Suwon grilled fish lunch, crispy croaker & Atka mackerel: Godeungeo

What is Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch?

Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch (고등어명품이되다 수원점) is a grilled fish restaurant on Seobu-ro in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, and this day we had grilled mackerel, grilled Atka mackerel and grilled croaker. How about a gentle, filling, healthy meal instead of the greasy meat you eat every day? Looking for a place where you can bring a kid without feeling awkward and the facilities are great? Tired of the smell when you grill fish at home, tired of agonizing over where to eat out? This review of a Suwon grilled fish restaurant is for you. Starting right now!

Parking and waiting at Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch

The restaurant has a large parking lot in front, but even at around 11:30 on a weekday it was almost full. Parking is the first thing you check when heading to restaurants in west Suwon, right?

The lot out front is seriously huge! "Yay, parking will be easy~" I thought, and arrived around 11:30 on a weekday... and what??? The lot was almost full, for real? Hahaha. The inside was already packed with customers too. We squeaked in just in time, but when the three of us finished and left around 12:30, the waiting line was quite long!

The Catchtable waiting device is inside the restaurant, so I recommend registering and then relaxing in the cafeteria!

Inside Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon: fish tanks and a grilling oven

At the entrance there is a tank with live mackerel swimming in it, and the fish is grilled in an oven inside the restaurant.

The first thing that greeted us when we walked in was... a fish tank(?). I mean, it's not a sashimi place, it's a grilled fish restaurant, and it has a tank, hahahaha. Live mackerel were actually swimming in it. Is this Jeju Island??? If you bring kids, you can skip the aquarium and get your nature study done right here.

The fish is grilled in an oven, which is fascinating, and also made me think, ah, so that's why it's so good.

Is Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda good with kids? Even a baby-food microwave

Strollers get in easily, and the restaurant has baby high chairs, children's tableware and a microwave for baby food. The restrooms are separate for men and women too, so it suits family meals.

And the point that moved me most as a mom!! It's spacious and pleasant, so getting a stroller in is easy, and there are plenty of baby high chairs, right? Children's tableware is a given, right? And there is even a separate "baby-food microwave"!!! I wondered what the microwave was for, and it really felt thoughtful.

The restrooms are clean and separate for men and women, so I hereby certify this as a restaurant optimized for family meals. Bang bang!

What's in the self-serve banchan corner and cafeteria?

A wide self-serve banchan (side dish) corner sits in the middle of the restaurant, where you can help yourself to three kinds of kimchi, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), oi-sobagi (stuffed cucumber kimchi) and sikhye (sweet rice drink). The cafeteria inside serves Americano, milk coffee and hot chocolate.

The best part was the self-serve banchan corner, which is huge and varied and sits in the middle of the restaurant. At most grilled fish places only the main dish comes out, but the banchan quality here is crazy..... And since it's self-service, refilling without feeling awkward is so nice.

There were even three kinds of kimchi that go well with fish, plus japchae and stuffed cucumber kimchi, love them ♥

There's sikhye to cleanse the palate too, so today's full course is right here!

The cafeteria is inside the restaurant too, with seats, plus Americano made from fresh beans, milk coffee and hot chocolate.

Grilled mackerel, Atka mackerel and croaker: taste and prices

This day at Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch we had grilled mackerel (₩16,000), grilled Atka mackerel (₩16,000) and grilled croaker (₩20,000). All three were good, but to my taste the grilled mackerel came first.

Grilled mackerel (₩16,000)

All were good, but to my taste mackerel is absolutely number one!!! How can it be this rich and nutty with not even 1% fishy smell? I thought salt-cured mackerel was the best mackerel, but the mackerel here is truly premium.... Not salty at all and really delicious. With white rice, it's pure heaven.

Grilled Atka mackerel (₩16,000)

The flesh is very soft and mild, so it would be perfect as a side dish for babies. It melts in your mouth and has lots of meat, so it was easy to eat without feeling heavy.

Grilled croaker with crispy skin (₩20,000)

A recommendation from the friend I went with!! She insisted I try the croaker, and even though the price is a little higher, I said go for it! When it arrived I understood why it costs more. First, a whole fish comes out, and probably because it's a premium fish, the flesh felt chewy and springy? The meat is tasty, but then at the end I ate the skin, and the skin was crispy and absolutely crazy good. If you're looking for a restaurant in Tap-dong to take your elders to, order this and you'll be praised.

Sample of gochujang bulgogi (spicy pork)

A small tasting portion of gochujang bulgogi (spicy red pepper paste marinated pork) comes out, and it isn't spicy and is so tasty it makes you want rice. Even if you're with someone who doesn't like fish much, the gochujang bulgogi widens the options, which seems great.

I hear you can also get croaker sashimi and mackerel sashimi, so next time I'll have to come for the raw fish.

Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch: the verdict

Great taste as a given, plus a Suwon restaurant with a big parking lot. If you want a busy, high-turnover favorite with thoughtful touches for kids everywhere, Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch is it.