Anyang fish grill family meal: Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo

Today, I’m introducing Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo Bisan Branch (화덕으로간고등어 비산점), a great grilled-fish spot in Bisan-dong, Anyang! Have you heard the buzz that this place is really popular?

I was looking for Korean food near my parents’ home and ended up visiting. To give you the conclusion first, it was such a happy meal for the taste buds. I highly recommend it to anyone who finds cooking fish at home a bit daunting, or wants a deliciously arranged grilled-fish spread! I’ll go into everything I experienced here, including the grilled mackerel set and yellow crab soy-marinated crab set.

Easy access and parking near Anyang Sports Complex

Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo Bisan Branch in Bisan-dong, Anyang, is located in the basement of the Kids Mom Center building. The address is 272 Gwanak-daero, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, and it comes right up in navigation. By public transit, it was easy to find after getting off at the Anyang Sports Complex bus stop and entering the building. There is also a fairly large underground parking lot, so drivers needn’t worry about parking.

A spacious, clean dining room

The first thing I felt upon walking in was how relaxed it was! The restaurant is clearly very spacious at a glance. Maybe because of that, it didn’t feel too crowded even on the weekend. The bright lighting gave it a clean atmosphere, and the tables were well spaced, so it seemed comfortable for families too. What stood out most was how many child-friendly touches there were. From the little decorations near the entrance to the kid-focused details throughout, the consideration really showed. Even though I wasn’t dining with children, seeing that care made me like the restaurant even more.

Oven-grilled fish and a varied menu

Looking over the menu, there was quite a wide range to choose from. Grilled fish such as mackerel, flounder, and atka mackerel is the main focus, and because it is cooked in a clay oven, it has less fishiness, with a crisp exterior and moist flesh inside.

In particular, the popular oven-grilled mackerel set and yellow crab soy-marinated crab set seemed to be the signature dishes that nearly everyone ordered. There were also meat dishes such as stir-fried pork for people who do not like fish.

Still, no matter what you order, the self-service bar included as standard is so well stocked that it makes the meal feel even more worthwhile. You can make bibimbap (mixed rice with toppings) there as well as help yourself to side dishes!

A full spread of grilled mackerel and yellow crab

At last, the main dishes arrived! The grilled mackerel set I chose looked every bit as good as I had hoped.

They say it is grilled in the clay oven at over 500°C, and the flesh was plump while even the skin was pleasantly chewy! It was neither too salty nor underseasoned—just right—so it tasted light and savory without any extra sauce.

My mother had the yellow crab soy-marinated crab set. The crab was packed full inside and pleasantly salty—the very definition of a rice thief!

There were about five or six pieces of roe-filled marinated crab!

The basic side dishes served with the grilled fish were also neatly presented and not overly seasoned, so I think anyone could enjoy them. I especially loved the seasoned lotus root and seasoned deodeok (bellflower root), and kept going back for refills.

Even bibimbap at the self-service bar

One of this place’s best features is the self-service bar. You can use it when each person orders one menu item, and it had such a variety of Korean dishes—kimchi pancake, japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), acorn jelly, and more—that it truly felt like an incredible deal. I think children would enjoy items like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), too.

I helped myself to side dishes from the bar, then brought lettuce, namul (seasoned vegetables), and ssamjang (savory dipping paste) from the bibimbap station to make my own bowl. It is great for taking the edge off your hunger before the mains arrive, and you can finish with nurungji (scorched rice) afterward, so the whole family can enjoy it according to their tastes.

Why I want to return for a family meal

I can’t believe there was such a good grilled-fish restaurant in Bisan-dong, Anyang! Hwaddeugeuro Gan Godeungeo was highly satisfying in every respect: the clean dining room, varied menu, and self-service bar. In particular, it has dishes and an environment that should please everyone from picky children to older family members, so I definitely want to come back for a family occasion. Parking is easy and the staff are kind, making it a place you can visit with peace of mind! I strongly recommend it if you love grilled fish or want a healthy, neatly prepared Korean meal.