Dangjin grilled fish comparison at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo

Maybe it’s because I ate fish so deliciously on my Jeju trip... Even though the trip is over, I’ve been craving fish lately, so I went back to Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo, famous for grilled fish.

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is reliably delicious every time I visit, so I try a different fish on every visit. 👉 This time, I had grilled barley corvina and grilled Atka mackerel!

Dangjin Korean grilled fish: Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Dangjin Wondang Branch

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a break from 3 to 5 p.m. The regular day off is every Tuesday.

I love that the Dangjin location of Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo has a spacious parking lot behind the restaurant. It’s somewhere you can come for a family meal without worrying about parking and eat comfortably. Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Dangjin Wondang Branch also has a clean interior and a very well-stocked self-service bar.

Choosing between the barley corvina and restorative two-person sets

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo menu and prices

I’d recently had delicious barley corvina, so I thought I had to order it even though it was a little pricier. But I debated the restorative two-person set so much! In the end, Gomgom and I agreed to try that set next time!

You can choose your rice, too. We paid an extra ₩2,000 per person to switch to gondre rice.

The side dishes I especially loved at the self-service bar

The self-service bar is especially great at Hwa.Gan.Go. Nurungji (scorched rice), which really shines when piled over grilled fish, is a must.

The bulgogi I ate so, so deliciously that day. The meat quality was excellent, and maybe because it was evening, the seasoning had soaked in really well—one of the dishes I especially enjoyed!

The soup is tasty too, but the tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) was also delicious that day... Personally, the vegetable side dishes at the self-service bar are better at lunchtime. 🗨️ Foods like bulgogi and tteokbokki seem better in the evening!

I piled on plenty of the kabocha salad that Gomgom likes. That tofu ssamjang? It looked so delicious that day, so I brought loads of it! (It’s especially good with bulgogi..)

Gomgom, a total bread lover who can’t give up soup + morning rolls even at a Korean restaurant. The fish we ordered happened to be roasting in the oven, so I took a quick photo haha.

Oven-roasted barley corvina set and grilled Atka mackerel set

• Oven-roasted barley corvina set: ₩27,000
• Oven-roasted Atka mackerel set: ₩16,000

When you order the barley corvina, they bring green tea water. Mix your rice into it, then put the barley corvina on top.

We pigs had already started eating like mad.. They put the freshly oven-roasted fish right in the middle. Barley corvina is on the left, and Atka mackerel is on the right.

Barley corvina or Atka mackerel: which fish suits you better?

The two fish have distinctly different flavors and textures.

• Barley corvina has a chewier flesh, so I think texture lovers will like it.
• Atka mackerel has such soft flesh that it’s perfect for slurping down with rice, and it seems easy for children to eat too.

I recommend Atka mackerel for beginners! If you’ve had your share of grilled fish, I think you should try the barley corvina too.

Scoop up a spoonful of gondre rice mixed with green tea water, pile a generous one-and-a-half pieces of barley corvina on top, then add a tiny bit of wasabi—it’s so good.

🔺 Can’t you tell just by looking how soft the Atka mackerel flesh is? Haha. I think it’s the kind of grilled fish that’s wonderful to come eat with kids. It also has less of that distinctive fishy aroma.

The three side-dish musketeers I especially loved from the self-service bar that day: tteokbokki / kabocha salad / bulgogi. The seasoning had soaked in so well that I think I ate more of these than fish haha.

The barley corvina skin was chewy too, and I also really enjoyed the part near the innards haha. (I really like innard meat...)

I went for a light(?) grilled-fish meal and ended up having a proper Korean feast...

The especially tender bulgogi was so delicious.. Put tofu ssamjang on top and it’s heaven.. Somehow it isn’t salty, and you just keep eating it..

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo is always full of customers whenever I go. There are so many side dishes beyond the grilled fish, so I think it’s especially a great place to visit on a day when you’re craving Korean food or want a proper Korean meal.