Grilled Rock Bream Hot Pot Rice Set in Siheung Baegot: Hwadogeuro

Grilling fish at home tastes great, but the smell and cleanup afterward are honestly a lot of hassle. So whenever I'm craving grilled fish, I'd rather eat it out. This time I went to Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo Siheung Baegot Branch, where you can have grilled fish together with warm hot pot rice in Baegot.

The atmosphere and seating

Walking into Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo Siheung Baegot Branch, the interior was bigger than I expected. There were several tables plus a long row of bench seating on one side, so it looked like a good spot for families too. Overall the wood-and-black interior gave it a clean, tidy feel.

On one side of the restaurant, there's a space where you can see the wood-fired oven. Since it's hard to grill fish often at home because of the smell, anyone searching for a good grilled fish spot in Siheung Baegot would probably be glad to find a place dedicated to it like this.

On the walls hung photos depicting the wood-fired oven, fish, and Korean table settings.

Off to the side, there was a decorative display themed around ingredients used in Korean cooking — rice, vegetables, salt. Little touches like this were scattered throughout the restaurant, giving it a natural feel as a grilled fish specialty spot.

Two servings of grilled rock bream: size and price

Finally, the grilled rock bream arrived. We ordered two servings, priced at ₩19,000 per person, ₩38,000 total. Two rock bream came out on a large plate, and once I saw them up close they were bigger than I'd expected. The skin was grilled nicely golden all over, and just the sight of it made me want rice right away.

When I flaked the fish apart, the inside was moist and tender. Putting a piece of rock bream on warm rice confirmed once again that grilled fish and rice are just a great combo. The most annoying part of grilling fish at home is how long the smell lingers, so being able to enjoy freshly grilled fish without worrying about that was really nice.

Hot pot rice and the final nurungji

The rice served alongside the grilled fish was hot pot rice. Warm rice always pairs well with grilled fish, but since it came as hot pot rice rather than a regular bowl of rice, the meal felt even more filling.

I tried piling a generous piece of rock bream onto a spoonful of rice. It's a simple combination, but the grilled fish itself works so well as a side that this alone was satisfying, no extras needed.

After scooping out the rice, water is poured into the pot. You leave it as is while you eat, then finish it off at the end like nurungji (scorched rice). Going from grilled rock bream to hot pot rice to nurungji at the end makes for a flow that should suit anyone who loves Korean food.

What was on the self-serve bar

Another thing that caught my eye at Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo was the self-serve bar. It wasn't just the grilled fish — you could also help yourself to as many side dishes as you wanted to go with the meal.

Wrap vegetables were also generously stocked at the self-serve bar. It was nice to be able to eat vegetables in between bites rather than just eating fish the whole time.

When I visited, the self-serve bar had several kinds of banchan (side dishes) including radish salad. There was also fernbrake and seasoned bean sprouts, enough to make a bibimbap (mixed rice) if you wanted, but I was too full to try it. A bit of a shame — I'll have to try it next time.

There were more than a couple of side dish options, which was nice since you could pick according to your taste. Rather than piling a lot on at once, it's better to take a little at a time and go back for more if you need it.

Below the self-serve bar there were plates and bibimbap bowls ready to use for the side dishes. Being able to just grab the dishes you needed made it easy to use.

What stood out about Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo Siheung Baegot Branch was that it didn't feel like just a grilled fish meal — you got a whole spread with the grilled rock bream, hot pot rice, and a variety of self-serve side dishes. Worth keeping in mind if you're craving Korean food in Baegot or thinking about grilled fish but don't want the hassle of cooking it at home, and are looking for a good grilled fish restaurant in Siheung Baegot.

Coffee and plum iced tea after the meal

On one side of the restaurant, there were also drinks ready for after the meal. Coffee and plum iced tea were available, so you could pick one to enjoy however you like once you're done eating. After a filling meal of grilled fish and hot pot rice, you can finish with coffee without needing a separate cafe trip, and if you don't drink coffee, there's the option of cool plum iced tea instead. Being able to use the self-serve bar as much as needed — from side dishes to wrap vegetables to after-meal drinks — was one of the more convenient parts of eating at Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo Siheung Baegot Branch.

Location and parking

📍 Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo Siheung Baegot Branch

It's located in Siheung Baegot, and if you're driving, you can use the Center Plaza 2 underground parking lot. This time we ordered two servings of grilled rock bream and had it with hot pot rice and the self-serve side dishes. Getting to eat generously-sized grilled rock bream with warm hot pot rice, then finishing with nurungji at the end, made for a really filling meal. This is a grilled fish restaurant in Siheung Baegot worth remembering whenever grilling fish at home feels like too much trouble or you're craving a proper Korean meal with hot pot rice.