Grilled fish before break time at Hwajeong Station: Min Cook Misoyaki

I've been baking a lot lately, so I've put on quite a bit of weight ^-^; and it's not just me — the family who eats it all with me has too...

So yesterday's lunch had to be something delicious that wouldn't weigh on my conscience: Japanese-style grilled fish.

This place has been famous as a #HwajeongStationRestaurant for a while now. I finally made it to Min Cook Misoyaki (민쿡 미소야끼) haha.

Min Cook Misoyaki: location, hours and last order

Min Cook Misoyaki is located at 37 Hwasin-ro 260beon-gil, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 1st floor. It's right below Min Cook Dasima, where I had sushi recently. Hours are 11:00–21:00, with a break time from 3pm to 4pm. So lunch last order is 2:30pm — we arrived a bit late, got there at 2:15pm, and just barely managed to order haha.

Where to park near Hwajeong Station

Quick tip: there's no parking at the building for this Hwajeong Station spot, but if you park at Hwajeong E-Mart right in front, they give you 1 free hour, so no worries. The E-Mart lot is nice and spacious too.

Inside Min Cook Misoyaki: counter seats and solo dining

The interior matched what I saw from outside — that same warm wood tone, a cozy and comfortable space. There's a lot of 2-seat tables and counter seats, making it ideal for solo dining. (My sibling said they'd come back again just to eat alone haha.)

This time the three of us went in and sat along the counter seats. It was well past the lunch rush, so it was quiet with hardly anyone else there — we could eat in peace. Ordering is done by scanning a QR code!

What three of us ordered: atka mackerel, assorted set, XL mackerel

Unfortunately, since it was near the end of lunch, quite a few menu items were sold out. So the three of us ended up ordering three dishes: one XL mackerel (half) miso-grilled, an assorted salt-grilled set, and salt-grilled atka mackerel.

Seeing the knives on display, along with a note about it being founded by a Korea Master Craftsman and never compromising on ingredients, made me even more excited for the food :)

Egg porridge and salad before the fish

First, each of us got a salad and egg porridge before the meal — a fresh, tasty little salad. Having something warm and soft fill your stomach before the meal starts is really nice. They also give you a small plate to hold your side dishes, which is way too cute haha.

Rice and soybean-paste soup came out next,

Salt-grilled atka mackerel, 12,000 won

The salt-grilled atka mackerel (₩12,000) came out first, and honestly the portion size shocked me.

It's such a generous amount that eating it alone would be tough. Crisp outside, incredibly moist inside — I flaked off a little of the fish and tried it plain, and it had this clean, delicate flavor with just the right seasoning and a real depth of umami. Traditional Japanese-style salt-grilling, apparently — was atka mackerel always this delicious? There's a reason my sibling said they'd come back to eat this again today haha.

Assorted salt-grilled set, 18,000 won: black cod, salmon, mackerel

Next was my order, the assorted salt-grilled set (₩18,000), which lets you try black cod, fresh salmon, and grilled mackerel — perfect if you can't decide what to pick!

With three different kinds coming out like this, I could taste each one without ever getting bored haha.

Squeeze on some lemon juice first, then flake off the fish and eat it with rice and soybean-paste soup — it fills you up and genuinely feels like you're on a trip to Japan.

It tasted almost identical to what my sibling and I had on a trip to Japan, so much so that we said whenever we miss traveling there, we'll just come eat here instead haha.

XL miso-grilled mackerel (half)

Lastly, the dish my sibling ordered — XL mackerel (half) miso-grilled. The miso flavor wasn't overpowering, but it brought out just the right amount of umami — a real rice thief, as they say! I asked for a bite too, and it was a flavor I hadn't tasted anywhere else... There's a reason this long-running Hwajeong Station restaurant keeps gaining loyal regulars.

What all three grilled fish had in common

The common thread across everything: crisp outside, moist and tender inside! Not a hint of fishy smell, just savory depth, umami, and that distinctive grilled aroma — it was perfect.

You could really feel the touch of a master craftsman here, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit :)