brown grilled mackerel. The skin was crisped up with all its nuttiness intact, while the flesh underneath stayed moist.

With just the right amount of oiliness, the savory flavor was so good. That signature salty seasoning was worked evenly into every bit of the flesh, so it was perfectly seasoned even without dipping it in wasabi soy sauce. Eaten with warm rice, it was the kind of flavor that makes a bowl of rice disappear in no time.

Grilled Spanish mackerel vs mackerel: what's the difference?

Next was the grilled Spanish mackerel! A different charm from the mackerel. It had few bones and the flesh came off in big, easy chunks, making it comfortable to eat.

No fishy taste at all — the grilled Spanish mackerel was clean and light with a soft, crumbly texture! It wasn't overly oily and stayed light, so the more you chewed, the more you noticed the fish's own subtle sweetness and savoriness. Dipping it lightly in the wasabi soy sauce that came with it added an extra umami touch that kept it clean. It was a lean, tender, and delicious grilled Spanish mackerel.

How big are the portions? Clearing both trays

Trying to clean the plate! The portions were really, really huge, so we couldn't finish everything neatly, but we ate until we were seriously stuffed.

Finally, after paying, there was a business card by the register so I snapped a photo. On the way out, there was also sujeonggwa (cinnamon-ginger punch) and plum tea available, which you could easily take in a paper cup. Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is definitely a place worth visiting if you love grilled fish!