Yeouido fireworks day lunch at a wood-fired grilled fish restaurant

Why grilled fish for lunch in Yeouido on fireworks day

Today I'm introducing a grilled fish spot near Saetgang Station: Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido.

Hi everyone~~~ it's Jjokko-hyung haha. When I eat lunch in Yeouido I always end up picking the same kind of menu, but this time I was craving warm Korean food, so I went to a grilled fish restaurant near Saetgang Station. Grilling fish at home is a bit of a hassle, from the smell to the cleanup, so I decided to enjoy a proper grilled fish meal comfortably instead. The place I visited was Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido! Let me tell you about it right now~ let's go~

Where Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Yeouido is and when it opens

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang is on the basement level of Lotte Castle Ivy. It's located at 86 Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and you can easily find the store by heading down into the underground shopping area. It's also fairly close to Saetgang Station, so it seemed like a fine option for Yeouido office workers' lunch.

Hours are 11:00 to 21:30, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00. Good to keep in mind if you're planning a visit.

Inside the restaurant: seating and what is on the free self-bar

Walking in, the space was bigger than I expected.

The tables had plenty of spacing so it never felt cramped, and everything looked clean, which made a good first impression.

There were seats good for solo dining as well as tables for larger groups.

With such a variety of seating, it felt like a perfect spot for a workday lunch.

High chairs were available too, so it looked easy to visit with kids.

It felt like a relaxed enough place for a family meal or eating Korean food with your parents. And there was a self-bar I quite liked, too.

You could easily go back for more banchan (side dishes) if you ran out, and freely help yourself to lettuce and other sides.

I came for grilled fish, but seeing tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) at the self-bar, I couldn't help reaching for it. It was more sweet than spicy, so kids would probably like it too. After the meal there was even nurungji (scorched rice) and sungnyung (scorched rice tea) ready, which was a nice warm way to finish.

How the wood-fired mackerel and Spanish mackerel sets taste

Alright, time for the taste review.

What we ordered that day was mackerel and Spanish mackerel — the wood-fired mackerel set and the wood-fired Spanish mackerel set. Being proper grilled fish sets, they came with rice, soup and banchan, all laid out together, and just looking at the spread was already satisfying. The price was reasonable too, so it seemed like a fine choice for a workday lunch. And the moment the food arrived, the fish was bigger than I expected — genuinely quite large.

I tried the mackerel first. Maybe because it's grilled in a wood-fired oven, the outside was golden brown while the inside stayed moist, and the mackerel's signature savory flavor really came through. The flesh was quite thick too, so it was great piled on top of rice,

and best of all, there wasn't a strong fishy smell, which I liked. The Spanish mackerel had its own different charm!

The flesh was thick and soft, so picking it apart with chopsticks was oddly satisfying. It had a clean, savory flavor that went really well with rice.

A spoonful of warm rice topped with a piece of fish — I don't know what it is about that combo, but the rice just disappeared haha.

It also went well dipped lightly in soy sauce with a bit of wasabi, or eaten with ssamjang (seasoned soybean paste) or wrapped in lettuce.

Since the fish flesh was so thick, it really held its own as a wrap too! Rice on lettuce, a piece of fish on top, a dab of ssamjang — it worked surprisingly well together. Eating grilled fish as a wrap turned out to be its own kind of delicacy :)

The banchan overall was mild and clean, not overpowering, so it paired well with the grilled fish without feeling heavy. With rice, soup and banchan all together, it really felt like a proper Korean meal!

Is it a good Korean lunch before the Seoul fireworks festival?

To wrap up with an overall review.

It had been a while since I'd had grilled fish, so personally I was quite satisfied. Most of all, places like this are such a relief when you don't feel like grilling fish at home haha. No worrying about the smell, and you get fish grilled golden in a wood-fired oven along with rice, soup and banchan all in one set. The mackerel was savory and clean, and the Spanish mackerel had thick, soft flesh — both went really well with rice. The fish were also generously sized, so it felt like a proper, filling meal!

From the self-bar banchan to the sweet tteokbokki, and finishing warmly with sungnyung at the end, satisfaction was high throughout the meal. If you're looking for a non-spicy Korean lunch in Yeouido before heading out to watch the Seoul fireworks festival, this grilled fish restaurant near Saetgang Station is worth a stop.