Pyeongtaek fish stew restaurant: cod jaw stew set at Sokcho Halmae

Today I'm bringing you a review of Sokcho Halmae Dongtae-tang Pyeongtaek Jije-dongsak Branch in Dongsak-dong, Pyeongtaek. I had the Sokcho 2-person set, and I was impressed by how solid the lineup was, from the side dishes all the way to the main course.

Basic info on Sokcho Halmae Dongtae-tang Pyeongtaek Jije-dongsak Branch

• 🏠 Address: 17 Mosan 1-gil, 104-ho, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• 🕒 Hours: 11:00–22:00 / Closed every Sunday
• 🚗 Parking: Free lot available behind the Gyeongseong Sundaeguk building

What's the menu lineup and price range like?

The core of the menu is stew dishes like pollack stew, cod jaw stew, and roe stew along with set menus, but there are also grilled mackerel, hot plate seafood jjim (steamed seafood), and drinking sets. Prices start in the ₩10,000s, so it's not a big burden, and I liked that even the set menus can be ordered for just one person.

I ordered the Sokcho 2-person set, swapped it to cod jaw stew (+₩6,000), and added hotpot rice for two (+₩2,000).

Basic side dishes with the Sokcho 2-person set

The Sokcho 2-person set is ₩16,000 per person, and I added the cod stew swap and hotpot rice swap on top of that. Sokcho Halmae Dongtae-tang was solid starting from the basic side dishes.

Gim (seaweed), perilla leaf pickles, stir-fried fish cake, and kkakdugi (radish kimchi) came out, and the stir-fried fish cake didn't seem like it used cheap fish cake — it seemed to have a pretty high ratio of fish meat. The basic side dishes were so delicious that I could tell right away this was a real local gem.

Half a mackerel and mini fried pollock jaw

The mini fried pollock jaw and half a mackerel included in the set came out first.

Most of the mackerel was boneless, with just a few bones near the head area.

The flesh was thick and seasoned just the right amount of salty, so it was great on its own but even better piled on rice. The mackerel was so good that I think I ate half a bowl of rice on it alone haha.

I think fried pollock jaw is a dish that's hard to come across easily. I've seen pollock jaw stew a lot, but this is the first time I've seen a place selling it fried like this.

The slightly thick fried batter on the outside went well with the chewy pollock jaw meat, making it a dish with a satisfying bite. It tasted pretty good, so if you visit Sokcho Halmae Dongtae-tang, I'd recommend trying it at least once!

How was the cod jaw stew broth?

The cod jaw stew was a classic clear-broth stew. It had minari (water dropwort), bean sprouts, radish, and a bit of mussel, so the broth had good depth, and the tofu added a soft texture.

There were about 5-6 big chunks of pollock jaw meat in there. The broth was really refreshing, and with about one cheongyang chili pepper added, it had a slight kick that made it even more refreshing.

I was worried a clear fish stew might have a fishy taste, but there was no fishiness at all, which I loved. It would be perfect as a hangover cure.

Sorghum hotpot rice and sungnyung

The hotpot rice was pretty great too, passing the visual test right off the bat. It was rice mixed with sorghum, which also gave it a nice texture.

And since it's hotpot rice, you can't skip the sungnyung (scorched rice tea) — perfect as a dessert to finish things off.

Final verdict

I don't particularly love fish stew, but this place was good enough that I'd be willing to visit about once a month. It's a great pollack stew spot for Pyeongtaek, good for lunch in Dongsak-dong or a meal near Pyeongtaek Jije Station. If you live near Dongsak-dong or Jije Station in Pyeongtaek and crave a refreshing fish stew, I think it's worth a visit.