Dog-friendly Pohang mulhoe restaurant: Ppwang Mulhoe

Wow—who would have thought I’d be eating Pohang mulhoe with Joy!! With 15 million pet owners in Korea, you see so many people travelling with their dogs these days. But 👉🏻👈🏻 there are still plenty of restrictions when you bring a pet into cafés and restaurants, so whenever I travel with Joy, it hasn’t been easy to find somewhere we can eat comfortably with genuinely delicious food.

For those of you who travel with dogs often like I do, aren’t brunch, pasta, and grilled clams about the main things you end up eating? Haha. Just two or three years ago, there were hardly any good dog-friendly places around Yeongildae in Pohang, so I remember packing gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) nearby and sitting by the sea to eat it. And Taesan Mandu, which had been a nice dog-friendly restaurant at Yeongildae, moved and is no longer available with dogs, which was such a shame.

Looking for indoor dog-friendly mulhoe at Pohang Yeongildae?

But then I got word that Ppwang Mulhoe (퐝물회), famous as a raw-fish restaurant at Pohang Yeongildae, allows dogs indoors, haha. I planned a Pohang day trip with going to Ppwang Mulhoe as the absolute purpose.

A dog-friendly Pohang restaurant where I could eat squid—my favorite—inside with Joy!! The forecast had called for daytime showers, so my determination in going to Pohang was 100% about eating Pohang mulhoe even if I couldn’t see the sea. Thankfully, the weather was so lovely that we could take a walk at Yeongildae after Ppwang Mulhoe, making it a very satisfying Pohang outing.

It is right in front of the Yeongildae coastal road, so terrace or window seats let you dine with a Yeongildae view. Duho Port Space Walk is nearby too, making it great for a stroll after your meal.

Parking and hours

Not many good Yeongildae restaurants have parking, but Ppwang Mulhoe has parking in front of the restaurant. There is room for only about five or six cars, so on weekends it is best to use the Yeongildae Public Parking Lot directly across the street.

No days off, open daily from 10:30 AM to 10 PM. Even during a late weekday lunch there were lots of diners in the dining room, and there may be a bit of a wait on weekends or public holidays—but you really must visit this great Pohang Yeongildae restaurant.

A private room for a comfortable meal with a dog

When visiting as a dog-friendly restaurant at Yeongildae, we were shown to a private room inside, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about other diners. Still, I was considerate and covered Joy’s stroller when we entered. Haha. I do not know whether there are weight or temperament restrictions for dogs, but for medium-sized dogs or dogs that bark, the terrace seats would be nice in this weather.

When we came in, there was a Bichon friend at the next table, and a Sheltie friend arrived midway through our meal. Why are dogs these days all so well trained? I thought only our Joy was an exemplary dog, but every dog we met that day was so quiet you would not even know they were there, so the guardians could chat and enjoy a relaxed meal.

Sometimes at dog-friendly restaurants, I have scarfed down my food so quickly that I barely knew whether it was going through my nose or my mouth, but seriously, this place was so comfortable with Joy that I totally recommend it as a dog-friendly restaurant in Pohang!!

Pohang means mulhoe, but because Joy is always my little extra volume, even when I came to Pohang I could only ever have mulhoe as takeout. Endless thanks to the owner for allowing us such delicious food and a wonderful space; I hope the place becomes even, even, even more successful than it already is, hehe.

An unlimited self bar to enjoy before the mulhoe

Another reason this is such a special great restaurant at Pohang Yeongildae is its self bar, where you can have assorted basic side dishes, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), abalone porridge, somyeon (thin wheat noodles), and squid soup with unlimited refills. The clear squid radish soup was so tasty that I felt I could finish an entire bowl of rice with that alone, and using the self bar kept the wait for the main food from feeling boring at all. Such a nice perk, haha.

How to eat split squid-and-flounder mulhoe

We ordered our mulhoe with half squid and half flounder. It came generously packed with raw fish, and I loved being able to try two kinds. I also liked that the vegetables were sliced very thinly so they did not interfere with the texture of the sashimi; the crisp vegetables and chewy fish worked together nicely and were easy to scoop up with the broth.

For Pohang mulhoe, first mix in the gochujang (Korean red chili paste) sauce, then pour in the separately provided broth and eat it however you like. It is also delicious with somyeon from the self bar added in. The portion was so generous that day that I could not even finish the bowl of rice that came with it, but adults with hearty appetites can add noodles too for a delicious, filling meal.

It is tasty even mixed with just the gochujang sauce, but pour in the lightly frozen broth and it feels as if the summer heat disappears in an instant. Pohang mulhoe’s characteristically tangy, savory broth was so refreshing it could bring back even a lost appetite, and I kept scooping up every last drop.

Sweet-tangy seasoned squid and extra-crisp fritters

I debated between whole boiled squid and the seasoned raw squid, then chose the latter~ People from Daegu will all love myeonghoe (seasoned raw fish salad), but while Daegu Bangogae myeonghoe has a somewhat punchier flavour, Ppwang Mulhoe’s was sweet-tangy and clean. At that moment, as if proving I am from Daegu, I started craving napjak mandu (flat dumplings), haha.

There were no flat dumplings, but it was a dream combination with the beautifully fried squid. The batter clung evenly to the squid without being thick, and its not merely crisp but extra-crisp texture went so well with the chewy squid that I kept reaching for it even though I was full.

After finishing a bowl of mulhoe, Ppwang Mulhoe was a Yeongildae mulhoe spot that made me feel satisfied, like I had finally enjoyed Pohang properly.