Pungsan Station seaweed soup spot, abalone flounder for a cold: Haenon

Some days you just want a hearty meal with warm broth. This day I had cold symptoms, so I went to Haenon Miyeok Ilsan Direct Branch, a Korean restaurant near Pungsan Station where you can enjoy lots of side dishes along with seaweed soup (miyeokguk).

It's in the Aenigol food village in Pungdong, and the place is spacious and clean, with easy parking too. It's worth considering when you're looking for somewhere for a family meal or a get-together with friends. This time I ordered the abalone-flounder seaweed soup and the beef seaweed soup. Here's everything: the dishes I tried, the self-serve bar sides, the generous soup portions and my takeout experience.

What are the atmosphere and parking like at Haenon Miyeok Ilsan?

The restaurant is quite large. Even a big group could eat comfortably, and it looked fine for a family dinner or a gathering with friends.

Parking was easy too, so driving there was no trouble. When I look for a place to eat in Aenigol, I check not just the food but the parking and space, and this place had the advantage on both.

Stepping inside, I noticed the calm yet upscale interior. A tidy space with warm lighting made it a comfortable Ilsan Korean restaurant to sit down in.

I especially liked the lighting. Food photos came out with lovely colors, and the interior looked good in pictures too. If you take a lot of food photos, you'll probably be happy with this.

Haenon Miyeok side dishes: eggplant tangsu and seasoned cockles stood out

One thing I was happy with at Haenon Miyeok Ilsan was the variety of side dishes. They came neatly arranged, and apart from the flounder, you could help yourself at the self-serve bar. Being able to add as much of what you like as you need was handy.

The most memorable side dish: eggplant tangsu

The side dish I remember most was the eggplant fry (gaji tangsu, crispy fried eggplant).

The soft texture of eggplant plus the nutty crunch of the batter made it delicious. Personally, it was my favorite side that day. Eating it with the seaweed soup made the meal feel even fuller.

Seasoned cockles with no fishy taste

The seasoned cockles (kkomak muchim) were good too. I tend to pass on seafood sides if they taste fishy, but these had no fishy taste at all, so I ate them without hesitation. The seasoning went well with rice, so I kept reaching for more.

I also liked that there were other sides like kimchi and seasoned greens (namul).

If you like having a variety of sides with your main instead of just the main alone, this setup should satisfy you.

Tips for using the self-serve bar

The self-serve bar was convenient too. When you need more sides, you just fetch them yourself instead of waiting for staff. But since you have to get up and move, keep this in mind if you'd rather have staff bring everything.

Abalone-flounder vs beef seaweed soup: what's the difference?

What I ordered at Haenon Miyeok Ilsan that day were the abalone-flounder seaweed soup and the beef seaweed soup.

Seaweed soup is a familiar dish, but the feel changes depending on what goes in. The abalone-flounder soup has abalone and flounder, so it was different from a typical seaweed soup, and it came with plenty of seaweed.

Haenon's beef seaweed soup is familiar yet filling. If you prefer beef to seafood in your seaweed soup, it's an easy choice.

Ordering both meant we could share according to taste. With rice, soup and a variety of sides, the table looked quite full.

When looking for seaweed soup in Ilsan, I check the menu range and the table setup, and Haenon Miyeok Ilsan lets you choose between abalone-flounder and beef seaweed soup, which sets it apart.

Most impressive was the amount of soup. Each person gets one clay pot (ttukbaegi), and when I actually ate, it was far more than I expected.

Taking leftover seaweed soup home from Haenon Miyeok: how much are containers?

At Haenon Miyeok Ilsan, you can take leftover soup home if you buy a takeout container separately (₩1,000 each). What I didn't expect this meal was the sheer amount of soup. Each person gets one clay pot, and between the rice and sides, more than half the soup was left. It felt like a waste to leave it, so I bought two containers and took the rest home.

If the container cost bothers you, you can bring your own from home. Good to know before you visit. If you don't eat much, you may end up leaving soup, but being able to pack it up was practical.

On the other hand, for big eaters the generous portion is a plus. If you eat small portions, plan on packing leftovers and factor in the container cost.

Is Haenon Miyeok Ilsan good for family meals or gatherings?

Visiting in person, what struck me first was that the restaurant is spacious and clean. Parking was easy, and the lighting is great for food photos, so I was very happy with the dining space.

The sides were varied, and the eggplant fry and seasoned cockles in particular stuck with me. The generous soup made for a hearty meal.

• The soup portion is large, so it may feel like too much if you eat small amounts.
• You have to fetch sides yourself at the self-serve bar.
• Takeout containers cost extra (₩1,000 each), so keep that in mind if you plan to take leftover soup home.

Weighing these pros and cons, it's a decent candidate when you're looking for a place for a family meal, a dinner with your parents, or a get-together with friends.

Looking for a Korean restaurant near Pungsan Station?

Haenon Miyeok Ilsan was a place where you can enjoy abalone-flounder and beef seaweed soup along with plenty of sides. The eggplant fry and seasoned cockles were especially good, and it was striking that over half the soup was left because the portion was so generous. Being able to pack the leftovers is useful if you hate wasting food.

If you're after seaweed soup in Ilsan, or a hearty meal with lots of sides, it's worth considering. The large, clean restaurant and easy parking are pluses too. For families or friend groups looking for a Korean meal near Pungsan Station, check the menu and your appetite before going. It suited a day when you want a generous bowl of seaweed soup.

Haenon Miyeok Ilsan Direct Branch: hours, parking and address

• Address: 30 Aenigol-gil, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea (ground floor)
• Hours: daily 11:00–21:00
• Break time: Monday–Friday 15:00–17:00
• Location: Aenigol food village, Pungdong
• Parking: convenient at the time of the visit