Aged kimchi mackerel stew in Tangjeong, Asan: Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo

Every time I passed the shops near Tangjeong Station, there was one place under construction that kept catching my eye.

It turned out to be Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo Asan Tangjeong Branch. When I heard it was opening, I went with my family on an early weekday evening. I'd heard you could get fish grilled over a wood-fired oven along with a bunch of Korean side dishes, so I was curious what the place was like.

Where is Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo, and is parking easy?

Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo Asan Tangjeong Branch opened in the spot that used to be Modeun-ui Pyeonbaek. I parked in the building's underground lot, then took the elevator up to the 2nd floor.

Walking in, the space was bigger and cleaner than I expected, and the tables had plenty of room between them, which made it good for a family meal.

Ordering was simple, done through a tablet at each table.

We ended up ordering grilled mackerel and aged kimchi mackerel stew.

What is on the self-serve side bar, from stir-fried pork to japchae?

After ordering, the first thing we checked out was the self-serve bar. There were side dishes like kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, spicy pepper salad, seasoned bellflower root, seasoned lotus root, and pickled vegetables, along with rolled egg, braised tofu, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), and stir-fried pork.

It wasn't just grilled fish — being able to help ourselves to whatever sides we wanted was great. We piled a little of everything onto our plates, and it was genuinely fun picking through them.

Wood-fired grilled mackerel, crisp and golden

While we were bringing sides back from the bar, the grilled mackerel arrived with stone-pot rice. It's grilled in an oven over 500°C — the skin was crisped golden while the flesh underneath stayed moist.

Even though it's Norwegian mackerel, there was barely any fishy taste, and the seasoning wasn't heavy, so it was clean and easy to eat.

Putting a piece of mackerel on the warm stone-pot rice with a bit of kimchi or bean sprouts on the side went really well together.

Aged kimchi mackerel stew: the favourite of the two mains

Of the two dishes we ordered that day, the one I enjoyed more was the aged kimchi mackerel stew.

The mackerel and aged kimchi (mukeunji) came out piping hot, and the tangy, deep flavor unique to well-fermented kimchi paired really well with the fish. Wrapping the mackerel flesh in the kimchi and eating it with warm stone-pot rice, I kept reaching for more rice.

It wasn't overly spicy or salty — the flavor of the aged kimchi really came through, which I liked. If I had to choose one of the two again, I'd probably order the aged kimchi mackerel stew again.

The 2,000 won ice cream after the meal

After we finished eating, I noticed you could order ice cream as well, so I tried one.

It was ₩2,000, and having a sweet ice cream after the meal felt like it cleaned my palate. I liked that grilled fish, rice, sides, and dessert could all be wrapped up in one place.

Worth a family dinner if you want grilled fish in Tangjeong, Asan?

Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo Asan Tangjeong Branch is a place where you can pair wood-fired grilled fish with a wide range of Korean side dishes. With underground parking and a spacious dining room, it was also an easy spot for a family meal out.

The grilled mackerel was clean and easy to eat, and I especially liked the aged kimchi mackerel stew. If you're near Tangjeong Station craving grilled fish or warm Korean food, and want a hearty meal with plenty of side dishes, it's worth stopping by.