Pohang mulhoe restaurant with free parking near Yeongildae: Ppwang

While looking for a good mulhoe spot in Pohang, I stopped by Ppwang Mulhoe (퐝물회), right across from Yeongildae Beach. It's a great location to swing by before or after a walk along the water, so it fit nicely into a Pohang trip.

Ppwang Mulhoe hours and location near Yeongildae Beach

Ppwang Mulhoe is located at 203-1 Haean-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, right in front of Yeongildae Beach. It's open daily from 10:30 to 22:00, and until 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. I liked that you can still get Yeongildae-style mulhoe even late in the evening.

Where to park at Ppwang Mulhoe

There's parking for about 8 cars right in front of Ppwang Mulhoe. If that lot is full, the Duchi public parking lot directly across the street is an option — and it's free! Not having to worry about parking around Yeongildae Beach was a real plus.

The inside is spacious with plenty of tables, so it seems like a good spot for groups too.

Ppwang Mulhoe menu and prices

The signature squid mulhoe was ₩20,000. Flounder mulhoe was the same price, ₩20,000. Hoedeopbap (raw fish rice bowl) was ₩19,000. A small portion of squid sashimi was ₩60,000, so there were raw fish options beyond mulhoe too. There was also something to order for kids who don't eat raw fish. Beef bulgogi was ₩15,000. Shrimp fried rice was ₩8,000, which made it seem like a good spot for a family meal out.

The Ppwang Mulhoe self bar: 10 side dishes plus tteokbokki

What stood out most at Ppwang Mulhoe was the generously sized self bar set up along one side.

The self bar had about 10 side dishes ready to take as much as you wanted. There were plenty of dishes that paired well with mulhoe, which made the whole spread feel even more generous.

To the right of the self bar there was even tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and fried snacks. It was good for a light bite before the mulhoe arrived, and the kind of thing kids would enjoy too.

On the left, warm squid soup was ready. It was packed with squid, and the broth was rich yet clean-tasting — good to alternate with the cold mulhoe.

Ordering squid mulhoe, flounder mulhoe and squid pajeon

This time I ordered squid mulhoe (₩20,000) and flounder mulhoe (₩20,000). Mulhoe alone felt like it wasn't quite enough, so I also ordered squid pajeon (green onion pancake).

The basic setup was Pohang-style mulhoe with pear, cucumber, and gochujang (red chili paste). If you don't like cucumber, they'll leave it out if you ask ahead. At first I mixed everything together without broth, and the texture of the raw fish and the seasoning came through clearly.

What the flounder mulhoe is like

I tried the flounder mulhoe first. It was loaded with flounder, cut cleanly with no small bones, so it was easy to eat. The mild flounder paired well with the crisp vegetables.

What the squid mulhoe is like

Ppwang Mulhoe's signature squid mulhoe exceeded expectations too. Not many places in Pohang serve squid mulhoe, so it was great to be able to enjoy chewy squid this way.

First, true to Pohang style, I mixed the seasoning and raw fish together without adding broth. Behind the savory depth of the gochujang, the squid's distinctive chewy texture came through.

Why Ppwang Mulhoe serves the broth separately

Ppwang Mulhoe serves the cool mulhoe broth on the side, so you get two flavors in one bowl. After mixing it Pohang-style, pouring in the broth turned it into the familiar cool mulhoe.

From the midpoint on, I poured in the broth that came alongside and ate it chilled. Even though it was the same squid mulhoe, the whole mood of the flavor changed, so it never got boring. The house-made broth wasn't overly sharp and had a gentle sweetness that went well with the mulhoe seasoning. Personally, I liked it better after adding the broth — the cool, tangy-sweet flavor really came alive, the kind of thing you'd crave as summer Yeongildae mulhoe.

Grabbing somyeon (thin wheat noodles) from the self bar and dunking them in the leftover mulhoe broth was also a treat. After the raw fish and vegetables, finishing with noodles made the meal feel satisfying.

Is the squid pajeon worth adding?

The squid pajeon caught my eye the moment it landed on the table just from its size. It wasn't just big on the outside — it was packed with squid inside too. Every bite had chewy squid in it. It was big enough to share among several people, and I was glad I ordered it alongside the mulhoe.

It was crispy all the way to the edges and moist inside. Alternating between the cool mulhoe and the warm pajeon was a really nice combination.

After finishing the meal, I noticed some xiaoguola candy — a currently trendy treat — sitting at the counter on my way out.

Easy parking, a generous self bar, and being able to try both squid and flounder mulhoe in one visit made this a great spot near Yeongildae. If you're looking for something different in Pohang mulhoe, I'd go back to Ppwang Mulhoe.