Suncheon cockle restaurant on the way to Yeosu with kids: Dowongyeong

Before heading to Yeosu with my kid, we stopped at Suncheon Bay National Garden, then wanted to try some local food before moving on. So we went to Dowongyeong (도원경), a Suncheon hanjeongsik (Korean set-meal) spot that's the ultimate for cockle dishes. Verdict: total success! The owner and staff were so attentive and kind that I melted, and the food was delicious too, so a perfect meal and I'm very happy~

Where is Dowongyeong, and what about hours and parking?

Dowongyeong is on Suncheonman-gil in Suncheon (the original lists Daeryong-dong 134-15). It is open Monday to Sunday, 10:00–21:00, and has free parking. It's a handy place to stop after seeing Suncheon Bay National Garden.

Dowongyeong is a go-to for local family meals in Suncheon. There's also a group room at the back that seats 38, so it works well for get-togethers too.

You can park in front, but we came on a substitute holiday and it was full, so we parked on the roadside. I asked, and they said roadside parking is fine on holidays.

If you come at lunch peak, expect a wait~ You just sign up through Tabling.

Of course it's been on a bunch of food shows like 6 O'Clock My Hometown, Tasty Guys and Live Info, right~?! Famous people like it too. The jjangttungeo-tang (mudskipper soup) is popular, and you can get 1 pack for takeout, sized for 2 servings. A Suncheon Korean restaurant approved by the mayor of Suncheon!

What are the atmosphere and waiting like at Dowongyeong?

Dowongyeong breaks the stiff mood of a typical hanjeongsik place with a wide-open view of rice fields, so you can eat comfortably, and there's even phone charging for guests. We went at 1 p.m., after the peak, and it still filled up soon.

Nothing blocks the view of the fields~ All green, which is nice for the eyes~ It isn't a heavy atmosphere, so you can enjoy a relaxed meal. My little goof hates waiting, so we came at 1, a bit after the peak~ It looked roomy, but a moment later,

the place was packed with customers again~ Being a Suncheon local favorite, maybe it's peak time from opening to closing~?! It has the vibe of a real local hit.

We booked through Naver. Even with a Naver reservation you have to wait when it's full, but you don't wait long.

Dowongyeong's review event is something else, too. They give a gifticon for 2 iced Americanos from Mega Coffee! I joined in and got my 2 cups super fast the next day~ 👍👍

What are Dowongyeong's signature dishes?

The signature dishes are tang-kkomak (cockles in broth) and the cockle set meal; the cockle + female crab gejang (soy-marinated raw crab) set and jjangttungeo jeongol (mudskipper hot pot) are popular too. We ordered the cockle set meal for 2 (₩30,000 per person) and a sansuyu sikhye (cornelian cherry sweet rice drink) for ₩3,000.

Tang-kkomak set goes on the list for our next Suncheon trip~ haha And with the cockle + female crab gejang set too, Dowongyeong near Suncheon Bay National Garden is the perfect place to bring your parents. As a true local favorite, the elders at the table behind us were having the jjangttungeo jeongol, and I was curious about the taste~

Once you order, the basic spread starts coming and fills the whole table. You could say it starts with cockles and ends with cockles?!

• Dowongyeong cockle set meal ₩30,000 × 2 people
• Sansuyu sikhye ₩3,000

A full table of cockle set meal with my kid

The Dowongyeong cockle set comes with seasoned blood cockles, braised cockles, cockle spring rolls, cockle tangsuyuk (sweet and sour), cockle jeon (pancake), cockle muchim (seasoned cockles), and cockle hamburg steak, plus gejang and gat kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi). It was just the right lineup for going with a kid who loves cockles.

Seeing the table full, my son broke into a bright smile~ Why? Because my little goof loves cockles! We often boil cockles at home and enjoy peeling them, and here he gets to try all kinds of dishes made from cockles~

A restaurant that serves gejang as a side gets a double thumbs up~ Even though the seasoning is bright red, it isn't too salty or harsh when you actually eat it, and it's the best with rice!

I'm slowly tasting every side dish~ If you're planning a trip to Yeosu or Suncheon with a kid, I definitely recommend Dowongyeong, the Suncheon Korean restaurant, for a family meal.

Seasoned blood cockles, braised cockles, cockle spring rolls and tangsuyuk

This is the seasoned blood cockles.

It sits on a soft mat of baby greens, and eating them together gives you all kinds of flavors~

This is the braised cockles. It's the cockle version of the meat one, and a treat too~

Cockle spring rolls with a jjajo (fried spring roll) feel, plus cockle tangsuyuk~ I can see why they're sold as sides. If you have a big group, the cockle tangsuyuk is one of the dishes worth adding.

And speaking of Yeosu, gat kimchi~ Oh my god! Put it on rice and it's a true rice thief~

Cockle jeon and cockle muchim bibimbap my kid ate well

This is the cockle jeon. My kid, who dove right into the vegetables, ate it well.

Put a bit of cockle muchim on the cockle jeon and eat them together, great combo~! It has minari (water dropwort), chives, scallions and carrots, so the colors are pretty~

And the big one, the cockle muchim, is different right from the seasoning~ The color is so pretty~ Put it in a bowl with seaweed flakes, drizzle sesame oil twice around, mix, and game over.

This is why you eat a cockle set~ Trying local food is part of the fun of traveling!

We tasted the essence of cockles.

The finishing touch: cockle hamburg steak

The finishing touch is the hamburg steak made from cockles. The cheese was a stroke of genius. The sauce feels more upscale than donkatsu sauce, and it tastes so meaty you wonder if there's meat in it.

Dowongyeong, the Suncheon Korean restaurant! "I see why it's famous." Agreed~

I won't leave anything~ my little goof scraping the bowls clean.

How is the sansuyu sikhye for dessert at Dowongyeong?

Dowongyeong's sansuyu sikhye (₩3,000) tastes like regular sikhye with a slight fresh tang added, and it was nice to drink after the meal instead of coffee. I ordered it as dessert for my kid who likes sikhye, instead of soda~ haha and for me, the coffee lover.

If you shake it well, there are rice grains at the bottom, and I was curious how they'd taste, maybe dyed by the sansuyu~

Lovely color~ It tastes like regular sikhye with a slight fresh tang, and I totally recommend sansuyu sikhye instead of coffee after the meal!!

Who would enjoy Dowongyeong?

• If you're planning a trip to Suncheon, the place to eat is Dowongyeong in Suncheon~!
• It's great for group get-togethers, family meals, or bringing your parents, so I recommend a visit to Dowongyeong, the Suncheon Korean restaurant.