Goyang rice bowl restaurant: Wando flounder sashimi bowl, Min Cook

When lunchtime rolled around, I really wanted something that would grab my appetite. So I headed to a Hwajeong Station spot in Goyang for a clean but filling hoedeopbap (raw fish rice bowl). It's a dish I crave every now and then, and this lunch definitely hit the spot. Let me tell you about Min Cook Misoyaki, a Hwajeong Station lunch spot known for its hoedeopbap.

Where is Min Cook Misoyaki near Hwajeong Station, and where do you park?

Min Cook Misoyaki, a restaurant in Goyang near Hwajeong Station, is located right around the station.

There's no parking lot in the building itself, but parking at Hwajeong E-mart gets you free parking.

Inside Min Cook Misoyaki: atmosphere and counter seating

The interior of Min Cook Misoyaki was clean and pleasant, with a wood-toned look that gave off strong Japanese restaurant vibes.

This lunch spot near Hwajeong Station has both table seating and counter (dachi) seats. The clean atmosphere would also make it a good spot for a date.

It's also great for solo dining near Hwajeong Station. Min Cook Misoyaki, a lunch spot for hoedeopbap near Hwajeong Station.

Min Cook Misoyaki menu prices and what we ordered

Menu

Here's the menu at Min Cook Misoyaki, a restaurant near Hwajeong Station.

• Miso-grilled black cod ₩19,000
• Miso-grilled mackerel (half) ₩12,000
• Miso-grilled mackerel (whole) ₩15,900
• Salt-grilled black cod ₩18,000
• Assorted salt-grilled fish ₩17,000
• Salt-grilled mackerel (half) ₩11,000
• Salt-grilled mackerel (whole) ₩15,900
• Salt-grilled salmon ₩16,000
• Salt-grilled salmon collar ₩11,000
• Salt-grilled atka mackerel ₩12,000
• Sake-don ₩15,000
• Wando flounder hoedeopbap ₩17,000
• Salmon hoedeopbap ₩11,000
• Tuna hoedeopbap ₩11,000
• Korean pork cutlet ₩11,000
• Handmade fried shrimp ₩3,900
• Inari sushi ₩3,000
• Salad ₩1,500
• Rice ₩1,000

You order via the QR code at the table. We ordered the Wando flounder hoedeopbap, a large salmon hoedeopbap, fried shrimp, and inari sushi.

These are the tangy, well-seasoned banchan (side dishes) that came out first.

A warm porridge came out first, and it was soft and comforting on an empty stomach.

Finally, the dishes we ordered at Min Cook Misoyaki arrived. Pretty impressive spread, right?

How does the Wando flounder sashimi rice bowl taste?

The Wando flounder hoedeopbap at Min Cook Misoyaki costs ₩17,000.

Rice and soup came alongside it.

The flounder had a light, chewy texture that paired well with the vegetables. The slices weren't cut too thin, so you could really feel the flounder's texture as you chewed, and the clean flavor went well with the chojang (vinegared chili sauce). Mixing the rice topped evenly with flounder and vegetables together with the chojang brought out a nice balance of tangy-sweet sauce and mild fish flavor.

Getting bites of flounder in between the crunchy vegetables made it so much tastier than just eating plain rice. It's better to add the chojang little by little rather than dumping it all in at once — if you want to really taste the flounder itself, go easy on the sauce.

Rather than a spicy or heavily seasoned hoedeopbap, this was a clean, comfortable dish that made for a great lunch. With fresh raw fish, crunchy vegetables, and chojang all mixed together, I finished the bowl without needing many other side dishes.

The large salmon sashimi rice bowl at Min Cook Misoyaki

This is the large-size salmon hoedeopbap at Min Cook Misoyaki. With salmon, the first thing you notice is its soft texture — it wasn't dry at all, went well with the vegetables, and there was no fishy taste.

Mixing in a moderate amount of chojang with the rice topped evenly with vegetables and salmon gave a tangy-sweet flavor that really woke up my appetite.

The crunchy vegetables and soft salmon worked well together texture-wise. Since too much chojang can make the sauce flavor overpowering, it's better to start with a little and mix in more to taste.

It wasn't too heavy for lunch, but finishing the bowl left me quite full. Definitely a solid lunch spot near Hwajeong Station.

Sides: inari sushi and handmade fried shrimp

This is the inari sushi we ordered as a side. It was sweet with a touch of savory saltiness — not too salty, which I liked — and the rice inside had a slight tang that paired well with the fried tofu pocket.

The rice wasn't too sticky, just loosely packed and easy to eat. The moist tofu pocket made it go down smoothly with the rice — a simple, easy-going dish.

Here's the fried shrimp from this Hwajeong Station lunch spot. The outside was crispy fried while the shrimp inside had a plump, springy texture. The batter wasn't too thick, so you could really taste the shrimp.

Eating it warm made the crispiness even better. The shrimp itself was mild enough to eat plain, but I asked for soy sauce and dipping it in gave a whole different flavor. It wasn't greasy and paired nicely alongside the hoedeopbap.

Is a sashimi rice bowl lunch at Min Cook Misoyaki worth it?

If you're looking for a great hoedeopbap lunch spot near Hwajeong Station in Goyang, Min Cook Misoyaki is well worth a visit.