Grilled fish restaurant in Goyang for pregnancy cravings: Min Cook

The weather's finally turning cool and it's the season your appetite comes back. Honestly, I never used to be big on grilled fish. But funnily enough, ever since I got pregnant, I've been craving that light, savory grilled fish flavor so badly! Guess it's true that pregnancy totally flips your taste buds.

So this time I went looking for great grilled fish and headed to 'Seasonal Grilled Fish Min Cook Apbadang,' famous in Seongsa-dong. The whole time I was thinking, "I definitely need to bring my parents here next." For anyone trying to figure out a warm, delicious meal with family, here's my detailed review!

Min Cook Apbadang Seongsa hours and closed days

• Tue–Fri 10:50–21:00 / break 15:00–16:30 / last order 20:00
• Weekends 10:50–20:30 / break 15:30–16:30 / last order 19:30
• Weekday lunch special 10:50–14:30
• Closed Mondays

What we ordered and the price

• Grilled bulgogi + seasonal grilled fish set for two, ₩46,000
• Coke, ₩2,000

A clean, spacious vibe perfect for bringing your parents

The moment I stepped through the door, the first thing that caught my eye was how wide and clean the dining room felt. The age range of the other diners was pretty telling too. True to its reputation as a place that's great for bringing your parents, there were tons of multi-generational families with elderly guests in tow!

It had exactly the kind of cleanliness my mom loves, plus generous spacing between tables — perfect for get-togethers or weekend family gatherings.

Flipping through the menu, the variety of grilled fish was really impressive. From mixed grilled platters to spicy-sweet braises, there were so many options I spent ages deciding, but in the end we picked the 'Grilled Bulgogi and Seasonal Grilled Fish Set,' since it could satisfy both the meat lover and the fish lover at the table!

Thoughtful table setup and self-bar

After ordering, they set the table with neat basic banchan (side dishes) and an induction burner. The self-bar here is really well stocked too. If you run out of banchan mid-meal, you can just grab more from the salad bar, and you can add condiments like wasabi, soy sauce, and doenjang to taste. What I especially loved was that the savory doenjang soup isn't served pre-poured — you scoop it yourself, warm, from the self-bar, exactly as much as you want. Less food waste, and always piping hot.

And the rice comes as freshly made, hot sotbap (hot pot rice)! One big pot comes out per two people, and you scoop it into individual bowls yourselves. That glossy, just-cooked sotbap flavor, plus scorched rice tea (sungnyung) you can make at the end — parents are bound to love that, right?

Three kinds of seasonal grilled fish, warm until the last bite

Finally, the main event arrived! Today's seasonal grilled fish lineup was a full three-kind set: croaker gulbi, wild flatfish cod, and grilled flounder. Just looking at how golden-brown they were grilled made my mouth water, haha.

And here's the truly genius part! Once the grilled fish arrives, they set a dedicated plate on the induction burner and turn the heat on low. Usually at grilled fish places, it's amazing at first but then cools down as you eat, and you start getting that fishy smell or the flesh dries out, right? At Min Cook Apbadang, though, the fish stays warm all the way through the meal. You can even re-crisp the skin a bit more to your liking — such a smart touch!

Taking a big bite of the fish, there was no fishy smell at all, and the flesh was so soft and moist... Even with my pregnancy-sharpened palate, it matched perfectly, and I couldn't put my chopsticks down. The salty, savory flavor of the croaker gulbi, the light cleanness of the flatfish cod, and the softness of the flounder came together to make it dangerously easy to eat with rice.

The grilled bulgogi that came with it

The grilled bulgogi served alongside was beyond expectations too. It had a subtle smoky char, and the meat was tender, not chewy at all. No unpleasant smell either! The meat comes in slightly big chunks, so we used the provided scissors to cut it into bite-sized pieces and wrapped it with the grilled fish — the combination was perfect 👍

Final thoughts and recommendation

The taste, the atmosphere, and even the little details like keeping the food warm — nothing was missing from this satisfying meal. Even I, someone who doesn't usually enjoy fish dishes, walked out having cleaned my plate completely, so if you love Korean food or grilled fish, this is a must-visit, haha.

It's a great spot to stop by for a proper Korean meal after exploring near the Goyang IKEA. And honestly, if you bring your parents here, you'll definitely get a "wow, great pick today" — highly recommend, haha.