Bongdam grilled fish restaurant with table kiosk ordering: Hwadamga

Hi everyone, it's been a while haha, a bit awkward... I took a long break because of a big issue I'll cover later, but here I am writing again haha.

Hot summer's over and we're into early fall — right around the time I get tired of hunting down every restaurant nearby out of pure appetite, I took my fish-obsessed husband to Hwadamga, a grilled fish restaurant in Bongdam.

Where is Hwadamga, what are the hours, and is there parking?

Hwadamga is on the 1st floor of 58 Nangnaegi-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hyohaeng-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's open daily 11:00–22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00.

Parking: there's a free lot right in front of the restaurant.

Even during weekend lunch hours there was plenty of parking space, so parking was totally stress-free!

A big new wood-fired grilled fish restaurant in Bongdam

I never used to enjoy grilled fish, but after meeting my sea-loving husband and eating it regularly, I've come to appreciate wood-fired fish haha. There weren't many wood-fired grilled fish places in our neighborhood, so I had high hopes for this big new spot!

Sacks of suhyangmi rice stacked at the Hwadamga entrance

The moment I walked in, the rice bags caught my eye! The Sujanghyangmi we use at home was stacked up here too? I've only eaten Sujanghyangmi rice since someone recommended it to me five years ago, and this is basically the first restaurant I've seen using it. It's expensive, but the taste and aroma of the rice are so good it never feels like a waste of money ㅠㅠ. Props to the owner — not just food-smart, but rice-smart haha.

Ordering bori-gulbi and grilled hairtail from the table kiosk

Ordering at Hwadamga is easy — just use the kiosk at each table. We were starving, so we ordered fast: the pricey and precious bori-gulbi (dried yellow croaker) I'd wanted to try for ages, one serving, plus a can't-go-wrong grilled hairtail, one serving. Done!

The grilled fish prices seemed a bit steep, but once you see the self-serve bar, the price makes sense — I actually started worrying whether the owner makes any margin at all.

How far does the Hwadamga self-serve bar go?

My jaw dropped the moment I got to the self-serve bar. First shock: so many side dishes lined up, not a single one repeated. And that wasn't even all of it...

The fridge section had fresh leafy greens for wraps, tomato caprese, and salad, while in front of the cooking area there was freshly made, savory japchae and unlimited refills of beef seaweed soup too! As someone obsessed with side dishes, I lost it.

I wanted to pile my plate high but held back a bit since the main dish was still coming haha — here's what I ended up with! Each of the tricky namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes was surprisingly delicious, but the beef seaweed soup was so rich it was a direct hit for my husband's taste. He emptied two bowls in no time. Hangover cure or what haha.

As someone with more of an ajumma palate, my personal favorite was mixing all kinds of namul with the thick sesame oil and spicy gochujang set at every table into a bibimbap ㅠㅠ. Pure bliss.

Since it's unlimited, you lose yourself and just keep eating, and before you know it you're already full before the main dishes even arrive haha.

Grilled hairtail, a first taste of bori-gulbi, and suhyangmi hotpot rice

Already full haha, but when the mouthwatering, golden-brown, plump grilled hairtail and my first-ever bori-gulbi showed up, I made room and dug back in!

The Sujanghyangmi rice hotpot that came with it was glossy and full of a nutty aroma — it looked delicious enough to eat plain, no side dishes needed.

I piled savory bits of fish onto the freshly cooked rice, and by the time I came to my senses, this was the wreckage in front of me (self-blurred haha).

Genuinely about to burst. But I can never skip the sungnyung (scorched rice tea)!

Completely stuffed, I looked around and noticed a neat setup of cold drinks and coffee too. Finished off with a refreshing glass of orange juice~

Seating and private rooms: is Hwadamga good for a family meal?

Each seating area at Hwadamga is spacious and clean, which makes it look great for couples or family meals out,

and toward the back there are plenty more seats, each cleanly partitioned, plus several private rooms — perfect for bringing older family members for a family gathering! Seeing people in the rooms eating meat made my mouth water — next time we're going for a meat dinner too!

As cool autumn sets in, I highly recommend Hwadamga, a grilled fish restaurant in Bongdam where you can fill up healthily and deliciously.