Pohang mulhoe restaurant after the Yeongildae marathon: Ppwang Mulhoe

Ppwang Mulhoe, a mulhoe (raw fish cold soup) restaurant in Pohang

🏠 Ppwang Mulhoe

The Pohang mulhoe restaurant we spotted along the marathon course

We came here after searching for a good mulhoe restaurant in Pohang after the #PohangBatteryMarathon! My husband said he'd spotted this place while running the 21km course, which I thought was funny and kind of amazing haha.

Parking at Ppwang Mulhoe and how to eat mulhoe

Parking was easy since there's plenty of space right in front of the restaurant. And if it happens to be full, there's a large lot right across the street, so no need to worry.

Before ordering, let's read up on how to eat it properly. Interestingly, Pohang-style mulhoe isn't served with broth poured in from the start — you mix it with the sauce that comes on top first. It's great with the rice that comes alongside, and here's the special perk of this place: there's an unlimited self bar, so you can even get unlimited noodles haha.

What we ordered from the Ppwang Mulhoe menu

Let's look at the #PpwangMulhoeMenu. You can order individual dishes or go for one of the various set menus. There were more types of mulhoe than I expected, so we spent a while deciding.

We ordered one half-and-half mulhoe (squid + flounder) and one abalone squid mulhoe. There's also raw squid sashimi and plenty of individual seafood dishes! Even though it was broad daylight, a lot of people were having drinks — it really is an amazing drinking snack.

As for individual side orders, a lot of people seemed to be getting the fried squid too. We were too full to order it ourselves, sadly. Also, just a tip — if you write a Naver receipt review, you can get free fried squid.

A bottle of water, chogochujang (vinegar chili sauce) for the raw fish, paper cups, and soy sauce were all set on the table.

The unlimited self bar: from tteokbokki to squid soup

This is the best part of Ppwang Mulhoe! You can grab as much as you want from the unlimited self bar of side dishes. The tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and fried food changed every time we looked. I thought they'd run out of ingredients, but then neobiani (marinated grilled beef) and kimmari (fried seaweed rolls) kept showing up too.

The side dishes were genuinely varied and delicious, so we took as much as we could eat. You can also grab baby spoons and disposable gloves from the self bar.

And there was even soup available? A squid soup, and it was genuinely delicious... squid and radish and other ingredients are already prepped inside — you just pour the broth in and carry it back.

We brought back tteokbokki, napa kimchi, eolgari muchim (young radish greens salad), neobiani, squid soup, braised quail eggs, and somyeon noodles. The place was packed the whole time, but at least the food came out fast.

Abalone squid mulhoe with icy broth and somyeon

The abalone squid mulhoe I ordered looked amazing... The broth for pouring over is served generously, so you can just take as much as you want to drink.

It came in a bowl piled high with vegetables and minced garlic, which was great, and I was touched by how the staff thoughtfully asked whether we had a cucumber allergy before serving.

It was loaded with squid sashimi and abalone... It was already delicious and full of freshness just mixed with the sauce it came with, but let's try pouring in the mulhoe broth that came alongside.

Isn't it just so refreshing looking with all that shaved ice? Adding somyeon noodles made it look even better. Mixing in rice gives it a totally different, interesting flavor haha. Still, personally, I'm team noodles 😽

The broth was spicier than expected, so if you can't handle spice well, add it little by little.

Chewy abalone, plenty of vegetables, topped with a bit of kimchi — why is it this good.... If you're looking for a mulhoe restaurant in Pohang, I'd recommend this place without hesitation! #PohangYeongildaeRestaurant

The squid and flounder half-and-half mulhoe spread

The squid flounder half-and-half mulhoe arrived too.

This is what a full spread looked like — with side dishes this thoughtfully prepared, you'd wonder whether you walked into a raw fish restaurant or a traditional Korean set-meal place.

Sure enough, the squid-flounder half-and-half mulhoe had zero fishy taste and was so delicious... My husband tried it too and said it was amazing, and cleaned his bowl in no time....

If you're looking for a good restaurant near Yeongildae in Pohang, definitely head to Ppwang Mulhoe.

Inside Ppwang Mulhoe: atmosphere and seating

The counter had a thoughtful little touch — rubber bands, a baby chair, and even coffee.

The interior is spacious enough for group gatherings, clean and comfortable! Also, the owner and staff were all incredibly kind haha.

The restroom is inside and clean, and there are also room-type seats available, so you can dine privately too~~ We ate two bowls each until we were completely stuffed 🥰