Tangjeong, Asan: 4-person grilled fish set at Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo

When I'm craving healthy Korean food with a warm bowl of rice, grilled fish always comes to mind. I visited Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo Asan Tangjeong Branch, a Korean restaurant near Tangjeong Station known for its grilled fish. They prep fresh ingredients every morning and make their side dishes from scratch, so the whole spread feels like a home-cooked meal built around grilled fish. Here's my review of the 4-person set.

Parking and opening hours at Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo in Tangjeong, Asan

Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo Asan Tangjeong is on the 2nd floor of the Ramada Encore building on Handeulmulbit 6-ro in Tangjeong, Asan, and you can park in the same building's underground lot. Two hours are free with registration, and I liked that it's a regular lot, not a mechanical one. If it's full, the large public parking lot in front of the building at Tangjeong Station is paid but cheap. (The restaurant itself can't register your parking.)

• Hours: Daily 11:00-21:00 (break time 15:00-17:00)
• Closed only on Chuseok Day during the Chuseok holiday
• No pets allowed
• Accepts Asan Pay and Asan Shinhyup points

Is Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo good for groups and family meals?

The restaurant is big, so it's great for group gatherings, and with plenty of high chairs it's also good for families. Even at a table with kids, they were happily eating fish.

The windows are full-length, so you get a clear view of Tangjeong Station.

What comes in the 4-person value set, and is it worth the price?

The set menu is better value than just ordering mains separately. The 4-person value set comes with grilled atka mackerel, seasoned mackerel, and braised aged-kimchi mackerel for two, plus a full 4 bowls of rice, and upgrading to stone pot rice is just ₩1,000.

Fish grilled in the charcoal oven

Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo grills its fish in a charcoal oven heated above 500°C. Since it's a volcanic-stone oven, the fish comes out crispy on the outside and moist inside — and after trying both the braised and the grilled versions, I ended up siding with the grilled fish.

Help yourself to 15 Korean side dishes

One thing you can't skip here is the Korean self-serve bar. Your table comes set up with bowls for the self-serve bar and seaweed soup, and the fish is brought out separately as soon as it's cooked.

The self-serve bar has a 15-dish Korean spread so you can try a variety of sides, plus bibim sauce for mixing. If you're craving bibimbap, just ask staff for a bibimbap bowl.

The self-serve bar has stir-fried pork, rolled egg, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), braised tofu, seasoned lotus root, seasoned radish, seasoned bellflower root, seasoned chili, bean sprouts, fresh kimchi, pickled onion, pickled garlic scapes, doenjang paste, lettuce, and more. Since it's self-serve, you can go back for more, which makes it great for groups.

For dessert there's a coffee machine, omija tea, and barley tea, plus a paid unlimited ice cream bar. Ice cream is free if you participate in a review.

For anyone who's not big on fish, there's also a Korean set meal for ₩13,000 so you can still eat together — it'd work well as a simple home-style meal too.

Best side dish combinations from the self-serve bar

My favorite combo was doenjang paste, stir-fried pork, pot rice, and lettuce. I'd recommend scooping a spoonful of pot rice, adding a little doenjang paste, topping with stir-fried pork, and wrapping it all in lettuce.

Soy sauce and wasabi set out on the table

Soy sauce and wasabi are set on the table by default, and I liked that the wasabi comes in a clean single-use packet. Dip the fish lightly in soy sauce and add a little wasabi — the sharp kick pairs nicely with the mild fish flavor.

The regular rice bowls were generously filled, and the pot rice came with plenty too.

Between the grilled fish, mackerel stew, and the self-serve bar, the 4-person table was completely packed with food.

Grilled atka mackerel, seasoned mackerel or aged-kimchi mackerel: which was best?

My pick was the grilled atka mackerel. Grilled fish can easily turn dry if overcooked, no matter how good the fish, but thanks to the volcanic-stone charcoal oven, the moist texture inside was really well preserved. The flesh was moist and savory, so I kept going back for more. Piled on rice, the mild, savory fish made a whole bowl disappear fast — next time, I'd want to order the grilled atka mackerel as the main.

The seasoned mackerel had a mild, not-too-strong sauce that was easy to enjoy, and having several dishes ordered together meant we could taste a good variety.

The braised aged-kimchi mackerel had plump flesh that was easy to pick apart, and piled on rice with the kimchi it tasted like familiar comfort food. Still, out of everything, the mild, moist grilled atka mackerel was my favorite, so my chopsticks naturally kept going there.

A tip for finishing off the pot rice — add some soup to it, so I poured in the seaweed soup and it was warm and satisfying. And of course the basic scorched-rice tea was delicious too.

A filling meal, from grilled fish to a full Korean rice spread

Busan-e Tteun Godeungeo brings together grilled fish, a variety of side dishes, and rice in a well-balanced Korean spread. You can really feel that they prep fresh ingredients every morning and put care into setting the whole table. Best of all, alongside the grilled fish you can pick and choose from sides like stir-fried pork, japchae, rolled egg, and braised tofu to suit your taste, making it a great spot for families or groups. If you're looking for Korean food near Tangjeong Station, grilled fish in Asan Tangjeong, or a hearty Korean restaurant in Asan, this place is worth a visit.