Bongdam group meeting spot with herbal boiled pork set: Hwadamga

It was the weekend, so I went with my family to Wooriggot Botanical Garden in Bongdam, Hwaseong. By evening we were looking for a dinner spot nearby and found a real gem. It had grilled fish and boiled pork that my kid loves, plus meat dishes too — a Korean restaurant. This is Hwadamga, a grilled fish spot in Bongdam, and I want to introduce it to you.

Where is Hwadamga, and what are its hours and parking?

Hwadamga is located at 58 Nangnaegi-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hyohaeng-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It's open Monday through Sunday, 11:00–22:00, with a break time from 15:00–17:00, and last order is at 21:30.

In front of Hwadamga, this Korean restaurant in Bongdam, there's a large parking area, so parking wasn't difficult at all. Parking is free.

As soon as I walked in the entrance, there were stacks of sujanghyangmi rice. Sujanghyangmi is a rice variety I like — it's fragrant and glossy when cooked.

Rooms and seating that work for a group meeting in Bongdam

Walking into the main hall of Hwadamga, there were lots of tables. Many were already reserved. With so many tables, it looked great for family dining out.

Further inside, there were quite a few private rooms. You can enjoy a private meal there. It's great for family gatherings, but also a good spot for group meetings — several groups were already dining there.

You can also get coffee and drinks. Perfect for dessert after the meal, I'd think.

Hwadamga's menu and prices

• Wood-fired mackerel set ₩16,000
• Wood-fired dried yellow croaker set ₩27,000
• Grilled pork set ₩16,000
• Herbal traditional boiled pork set ₩17,000
• Wood-fired hairtail set ₩20,000
• Kids' pork cutlet ₩10,000
• Hwadamga stone-plate platter ₩50,000
• Korean beef sirloin ₩41,000
• Pre-seared pork belly ₩18,000
• Pre-seared diced pork shoulder ₩18,000

What's on the self-serve side dish bar at Hwadamga?

Hwadamga, the grilled fish spot in Bongdam, has a Korean self-serve side dish bar. It's help-yourself, and there's a huge variety of banchan (side dishes).

Being able to eat all these different Korean side dishes freely — what a generous, value-packed spot. You should only take as much as you can eat, though. If you try to grab a bit of everything you want to taste, you might end up leaving food behind.

There's japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and donggeurangttaeng (mini meat patties), the kind of dishes you'd see at a Korean feast. They really elevate the meal. The japchae was high quality and tasted great.

There's also seaweed soup. It's a good option for kids who can't handle spicy food. There were even wrap greens, ssamjang (dipping sauce), garlic, and chili peppers — nothing was missing.

What a family of three ordered: herbal boiled pork and wood-fired mackerel sets

Our order arrived. Since we're a family of three, we ordered two herbal traditional boiled pork sets and one wood-fired mackerel set. Being able to order per person is a huge plus — you can try everything you want.

The table was set beautifully, rivaling any hanjeongsik (Korean full-course) restaurant. It might even have had more side dishes than a typical hanjeongsik place. I didn't expect it to be this generous — amazing. The rice comes as barley rice by default, but if you prefer plain white rice, just mention it beforehand and they'll switch it. Add ₩2,000 and you can get sujanghyangmi hot pot rice instead.

The boiled pork and the doenjang stew that comes with it

The boiled pork comes out on individual plates, one per person. The portion was truly generous. It was tender with absolutely no gamey smell — really delicious. My kid said it was tasty and ate it right up.

Ordering a set menu comes with doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) as standard. The bubbling stew was loaded with vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu. Really delicious stew.

The wood-fired mackerel set comes with a whole mackerel

The wood-fired mackerel set — a single portion — came with a whole mackerel. Grilled over a wood fire, it was crisp outside and moist inside, incredibly delicious. A total rice thief.

Who is Hwadamga in Bongdam best for?

It was a meal that satisfied both kids and adults. I'd love to bring my parents here next time — a Korean restaurant well worth revisiting. There's clearly a reason it's so busy. Koreans really do love Korean food best. My stomach felt light and I got to eat plenty of vegetables — a restaurant I really appreciated. I'd recommend that you also visit Hwadamga, the grilled fish spot in Bongdam, with its delicious wood-fired grilled fish and meat dishes.