Ilsan seaweed soup restaurant, a lunch drive with parents: Haenon

This visit was on 8/8/26.

Haenon Miyeok Ilsan Direct Branch Location: 30 Anigol-gil, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do Hours: Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00 Break time 15:00–17:00 Sat, Sun 11:00–21:00 Parking available

A drive with my parents out to Anigol

I took my mom and dad on a drive out to the Seoul suburbs for a nice meal, just to lift everyone's spirits! 🚗💨 I heard there was a place with the neat, upscale feel of a traditional Korean set-meal restaurant that specializes in seaweed soup, so I headed straight there. 🍚✨ Since the menu is centered on seaweed soup, there's really no way it wouldn't suit my parents' taste, and it made me proud that it hit the spot so well.

What's the vibe like at Haenon Miyeok Ilsan Direct Branch?

The moment I opened the door, I was genuinely shocked by how huge the place was! 😲✨ There was such a grand, imposing air about it that I thought, 'Wait, a seaweed soup restaurant this fancy exists?' The eye-catching, high-end interior was so overwhelming that I gasped as soon as I walked in.

The interior is so spacious and comfortable that there's no cramped feeling at all — it genuinely feels like you're being treated to something special. It felt like stepping into a top-tier hotel restaurant or an expensive Korean set-meal restaurant, and my mood instantly lifted. Seeing my parents fall in love with the place from the entrance onward, I was so glad I brought them! 💖 Let me show you the menu!

What we ordered and how much it cost

We ordered:

• Boneless flounder seaweed soup (₩19,000)
• Beef seaweed soup (₩20,000)
• Stir-fried pork (₩26,000)

That's what we went with!

Adults are required to order one full set menu per person — no exceptions!

The self-serve bar side dishes

They have a separate self-serve bar here, so you can help yourself to as many extra side dishes as you want! The self-serve lineup alone was amazing — neatly arranged japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), sweet-savory braised tofu, and crispy fried eggplant filled the counter. Fragrant seasoned wild greens, crunchy cucumber kimchi, and well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi showed just how much care went into every single side dish.

And on top of that, there was even chewy seasoned cockles and crispy, savory fried gim bugak (seasoned dried seaweed chips), which had my eyes wide open! 😋 The self-serve sides alone were substantial enough to fill you up before the main seaweed soup even arrived. Being able to help ourselves to such delicious side dishes without any hesitation made my parents really happy too! 💖

The quality of the standard sides and fried flounder

The standard side dishes came out looking this varied and neatly presented, in generous amounts! 🍱✨ Seeing the table fully spread out, it really felt like being treated at a high-end Korean set-meal restaurant. At first I thought the price was a bit steep for seaweed soup, but the moment I saw the quality of the accompanying sides, that thought completely disappeared.

Every single side dish was made with such care, and the fried flounder in particular, coated in a sweet-savory sauce and fried until crispy, was seriously amazing! 🐟👍 It was good enough to be a main dish on its own, and I kept gasping in admiration with every bite. With a spread this full and this tasty, the price felt completely worth it — even like a great deal! 💖

Stir-fried pork, ₩26,000 — worth ordering alongside?

And here's the thing — turns out this place is seriously amazing for stir-fried pork too!! 🔥🥩 No gamey smell at all, the meat was tender and soft, and the sauce clung nicely to it without being too sweet — just the right amount of delicious!

Paired with the clean, deep flavor of the seaweed soup, it went together so perfectly that I couldn't help but admire the combination. The harmony between the seaweed soup and the stir-fried pork was flawless, so I'd strongly recommend ordering at least one to share. Sneaking in a stir-fried pork order alongside the main seaweed soup dishes — that was such a great choice on my part, if I do say so myself!

How did the Haenon seaweed soup taste?

Finally, today's highlight arrived — the main seaweed soup!!! 🍲✨ I once bought fresh seaweed myself and boiled it into soup at home, and I remember being amazed at the deep aroma that good-quality seaweed gives off. The moment I took my first spoonful here, that same signature aroma of premium seaweed came right back to me!

The seaweed had a springy-yet-tender texture, and the broth carried a deep, rich, luxurious sea flavor. On top of that, a touch of nutty perilla seed had been added, giving the broth a thick, rich texture that felt just right. With every spoonful, I could genuinely feel my energy rising — it was exactly the kind of hearty, restorative meal you'd want! 💪 I completely understood why, among the countless seaweed soup restaurants out there, this one gets called 'premium seaweed soup.'

Leftover seaweed soup, packed for ₩1,000

The three of us ordered two bowls of seaweed soup and one stir-fried pork, but with so many side dishes and everything tasting so good, we ended up with almost a full bowl of seaweed soup left over! Haha. With such generous portions, I wondered what we'd do, but it turns out you can get the leftover soup packed into a clean takeout container for just an extra thousand won.

So we happily packed up that leftover bowl and brought it home to enjoy again! 🛍️✨ The portions were genuinely generous and the hospitality felt so warm that I was in a great mood the whole meal through. The taste, the portions, and the service were all top-notch, so I think I'll be bringing my parents back again soon!