Byeongjeom family squid restaurant: spicy squid dumplings at Haetan

Where is Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom and how do you park?

Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom is on the second floor of a building right on Hyohaeng-ro near the central shopping area of Byeongjeom, so it wasn't hard to find. The sign is visible from the main street, which made it easy even on a first visit.

We drove, and the restaurant doesn't have its own parking lot — instead you use Jinan Public Parking across the street. From what I checked, it's free for up to 1 hour 30 minutes, with extra charges after that, so it's worth keeping in mind if you're coming by car.

Is the Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom dining room big enough for family meals or group dinners?

The second-floor dining room at Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom was bigger inside than I expected. The tables weren't crammed together — seating was spaced out comfortably, which made it easy for our family to eat, and there were plenty of tables for larger groups too. I get why so many people search for Byeongjeom group-dinner spots and land on this place.

The overall vibe is clean and relaxed — not too formal, but not chaotic either — so it felt comfortable even as a family outing with a kid.

For a place like this, the dining space matters as much as the food, and the roomy table spacing and overall size made it feel like a good fit for a bigger group.

What our family of three ordered at Haetan

After sitting down and looking over the menu, we decided to try a bit of everything. Here's what we ordered:

• Hot-plate squid
• Squid dumplings (fried)
• Fried squid (half-plate)

Sungnyung was also available, so we sipped it warm throughout the meal, and it made a nice, easy way to finish eating too.

How was Haetan's signature hot-plate squid?

Haetan's signature dish, hot-plate squid, is stir-fried squid sizzling on a hot stone plate, and the smoky aroma hit the moment it landed on the table — instantly appetizing. It was the dish I'd been looking forward to most, and it really had a different charm from squid simply stir-fried in a pan.

If you're someone who loves stir-fried squid among Byeongjeom restaurants, this signature hot-plate squid is worth trying at least once. And if, like us, one dish of hot-plate squid alone isn't enough for your family, adding the squid dumplings and fried squid half-plate makes for a much more filling spread.

As the sauce bubbled away on the hot stone plate, the squid soaked up a proper smoky flavor, and it wasn't too chewy — just the right springy, tender texture. The sauce is the kind that tastes even better with rice! Topping a bite of squid with a bit of sauce on rice made for something spicy and savory that kept us reaching for more. Being on a hot plate also meant it stayed warm throughout the meal, which was a nice touch.

Is rice unlimited refill at Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom?

Rice refills are unlimited at Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom. When you're eating squid stir-fry, a bowl of rice disappears fast, so that was reassuring.

What is the squid dumpling dish like?

Haetan's squid dumplings are fried crisp on the outside with a spicy dumpling filling inside, giving a totally different flavor from plain fried squid. We ordered it as a side dish, and it turned out to be more interesting than I expected.

It was easy for our kid to eat too, and the adults enjoyed grabbing a crispy piece in between bites of hot-plate squid — the combination worked well.

Boiled pork belly to go with the hot-plate squid

The warm boiled pork belly, a single-serving dish, had that signature pork belly richness while staying soft, which made it great to alternate with the hot-plate squid stir-fry. Taking a bite of mild pork belly between spicy dishes worked really well, and being a single-serving dish, it wasn't too much to add alongside the dishes meant for sharing.

Fried squid half-plate

Can't skip the fried squid half-plate either. Freshly fried food is best eaten hot, so I grabbed a piece right away — crispy on the outside, chewy squid on the inside, a great contrast in texture.

Pairing crispy fried squid with the spicy hot-plate squid gave our mouths a nice change of pace each time — I was glad we'd ordered several dishes.

Is Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom also good for Byeongjeom group dinners?

With such a varied menu, Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom seems like a solid option for Byeongjeom group dinners too. We came for a family meal this time, but rather than ordering just one dish, it's great for putting hot-plate squid at the center of the table and adding fried dishes or other items to share.

Finishing with sungnyung, the self-serve bar, and ice cream

What I personally liked about Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom was the sense that even the ending of the meal was thought through. We finished warm with sungnyung, grabbed a few things from the self-serve bar, and topped it all off with ice cream.

After eating spicy squid stir-fry, cooling down with sweet ice cream felt like the meal and dessert wrapped up in one complete package. Our kid loved getting ice cream at the end too, haha. A small dessert like this really seems to boost how satisfying a family meal feels.

Overall review: Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom for a Byeongjeom family dinner

Looking back at everything we ate that day, we got to try a nice variety of dishes, and with rice and sungnyung both unlimited, it felt reasonable value too. It's the kind of flavor that will come to mind whenever I want properly smoky, hot-plate stir-fried squid.

If you're looking for a place for a family dinner in Byeongjeom, or somewhere a group can sit comfortably together, Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom seems like a good option.

And after the meal, a round of the claw machine, haha :)