Lunch after Chaeseokgang sea cave: 5-fish grill and clam soup, Buan

I had truly, truly delicious grilled fish. This is Gyehwado, a grilled fish spot I fully recommend near Gyeokpo Beach in Buan. It's a new place that just opened, and the location is amazing too.

Where is Gyehwado — right in front of Sonovel Byeonsan, and parking?

It's located right in front of Sonovel Byeonsan near Gyeokpo Port. It's also close to Buan's main sights — Gyeokpo Beach and Suseongdang — and very close to the currently trending Chaeseokgang sea caves. Beside the building there's a large parking lot that can even fit tour buses.

Sea cave and Dakibong Observatory first, then straight to lunch

I stopped by the sea cave before lunch. You have to time the tide right for the sea cave (9am–1pm) — that's when you can get photos in front of it. Take your once-in-a-lifetime shot at the sea cave, then head to Gyehwado for delicious grilled fish — perfect combo! I also stopped by Dakibong Observatory, which has a sweeping view of Buan's West Sea, before heading to Gyehwado.

The space and menu — good for groups, opens at 7am

Gyehwado, this grilled fish spot in Buan, has a really spacious dining room — it can handle groups easily. There's a shoe rack near the entrance, so I thought I'd have to take my shoes off, but you actually keep them on inside.

I ordered the signature clay-pot rice grilled fish set. There are quite a few menu options. Buan is also famous for clam porridge, and they have a clam course meal too. Plus they're open from early morning until late evening, which I liked — they open at 7am.

Side dishes and clam soup

The side dishes came out and the kimchi was genuinely delicious. Well-fermented mustard leaf kimchi and aged kimchi really got my appetite going. I could eat a whole bowl of rice on the kimchi alone.

Alongside that comes a hot pot of clam soup made with fresh clams. With seaweed and cheongyang chili in it, the broth was spicy and really refreshing — the kind of taste that clears you right out.

The grilled fish arrived sizzling. Onions were laid underneath the fish. It came out on a huge grill plate, absolutely piled high — I was genuinely surprised.

The clay-pot rice was fully loaded with good stuff! Freshly cooked and delicious, with my favorites — shiitake mushrooms and sweet pumpkin — mixed in.

Five kinds of fish — rockfish, blackthroat seaperch, yellow corvina, flounder, bakdae

Now let's really dig in!! This grilled fish at Gyehwado, a favorite spot in Buan, felt a little special compared to other grilled fish places (in my opinion). Usually when you think grilled fish, you think mackerel, Spanish mackerel, or Atka mackerel — but Gyehwado was different. The lineup isn't like your typical grilled fish combo, which made it even more satisfying to eat.

Let's go through them one by one~ There are a whopping five kinds of fish: rockfish, blackthroat seaperch, yellow corvina, flounder, and bakdae (a thin dried flatfish). Are there many grilled fish places that serve rockfish or bakdae? Not really — you usually have to go out of your way to find bakdae, so I was happy to get it here. Rockfish is mostly eaten raw or in soup, so having it grilled felt special.

Not a hint of fishiness, and grilled perfectly — crisp outside, tender inside. Truly, truly delicious. The seasoning was great too. I kept eating and saying 'so good, so good'... Grilled fish isn't an easy dish to make special, but I kept eating in awe.

Down to the scorched rice and rice water

The bottom of the clay pot turned a beautiful golden brown, so the scorched rice was excellent. Even though I was full, I kept eating the scorched rice, and finished the rice water too, scraping the pot clean.

Enjoying the grilled fish so much, I got curious about the braised pomfret and braised hairtail too. Next time with a bigger group, ordering half grilled fish and half braised dishes sounds perfect. Gyehwado is a great stop after seeing the mysterious, beautiful Chaeseokgang — I fully recommend it. If you want grilled fish that's a bit special, this is the place.