Hwaseong Korean restaurant for grilled hairtail: Hwadamga

One day, I was craving grilled fish SO badly ❤️ “Let’s go eat grilled fish~,” I said, and of course the answer that came back was, “No!!!!” Hahaha. My eldest has apparently been to so many grilled-fish places since she was little that she absolutely hates the idea of going just for grilled fish 😂 But I wanted it so badly that, with Mom’s firm insistence, off we went! The place we found was Hwadamga in Bongdam.

And to give you the result first… the daughters who said they hated grilled fish started shouting, “Mom, this is delicious!” the moment the fish arrived hahaha. In the end, they even refilled the seaweed soup 3 times 🤣

Was parking easy?

First of all, I liked the parking lot. There was plenty of space in front of the building—the kind of size that makes you think, “Okay, parking won’t be a problem!” When you take kids out to a restaurant, the food matters, of course, but parking stress is secretly a big deal too. Here, we could park comfortably and go straight in without circling around looking for a spot, which was great.

A spacious interior for family meals

Once we went inside, the restaurant was more spacious than I expected. The tables were divided across several areas, and there were room-style spaces too, so I thought it would be nice for family gatherings or a meal with your parents.

Even with children, the space did not feel cramped, so it was comfortable for a family meal. There was also a self-serve bar on one side, and that was today’s hidden highlight hahaha.

What is at the self-serve bar?

After ordering, you can help yourself to the basic side dishes. But this was not just a self-serve bar with a few banchan (Korean side dishes)—there was rice, barley rice, miyeokguk (seaweed soup), japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), various side dishes, and even tableware for children.

The wrapping greens, garlic, and chili peppers were all neatly set out, making them perfect with the spicy stir-fried pork. Best of all, I could see them promptly refilling anything that ran low, so there was no need to worry about running out while eating. Doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew) also comes as a basic accompaniment. At this point, there was clearly no way we were stopping at one bowl of rice hahaha.

A full spread of grilled hairtail, mackerel, and spicy pork

We ordered grilled hairtail, grilled mackerel, and spicy stir-fried pork. We wanted fish, but the kids love meat too, so we added the pork! Once the whole spread was set out, the table filled up quickly, from the side dishes to the mains.

Salty and savory grilled hairtail

First, the grilled hairtail I had been craving most ❤️ I gently lifted off a piece of flesh with my chopsticks, and it was nicely salted with hairtail’s own clean, savory flavor. Grilled fish does not really need a special seasoning when the salt level is just right—it makes you keep reaching for rice. Exactly that kind of flavor! The outside was golden and nutty, while the flesh inside was moist and tender. A piece on top of rice was so delicious.

And the really funny thing was hahaha—the daughters who had said, “Mom, I said I don’t like grilled fish~,” picked up their chopsticks as soon as the fish came out. After one bite, they went, “Oh? It’s good?” Hahahaha. Mom already felt like it was a success from that one sentence 🤣

Grilled mackerel that makes rice disappear

The mackerel also came out beautifully golden. Its distinctive rich, nutty flavor, combined with the salty seasoning, was of course perfect with rice. The flesh was not dry; it was moist, and that savory taste lingered in my mouth, making me reach for another piece! The problem with grilled fish is that once you pick up your chopsticks thinking, “I’ll have just one piece,” you just keep eating hahaha.

Spicy stir-fried pork made for lettuce wraps

We ordered the spicy stir-fried pork because fish alone would have felt a little sad! This was delicious too. The salty, slightly spicy-sweet sauce had soaked nicely into the meat, with plenty of onions and vegetables. Put the meat and vegetables onto a wrapping leaf with some garlic—just right! Taking a big bite, I could taste the meat’s savory depth together with the vegetables’ crisp texture. There was also something like stir-fried doenjang (soybean paste) at the self-serve bar, and I completely fell for it hahaha.

It had a nutty, salty flavor different from ssamjang (seasoned dipping paste), and once I added it to my wraps, I just kept going back for more.

Even stuffed, I could not resist barley rice bibimbap hahaha

I was already almost bursting… but then I saw the barley rice at the self-serve bar. Could not resist hahaha. I mixed it up with vegetables and seasoning, and it was delicious: there were more vegetables than I expected, and the barley rice was not overly soft, with a pleasantly separate, springy texture. I honestly meant to have just a taste. But then… I ate it all hahahahaha.

Of all days, I happened to wear clothes with a split at the side, so after eating I was so embarrassed about the belly situation 🤣🤣 My stomach felt like it would burst, and the side of my clothes looked like it would burst too hahaha. But it was delicious, so it is fine ❤️

Even the kids who disliked grilled fish were happy

More than anything, the most satisfying part of the day was how well the kids ate! The children who would say no whenever we suggested grilled fish tried it and ate happily, saying it was delicious. The eldest especially refilled her seaweed soup 3 times hahaha. When you see your kids eating well, moms already know they picked the right restaurant 🥹❤️

Hwadamga overall

I was satisfied because it delivered exactly what I had imagined: “Today, I want a proper, delicious grilled-fish meal!” The hairtail and mackerel were salty and savory and went well with rice, the spicy pork was great for wraps, and the self-serve bar had everything from rice and barley rice to seaweed soup and a variety of side dishes, making it ideal for a generous family meal.

Most of all, Mom was happy ❤️ Dad was happy ❤️ The kids were happy ❤️ That combination is the hardest one to achieve, you know hahaha. Even my daughter who said she disliked grilled fish ate it happily and said it was delicious, so I think I will come again. Next time, I need to wear clothes that will not split at the side 🤣