Mulhoe stop on the way fishing at Yeongildae, Pohang: Ppwang Mulhoe

A place where you can enjoy cool mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) while looking at the wide-open sea right in front of Yeongildae Beach. On top of that, there's fried food, steamed dishes, raw fish, and even a self-bar so kids can enjoy it too! Here's my honest review of Ppwang Mulhoe, a must-visit Pohang Yeongildae restaurant for family trips.

Ppwang Mulhoe hours and location in Pohang

• 🕒 Daily 10:30–22:00 (open until 23:00 Fri, Sat)
• 🏠 203-1 Haean-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, 1F

Outside Ppwang Mulhoe: the pink-lettered squid-character building and parking

Right in front of the beautiful sea in Duho-dong, Pohang, there's a white building with pink lettering and an adorable squid character. It's a name you won't forget once you see it — I'd been curious about this place for a while, drawn in by the promise of an unlimited self-bar, and finally worked up the nerve to stop by on this fishing trip.

There's plenty of parking right in front of Ppwang Mulhoe — enough space for about 7–8 cars.

Inside Ppwang Mulhoe: outdoor seats, full-window ocean views and group tables

These outdoor seats are packed with atmosphere. The breeze is nice and cool now, so you can enjoy your meal outside. I don't know how happy I am that a season has come where you can stay cool without air conditioning.

The sea and trees visible through the huge windows are beautiful. It really makes you feel like you're on a trip.

The restaurant is fairly large. It has good group seating and plenty of tables, making it a great spot for gatherings or big family get-togethers.

A self-bar at a raw fish restaurant, with unlimited sides kids will eat

The pride of this restaurant — I'd never seen a raw fish restaurant with a self-bar before. When you have a kid, you tend to avoid raw fish or seafood places. But here, both kids and adults can eat their fill, which I loved.

Chicken nuggets, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), sausage stir-fry, squid soup, thin wheat noodles, braised quail eggs, kimchi, and more — lots of non-spicy sides, and more variety than I expected. When you're traveling, there are so many restaurant choices it's hard to decide, but make sure to put this one on your Pohang must-visit list.

What is on the Ppwang Mulhoe menu?

They have every dish you can make with squid. Besides mulhoe, there's squid sashimi, flounder sashimi, hoe-deopbap (raw fish rice bowl), and for those who can't eat raw fish, Korean beef bulgogi rice bowl and shrimp fried rice — it's all covered. I ordered squid mulhoe, fried squid, and whole boiled squid (1).

Squid mulhoe at Ppwang Mulhoe: cucumber in or out, your choice

This is the squid mulhoe. It comes with mulhoe broth and a bowl of rice. And a tip! You can choose to have cucumber added or left out when ordering, so pick whichever suits your taste. Cucumber is a love-it-or-hate-it ingredient, and surprisingly some people are even allergic to it.

Pour in the broth and stir it all up — fresh squid mulhoe complete. The color is gorgeous.

I loaded up a big bite. The thinly sliced ingredients are soft with great texture. The julienned radish and cucumber are refreshing and crunchy, pairing well with the squid. The broth isn't too salty and has a cool, savory depth. While eating, don't forget to add thin noodles or mix in rice! The broth is so good you'll want to finish every drop.

Fried squid at Ppwang Mulhoe

A side dish I ordered to share with my kid. Sliced thick and plump, with a soft texture. The batter is crispy, so it's fun to chew, and my kid ate it well too. The portion was pretty generous.

Whole boiled squid at Ppwang Mulhoe

Dip it generously in the vinegar-chili sauce on the table. It's tender and not chewy — delicious. The innards are removed, so it's cleaner and good for feeding kids.

Three helpings of squid soup from the self-bar

The self-bar's squid soup was so good — I think I went back for seconds and thirds, maybe three times total. It's unlimited, so eat as much as you like. It's spicy-savory and refreshing, delicious even mixed with rice! Just slightly spicy so there's no fishy taste at all, and it was amazing that a free soup could taste this good.

Is Ppwang Mulhoe worth a stop in Pohang?

There are a lot of restaurants near the sea with weak offerings but high prices. This place gets big points just for the generous variety at the self-bar. On top of that, they even have menu options for people who can't eat raw fish. How about a bowl of fresh squid mulhoe while looking out at the wide-open sea? That was Ppwang Mulhoe, a must-visit restaurant near Yeongildae Beach in Pohang.