Anyang Korean restaurant for crispy oven mackerel: Hwaddeugeuro

Oven-grilled mackerel in Bisan-dong, Anyang: Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo Bisan Branch

I visited Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo Bisan Branch for a light, healthy, yet filling meal! I came to try its grilled fish, cooked in a 500°C oven to drain away the fat while locking in the juices, along with a premium self-serve bar said to rival a Korean set-menu buffet.

It is on the first floor of the Kids Mom Center Blue Building, 272 Gwanak-daero, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, and is especially easy to find as it is on the first floor of a large building near the Bisan-dong Sports Complex. It is open daily from 11:00 to 21:30, with up to three hours of free underground parking in the building, so it was very convenient to visit by car.

A spacious, tidy dining room for visiting with parents

The moment I stepped inside, the airy, spacious layout and bright, neat interior stood out.

The tables were generously spaced and kept clean, making this just the right atmosphere for a family meal with parents or a tidy meal with older guests. The three hours of free underground parking in this large building was also a reassuring perk for families.

Ordering oven-grilled mackerel and choosing rice

After looking over the menu, I ordered the signature oven-grilled mackerel (₩16,000). I could choose between healthy brown rice and pleasantly sticky white rice, a thoughtful touch.

A neat spread of basics and the Korean self-serve bar

Oven-grilled mackerel ₩16,000

Once I had ordered, the basic side dishes were neatly set on the table first. Starting with a warm, comforting bowl of doenjang-guk (soybean paste soup),

there was springy japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), sweet-salty braised burdock root, crunchy dried radish strips, crisp braised lotus root, nicely fermented young-radish kimchi, and fresh peppers with doenjang.

The basic spread alone was neat enough to finish a whole bowl of rice with, but when I looked around the self-serve bar in the middle of the restaurant, an exclamation slipped right out.

The self-serve bar was generously stocked with golden, crisp kimchi pancakes, sweet-spicy tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and warm japchae.

There were also perfect preparations for mixing bibimbap (mixed rice): shredded radish salad, seasoned bean sprouts, seasoned zucchini, and fresh wrap vegetables, all ready to go in a large bowl of rice.

Each side dish had the homemade touch and quality of a dedicated Korean set-menu restaurant, so I could really see how strong the banchan (Korean side dishes) lineup was.

Crisp outside, moist inside: 500°C oven-grilled mackerel

Soon, the oven-grilled mackerel arrived fresh from the 500°C oven on a large plate, looking beautifully golden. The surface was coated in a golden, crisp skin that was sizzling from the intense oven heat.

I lifted a generous piece of thick mackerel flesh with my chopsticks and took a bite. While the outer skin crunched, the flesh was full of moisture and juices, flaking apart softly and moistly along its layers.

All the excess oil had cooked away, so it was not rich at all, while mackerel’s deep nutty flavor gently coated my tongue. There was absolutely no fishiness, and the light salt seasoning had soaked in nicely; over hot rice, it was the ultimate rice thief.

It was also wonderfully balanced wrapped in fresh greens from the self-serve bar with sticky rice, a thick piece of mackerel, and ssamjang (savory soybean dipping paste).

Picking at crisp kimchi pancakes and tteokbokki throughout the meal made it even more fun, and I finished every last spoonful feeling full and impressed.

Final thoughts

Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo Bisan Branch really showed the best of fish grilled crisp outside and moist inside by a 500°C oven. With three hours of free parking, a comfortable dining room, and a Korean self-serve bar featuring everything from kimchi pancakes to bibimbap vegetables, I definitely want to return next time with my parents. I recommend it if you are looking near Bisan-dong, Anyang, for a neat, generous grilled-fish rice set or a place for a family meal.