Hwaseong Korean restaurant for barley bibimbap: Hwadamga

A family meal at Hwadamga in Bongdam

After a weekend outing, I stopped by Hwadamga (화담가), a popular grilled-fish restaurant in Bongdam, for a family meal.

Hwadamga is near the apartments in Bongdam! It is easy to get to, too. And above all, there is a huge parking lot—an absolute must for a family meal, you know?

Hwadamga

Fresh greenery welcomes you out front. The modern, sophisticated cream-white exterior looks lovely against the clear blue sky!

The parking spaces are this roomy, so even new drivers can easily come here. The wide dedicated lot right in front is such a draw at Hwadamga, a grilled-fish favorite in Bongdam!

What is at the salad bar?

Inside the restaurant: salad bar

It is filled with appetizing food made with care~~ There is even a corner with fresh wrap vegetables.

The salad bar is probably this place's standout feature! Along with the barley rice served as a basic, there are all kinds of seasoned vegetable side dishes to mix into it, plus unlimited wrap vegetables for the spicy pork stir-fry. You can also refill white rice and barley rice, and there is miyeokguk (seaweed soup) and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), which kids love, right beside them.

Finally, this Bongdam favorite even gives you the full course of dessert slushies and coffee. All complimentary.... Are you making any profit, owner? ♡ You will be seriously, seriously full after this! Hwadamga is packed with delicious dishes that everyone, young or old, can enjoy—love it so much ♡♡

What are the private rooms and table seats like?

Inside the restaurant: seating

Inside, there are tables for four to six people like these, set slightly apart from the other tables, so you can dine cozily and privately. The sophisticated wood tones and rattan lighting give the space a warm, comfortable feel; it feels upscale and cozy all around~~

It is great for dates, family meals out, company dinners, and group gatherings—especially when you are bringing older family members.

And you know how you sometimes need a private room for a family gathering or company dinner? There are about four rooms here, including ones where the middle partition can be opened like this, so it looks like they can accommodate a large group. If you have lots of people, consider Hwadamga, a Bongdam favorite, at least once!

A full spread of barley rice bibimbap and grilled fish

Menu

As a basic, a generous bowl of nutty barley rice is served for every menu item ordered.

Then toss on the seasoned vegetables we picked up from the salad bar earlier, and delicious bibimbap (mixed rice) is complete! Making and eating vegetable side dishes at home is such a chore, so it is so nice to come out and have a proper meal like this. Hwadamga, a Bongdam favorite, looks even more appetizing served neatly in brass bowls ♡

We ordered spicy pork stir-fry, grilled imyeonsu fish, grilled mackerel, and steamed egg. The fish was cooked in a charcoal oven, with the oil thoroughly rendered out, leaving it light and beautifully golden. The sweet-and-spicy pork stir-fry had a tender texture and a clean flavor that really stood out. The fluffy, savory, soft steamed egg was great too—my child ate it well, which made me happy ♡

And a soybean-paste stew generously filled with tofu came as a basic side, so it truly felt like a royal feast.

By the way, there was a microwave too! Such thoughtful preparation for warming baby food, even if you have a newborn~! Since the grilled-fish dishes are ones kids enjoy, it would be great to visit with children too, right? Eating all this delicious food made me think of my parents, haha. Next time, I should bring them here again ♡