Family-friendly grilled fish restaurant with kids' play room in Goyang

Maybe it's because I'm from Busan, but I grew up eating fish all the time.😊 My mom used to grill mackerel or hairtail at home often, and even now she sends me half-dried fish from Busan by courier.

Maybe that's why I really like fish too. But even though I know fish tastes great, the smell after grilling it at home lingers forever, right?😂 Even with ventilation, that distinct odor doesn't go away easily, so lately I've been going to grilled fish restaurants instead of cooking it myself when I'm craving it.

That's when I found out that Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch had newly opened in Siksa-dong. I was thrilled to hear that a proper grilled fish place had opened close to home, so I made a reservation right away and went.

Location and hours of Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch

• Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch
• 6-70 Wisiti1-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (Units 201–204)
• Daily 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20)
• Parking available

What are parking and the size of the restaurant like?

The first thing I liked when I arrived at this Ilsandong-gu restaurant was the parking. When eating out with family, parking matters as much as the food, and there was plenty of space so it was easy to visit by car. The interior was also considerably more spacious than I expected.

The tables weren't crammed together, so the spacing between tables was quite generous, making it comfortable to eat without worrying about neighboring tables. I thought it would be a great spot for a family meal with parents or kids.

A kids' play room that's great to bring children to

On top of that, there's a separate play room where kids can play. When you eat out with kids, they sometimes get bored before finishing their meal, but having a space like this lets parents eat a bit more at ease.😊

Wood-fired grilled fish and the self-serve bar

This place's biggest feature, as the name suggests, is that the fish is grilled in a wood-fired oven. They say the fish is cooked at over 500°C, so the outside comes out crispy and the inside stays moist. The signature menu includes the wood-fired mackerel set, along with Atka mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and hairtail, so there's a good range to choose from depending on your fish preference.

First we went to the self-serve bar, and there was tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), and kimchi pancake — kids love this stuff. Kids usually fill up on this haha.

How was the grilled mackerel, two servings?

We of course ordered the classic grilled mackerel, two servings, and since our kid wanted spicy stir-fried pork too, we ordered that as well. The mackerel came out golden brown, and the look alone was impressive.🔥 The skin was grilled in the wood-fired oven with charred spots here and there, keeping that crispy texture alive, and when I picked apart the flesh with chopsticks, the inside was moist.

Fish tends to get dry easily if grilled too long, but this one had a crispy outside with tender, chewy flesh. Putting a piece of mackerel over warm rice, I could finish a whole bowl even without other side dishes. A total rice thief~~~~ The savory flavor unique to mackerel came through nicely too, and if you prefer, dipping it in wasabi soy sauce made it taste clean and refreshing.

Side dishes and the pot rice

For a grilled fish set meal, the side dishes matter as much as the main fish. There was japchae, salad, seasoned lotus root, seasoned chili peppers, and diced radish kimchi — all good pairings for fish — and the self-serve bar had extra sides too, so nothing ran short.

I especially loved putting the seasoned deodeok (mountain root) and chonggak radish kimchi on top of my rice — it really perked up my appetite, and I kept reaching for more between bites of fish. The rice also came as pot rice, so I got to enjoy the crispy scorched rice at the bottom along with the freshly grilled mackerel.

Grilling fish at home means dealing with oil splatter, lingering smell, and cleanup — it's honestly a lot of work. Getting freshly grilled, golden fish handed to you like this made me realize eating grilled fish out isn't bad at all.😂 Most of all, I was personally glad that a proper grilled fish restaurant opened up in Siksa-dong.

Is the spicy pork pot rice set meal filling enough?

We also ordered one serving of the spicy stir-fried pork pot rice set, and the portion seemed pretty generous. And no need to worry the pot rice portion is too small — NoNo!! Our family always eats 1.5 servings' worth haha. You can make your own mixed rice bowl yourself. Add perilla oil and the tasty gochujang and mix it up however you like.

Who is this family restaurant a good fit for?

With easy parking, a spacious dining room, and even a play room, this seems like a great fit for anyone looking for an Ilsandong-gu restaurant to bring their kids to, or a family dining spot to take their parents to.

If you're like me — someone who finds the smell of grilling fish at home a hassle but can't give up hot, freshly grilled mackerel — Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch might be worth a visit.😊