Wolsan-dong pocha in Gwangju: 5pm king shrimp and free pancakes

It's September, prime season for king shrimp — how could I just let that pass by!! Seasonal autumn food has to be eaten at the right time, so I went straight to Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan branch, a grilled king shrimp spot in Gwangju.

Honestly, I live in Wolsan-dong so I've watched this place since it opened, and every time I passed by there were quite a lot of people. I was curious too, so I finally paid a visit this time!

Where is Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch, and what are its hours?

• 📍 Location: 996-65 Wolsan-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju
• 🕖 Hours: 12:00 - 23:00
• 🅿️ Parking: Parking lot available

Going out for September's seasonal king shrimp

I visited around 5pm on a weekday, thinking it was still early. But there were already customers there. As expected of Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha, Gwangju's go-to spot for grilled king shrimp, people come early during peak season.

That day, after some deliberation, we ordered raw shrimp sashimi + grilled king shrimp! Looking at the self-serve corner, I saw you could cook your own pancakes too.

Free pancakes are just great haha. But I'd eaten a huge lunch that day, so unfortunately I passed this time.

The free sides at Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha are generous

The basic sides at Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch start with sushi rice, salad, baek-kimchi (white kimchi), and aged kimchi.

Seaweed soup.

And shredded cabbage plus mulhoe!

The basic dishes were more varied than I expected. It was especially nice to cleanse the palate with the sweet-and-sour mulhoe before the shrimp arrived haha. Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha, Gwangju's grilled king shrimp spot, has a pretty solid lineup not just for the main dish but for the basic sides too.

What is raw shrimp sashimi like on a first try?

The raw shrimp sashimi came out way faster than I expected!

This was my first time eating raw shrimp sashimi. I'd had grilled king shrimp before, but had no idea how you're supposed to eat raw shrimp sashimi. So I tried dipping it in soy sauce, then in chojang (vinegared chili paste), trying all sorts of things.

For my honest review of this season's raw shrimp sashimi: I'm satisfied having tried it once this year ^_^ Maybe I still don't fully understand the real taste of raw fish? Someday a day will come when I truly appreciate that flavor ^_^ Still, if you like raw shrimp, I figure you'd be curious about an honest review of seasonal raw shrimp sashimi, so I'm sharing based on my own taste.

The grilled king shrimp we'd been waiting for

And now, properly, grilled king shrimp time! The shrimp that had been flopping around gradually turned orange as time passed — I felt sorry for them and hungry at the same time, what kind of feeling is that lol. But gotta eat them anyway;

As we waited, the shrimp were fully cooked before we knew it, and we put on gloves, ready to peel!

Now I properly accomplish the purpose of coming to Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha, Gwangju's grilled king shrimp spot haha. If you asked me to pick one of the two, grilled king shrimp wins for me! ❤️ Of course a familiar flavor pulls you in more ^_^ The grilled king shrimp is plump and savory, exactly that familiar shrimp taste I know — so good.

So comparing it with my honest review of the seasonal raw shrimp sashimi, I'd pick the grilled king shrimp!

A spacious pocha with tanks full of live seafood

The store was bigger than I expected, and looking outside there were fresh fish, king shrimp, and even eel on display. Having it all visible right there really gives off that seafood-specialty-store feel ~ so good.

There was also a sign in the store saying if the seafood isn't fresh or tasty, it's a 100% refund. When there's a confident statement like that, I feel like I can trust the food a bit more haha. So if you're looking for Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha, Gwangju's grilled king shrimp spot, now during peak season would be a great time to visit.

Worth ordering king shrimp to go this autumn

Now that the weather's gradually getting cooler, it seems like it'd be perfect to get the sashimi to go and eat it around Yeomju Gymnasium. Everything tastes good around Yeomju Gymnasium anyway ~

Also, they said the store will be open with no closures this Chuseok holiday too, so if you're planning to visit, that's good to know!

I properly enjoyed autumn's seasonal king shrimp at Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha, Gwangju's grilled king shrimp spot.

Grilled king shrimp was more my taste than the raw shrimp sashimi, but I'm satisfied to have tried raw shrimp sashimi for the first time too! If you were looking for an honest review of seasonal raw shrimp sashimi, based on my own taste I'd recommend the grilled king shrimp haha. Enjoy this season's king shrimp before autumn passes 🦐❤️ Another delicious meal done for today! Thanks for the food.