Bongdam grilled fish dinner in a sliding-door room: Hwadamga

I generally prefer hearty, healthy Korean food, so while looking for a proper rice place, a friend recommended somewhere — Hwadamga, a grilled fish restaurant that's newly rising to fame in the Bongdam area of Hwaseong.

The big, bright sign was visible from far away, so I found it easily even on my first visit. What really won me over, though, was the clean, pleasant feel right from the entrance, the generously stocked self-serve bar, and the mackerel and hairtail grilled without any fishy smell — crisp outside, moist inside.

Plentiful side dishes and chewy barley rice served in elegant brass bowls made this feel like the perfect grilled fish restaurant in Bongdam for taking parents or the whole family for a relaxed dinner.

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

Hwadamga is located on the 1st floor at 58 Nangnaegi-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hyohaeng-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, with a break time from 15:00 to 17:00.

• Location: 58 Nangnaegi-gil, Bongdam-eup, Hyohaeng-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 1st floor
• Hours: Daily 11:00 - 22:00 (break time 15:00-17:00)
• Parking: Very large dedicated lot in front of the restaurant

On parking — there's a very spacious dedicated lot right in front of the restaurant, so even a nervous new driver can visit without any parking stress.

Sliding-door rooms and what's on the self-serve bar

Inside, Hwadamga has several private rooms with sliding doors, and even the hall seating is divided by partitions. The self-serve bar was generously stocked with japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), seaweed soup, salad, namul (seasoned vegetables), stir-fried fish cake, and kimchi.

The interior has a clean white tone with wood partitions and fresh bamboo decor as an accent, giving the whole space a modern, spotless feel.

There are several private rooms with sliding doors for a more secluded meal, which would also make a great spot for group gatherings or company dinners without interruption from neighboring tables.

Of course, even without a room, the hall seating is partitioned off, so you can still dine quite privately — which I really liked.

The tidy, large self-serve bar corner in particular was kept impeccably clean. Warm japchae and rich seaweed soup were kept hot in rice-cooker-style containers, alongside fresh salad, savory namul, stir-fried fish cake, kimchi and more — plenty for everyone to help themselves as much as they liked.

Seeing the ingredients kept fresh in what looked like a large aging fridge lit in purple toward the back of the store, I understood exactly why this place is known as a top-tier grilled fish restaurant in Bongdam. Just thinking about the savory grilled fish paired with the colorful side dishes from the self-serve bar had my mouth watering before I even sat down.

Grilled mackerel and hairtail sets with barley rice in brass bowls

At Hwadamga, we ordered the grilled mackerel set, grilled hairtail set, and egg custard through the tablet menu. Side dishes, seaweed soup, and barley rice can be scooped into brass bowls yourself at the self-serve bar, as much as you like.

Using the tablet menu installed at each table, we conveniently ordered the grilled mackerel set, grilled hairtail set, and egg custard.

After ordering, we brought over various tasty side dishes and warm seaweed soup from the self-serve bar and arranged them neatly in elegant brass bowls.

Meanwhile, the main dishes started arriving one by one — the complimentary, bubbling stone-pot doenjang stew and the extra egg custard, soft and puffed up in its stone pot, were perfect for calming an empty stomach before the grilled fish arrived.

Above all, being able to help yourself to as much barley rice as you want from the self-serve bar — easy on digestion and good for you — was one of the charms of Hwadamga, the grilled fish spot in Bongdam >_<

Ta-da +_+ At last, Hwadamga's golden-brown main dishes arrived on a big cast-iron-look plate!

A little squeeze of lemon over the glistening grilled mackerel completely killed any fishy smell, and I used my chopsticks to pull off a big, thick piece to try.

Crisp outside, moist and tender inside — a rich, savory flavor spread through my mouth.

The grilled hairtail served alongside was just as good, with skin fried almost crisp and flesh as white and clean-tasting as snow — I couldn't stop reaching for more with my chopsticks.

Piling a thick piece of grilled hairtail and a bit of savory kimchi onto a satisfying bite of nutty barley rice was rice-thief territory for sure. Refilling namul and japchae from the self-serve bar throughout the meal made for a meal so generous it felt fit for royalty.

Is Hwadamga worth it for a healthy, filling family dinner?

Hwadamga is a Bongdam rice place where you can eat your fill of grilled fish and barley rice in a spacious, pleasant setting. Both the grilled mackerel and the grilled hairtail were flavors that would please just about anyone.

Eating my fill of fresh, quality fish in a roomy, comfortable space, I felt the day's fatigue melt away along with a satisfying sense of fullness.

The thick, high-quality grilled mackerel and the savory, clean-tasting grilled hairtail were flavors that people of any age would enjoy without complaint.

From the abundant, neatly run self-serve bar system to the upscale brass-bowl table setting that makes you feel genuinely well cared for, the care shown to guests was evident everywhere — a true grilled fish restaurant worth the trip to Bongdam.

If you're planning a healthy, hearty meal out built around carefully grilled fish and barley rice, I'd strongly recommend visiting Hwadamga, this grilled fish restaurant in Bongdam where the mackerel and hairtail are absolutely delicious. Next time, I want to bring my parents back and take my time trying the other set menus and side dishes I didn't get to this time.

Alright then, see you next time~~*