Ilsan fish stew restaurant: catfish eojuk and terrace at Hantangang

On days like these when I want a hearty, restorative meal, I always crave a steaming hot soup, haha. This time I visited Hantangang Maeuntang Ilsan Main Branch (한탄강매운탕 일산본점), known as a go-to spicy fish stew (maeuntang) place in Ilsan! I really did it all here: a generous stew with crab and catfish, fried loach, sujebi (hand-pulled dough flakes), ramen noodles, and eojuk (fish rice porridge) to finish 😋 If you're looking for a stamina meal in Ilsan, it's a good one to know, so let me go through it step by step.

Where is Hantangang Maeuntang Ilsan Main Branch, and what about parking?

Hantangang Maeuntang Ilsan Main Branch is at 91 Seongseok-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi, 1F. It's open daily 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00) with no days off. Reservations are possible, and you'll need to check separately about break time.

Go past Gobongsan Traditional Hanjeungmak (a Korean steam sauna) and head along the road on the left, and you'll find it. There is parking in front of and behind the restaurant, so it looked fine for coming by car. It's also a great spot for a family stamina meal or for bringing your parents.

Is the interior spacious, and what does the self-serve bar offer?

The restaurant is big, with seating from 4-person tables up to group seating. The first thing I noticed walking in was that it's roomier than I expected! It looked good for family meals as well as group gatherings or company dinners.

One wall was full of photos of TV appearances and visitors. Each photo was hung on a bamboo blind, which was quite striking. It had that atmosphere of a long-established restaurant, and it was fun to look at, haha.

There was also a country-of-origin board inside, and I noticed the domestic origin labels for key ingredients like catfish and loach.

What I really liked was the self-serve bar! You can add broth and ramen noodles for free, and aprons are provided too. When eating maeuntang, the broth sometimes cooks down or you start wanting more noodles, so this was convenient.

There's also a space where you can pack up leftovers yourself.

The notice on the table explained how to enjoy the sujebi and how to use the self-serve bar, and a booklet beside the seat encouraged taking leftovers home. There was even a note telling you to be sure to try the eojuk, so it was easy to learn how to eat the meal in advance. I felt the care for customers in these little details 👍

Menu and prices at Hantangang Maeuntang: what did we order?

You order on the tablet at each table. Being able to check the menu yourself as you order was convenient. Here's what I ordered this time.

• Crab + catfish maeuntang (2 people) ₩45,000
• Fried loach (half plate) ₩7,000
• Eojuk ₩2,000

Just the stew felt like not enough, so I added fried loach. And of course I ordered the eojuk that Hantangang Maeuntang recommends! Going from stew to noodles to eojuk felt like a proper Ilsan stamina spread.

What side dishes come with the meal?

Once you order, a wide variety of side dishes (banchan) are laid out: tofu with kimchi, salad, macaroni, braised radish, stir-fried fish cake, acorn jelly and more. There were a lot of kinds.

Personally, I loved starting the meal with the tofu and kimchi, haha. The other sides were each tasty too, and my chopsticks kept going while the stew was coming to a boil. You could tell care went into even the basic sides, so the first impression was great.

How do the crab + catfish stew taste, and how big is the portion?

The crab + catfish maeuntang (₩45,000 for 2 people) comes in a big pot, generously topped with minari (water dropwort) and mushrooms, with catfish and crab underneath. The main dish of the day has arrived! It looked really abundant from the start, with plenty of seasoning such as minced garlic and chili.

First, they turned the heat up high and boiled it hard. Once it started boiling, I stirred everything evenly and let it simmer a bit longer, and it finally looked like proper maeuntang, haha.

I scooped with a ladle and the solids came up really generously. What I liked is that this stew isn't just lots of broth; there's plenty of actual ingredients to fish out and eat. I started with the vegetables. The minari and mushrooms had soaked up the broth, and the freshness of the greens went well with the spicy, refreshing soup.

Next I picked out the catfish meat and crab one by one. Hot fish meat with the stew broth made my body feel fortified! Hantangang Maeuntang is said to use fresh ingredients delivered daily, and the vegetables and fish really felt fresh and generous. The broth was refreshing yet full of flavor from the ingredients, so I kept going back for more. I could see why people seek out Hantangang Maeuntang for an Ilsan stamina meal, haha.

Does the half plate of fried loach go well with the stew?

The half plate of fried loach (₩7,000) was a good amount to go with the stew. While I was eating the maeuntang, the fried loach I'd ordered came out too.

One bite and it was crispy outside and moist inside. The more I chewed, the more I tasted the nutty richness typical of loach. It was good on its own, but dipped lightly in soy sauce it went even better. Alternating crispy fritters with hot stew was a great combo. I finished it all in no time, lol.

Are sujebi and ramen noodles free?

Hantangang Maeuntang gives sujebi dough for free, and you can grab ramen noodles from the self-serve bar for free too. After eating a fair amount of the stew, it was time to add the sujebi! The sujebi comes separately, so you can control when to eat it, which was nice.

I put it into the stew and brought it back to a bubbling boil. Fishing out the well-cooked sujebi, the texture was chewy yet soft, and so good.

Above all, the sujebi had soaked up the stew broth, so it was refreshing and really delicious. I still remember the taste of that sujebi, haha.

And it doesn't end here, haha. I also brought ramen noodles from the self-serve bar and added them. The noodles soaking up the spicy, refreshing broth were another treat. Unlike regular ramen, the savory depth of the stew had soaked into the noodles, and my chopsticks wouldn't stop. After sujebi and ramen, it was incredibly generous and filling.

What's the best way to eat the eojuk?

For the eojuk (₩2,000), a staff member recommended scooping some of the fish meat from the stew into it. Eojuk seemed like the dish I'd regret missing at Hantangang Maeuntang, so I fished out a bit of catfish meat, added it, and had it as the finale.

I was already pretty full after all that stew, but the eojuk still went down easily, lol. When I took a spoonful with the vegetables and sesame seeds, everything blended together well. Starting with a soup dish and ending with eojuk made the meal feel neatly wrapped up. It had a warm, nutty flavor that was addictive. If you order the maeuntang, going all the way to eojuk is a definite recommendation!!

Is there an outdoor terrace to relax after the meal?

Besides the dining area, Hantangang Maeuntang Ilsan Main Branch has a spot where you can have coffee and rest a while, plus an outdoor terrace. Wooden pillars, warm lighting and big windows made for a comfortable atmosphere.

The outdoor terrace especially stood out. Tables and chairs sit under parasols with plants around, which felt peaceful. Next time I'd like to come for lunch and have a coffee in the breeze after eating, haha ☕️

Final thoughts on Hantangang Maeuntang Ilsan Main Branch

It felt like my first proper Ilsan stamina meal in a long while. The stew, generously filled with crab and catfish, had a refreshing broth, and the fried loach was crispy and nutty, great alongside it. Being able to enjoy sujebi and ramen noodles was filling, and the eojuk at the end was hearty and delicious too. I also liked how thoughtful they are toward customers, with spacious seating, parking, a self-serve bar and a packing counter.

It looks perfect for a meal with your parents or a hearty stamina meal with the family!! Next time I'll visit at lunchtime, eat maeuntang and then relax on the outdoor terrace, haha. If you're looking for an Ilsan stamina meal, I recommend Hantangang Maeuntang! 👍✨