Pollock hangover soup and kodari braise in Icheon: Seonghone

It's the last day of summer vacation. The original plan was to have the breakfast buffet and check out. But after drinking Jecheon makgeolli and craft beer the night before, I desperately needed to cure my hangover from the morning. Instead of a breakfast buffet, I wanted something hot and spicy, so I headed to Seonghone Wang Kodari Dongtaetang, a well-known restaurant in Icheon, Gyeonggi.

I set off hoping it would properly soothe last night's hangover.

An exterior that looks like it belongs at a harbor

The exterior itself has that harbor-town feel to it. Maybe because they serve dongtaetang (spicy pollock stew) and kodari braise, the atmosphere already sets expectations high. I couldn't help but get excited.

Walking inside, one banner immediately caught my eye: a full breakdown of pollock.

Fresh pollock, frozen pollock, kodari, bugeo (dried pollock), hwangtae (yellow dried pollock), meoktae (semi-dried pollock), and nogari (small dried pollock) — it turns out they're all pollock. I knew about fresh and frozen pollock, but I had no idea there were this many varieties. I learned something new, haha. The owner is clearly a pollock expert.

Something to read before you eat

On one wall was a note asking guests to read before their meal. It talked about how the restaurant became a word-of-mouth favorite in Icheon for its healthy table, and how they cook imaginative dishes using precious ingredients at honest prices while minimizing artificial seasoning.

It listed the values the restaurant holds important, and reading it, I could feel their pride in the food.

In particular, it mentioned using fresh ingredients and homemade broth, and after eating, I understood exactly why they wrote that. Even the bean sprouts are sulfur-grown and sourced directly from the factory, and they prepare large pollock and clean it themselves. Apparently you can even try the pollock's innards here — great news for anyone who really loves pollock.

What we ordered

Since there were several of us, we ordered generously.

• Large siraegi kodari (serves 4) → Yanggu siraegi kodari braise + daegu-jiri
• Mixed pollock hot pot, 1 serving → pollock + roe sac + eggs
• Giant egg roll (10 pieces)

For reference, the kodari braise takes about 15 minutes after ordering.

If you call ahead, you can skip the wait entirely — worth keeping in mind.

Daegu-jiri, perfect for a hangover

The first thing to arrive was the daegu-jiri. Maybe it was the hangover talking, but wow — it looked refreshing before I'd even had a spoonful.

I was practically hopping in anticipation at the sight of it, and the man sitting nearby said, 'It's amazing.' That got me even more excited, haha. My mom took one sip of the piping-hot daegu-jiri and immediately said, 'This really is amazing.'

To my taste too, the daegu-jiri was incredibly refreshing and delicious. Maybe because I'd been drinking the night before, nothing beats this for a hangover. The broth is rich but not heavy — clean and satisfying.

As I ate, I could practically taste on my tongue that the secret was fresh ingredients.

I was glad I'd come for a hangover cure.

Siraegi kodari braise, better for not being sweet

Next came the siraegi kodari braise, generously packed with Yanggu siraegi (dried radish greens) and kodari.

What I liked most was that it wasn't sweet. My mom is sensitive to sweetness and hates it whenever a dish is too sweet, wherever we go — but she said this kodari braise was good precisely because it wasn't sweet.

That's actually a pretty important point. The seasoning wasn't heavy, more like the minimal amount needed to let the ingredients' natural flavor shine. Rather than sweetness or saltiness hitting you first, you taste the kodari and siraegi themselves first.

Instead of masking the ingredients' flavor, the seasoning felt light yet subtly savory, so I kept reaching for more. That made it even more delicious. My family doesn't really like heavily seasoned food, and this hit the spot exactly.

The mixed pollock hot pot my sister insisted on

My sister said she absolutely had to have the mixed pollock hot pot, so we added one serving.

The friendly owner set it up on a burner so we could simmer it ourselves at the table. Gruff but genuinely kind — thanks so much, haha. Bubbling away in the pot, the mixed pollock hot pot contained pollock, roe sac, and eggs.

The pollock in here was seriously hearty — plenty of flesh and a rich, spicy broth — so my sister gave it two thumbs up right after her first bite, declaring that red pollock stew is exactly her kind of thing.

I would have felt bad if we hadn't ordered it. Lesson learned: always order the dish someone's craving, haha.

The giant egg roll, way bigger than expected

And then there was the giant egg roll I ordered. Honestly, I didn't expect it to be this big. A whole plate arrives piled high with a giant egg roll — truly living up to its name.

The egg roll was soft and delicious, so I kept picking at it too. But between the generous portions and eating kodari braise, daegu-jiri, and the pollock hot pot on top, I got way too full.

In the end, we left 3 out of 10 pieces. At the time I thought it couldn't be helped since I was so full, but once I got home, I kept thinking about that egg roll. I should have packed it. We did pack the kodari braise, but I worried the egg roll might spoil, so I skipped it. Still, days later, I kept thinking about it.

When I make it myself, it never tastes like that! I really regret leaving it behind, haha.

Ate a lot, and still had leftovers to go

Thanks to being a group, we ordered plenty of everything, and even after eating our fill there was quite a bit left over. We ended up packing the kodari braise to take home.

I felt reassured knowing it would still taste great reheated at home. I'd come intending just to properly cure my hangover, but each dish turned out more satisfying than expected, and I finished the meal in a great mood.

At Seonghone Wang Kodari Dongtaetang, an Icheon, Gyeonggi favorite I chose instead of the hotel breakfast buffet, I cured my hangover properly — from the cool, clean daegu-jiri, to the siraegi kodari braise I liked even more for not being sweet, the pollock hot pot my sister raved about, and the giant egg roll that surprised me with its size.

Overall, the food let the ingredients speak for themselves rather than relying on strong flavors, which suited my family's taste well. It was especially satisfying that my mom, who doesn't like heavily seasoned or sweet food, enjoyed it. Eating so well and leaving with a full stomach felt like a fitting way to wrap up the last day of summer vacation.

Next time I'm craving a hot, spicy broth in Icheon, or a properly made kodari braise, this is a place I'd want to return to. And next time, I'm finishing that giant egg roll without leaving a single piece.