Korean restaurant near Suwon ballpark, crispy mackerel: Hwadeogeuro

What to order when you crave Korean food near KT Wiz Park in Suwon

We ordered the wood-fired mackerel set for two at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Suwon KT Wiz Park Branch (화덕으로간 고등어). I hadn't had a proper rice meal in Suwon in a while, so I searched for a good restaurant and ended up here.

Today was a definite "I want Korean food" day, so I looked only at Korean places in Suwon!! These days I often eat something quick, so even just on a weekend I wanted a properly set meal: warm rice and grilled fish. So I looked at the menu and ordered the wood-fired mackerel set for two.

With a meal like this, your eyes go straight to the mackerel when the food arrives, right? haha But the neatly served side dishes put me in a good mood too~

How does the wood-fired grilled mackerel at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo taste?

The mackerel in the set came out golden brown, crispy outside and juicy inside. The first thing the two of us said when it arrived was, "Can fish really be grilled this beautifully??" The color alone looked so appetizing.

Maybe because it was cooked in a wood-fired oven, the skin was cleanly grilled, and it looked like the kind of dish that makes you think of rice just by looking at it. One bite and there it was, the crispy-outside, juicy-inside texture I love! The outside was crisp while the flesh inside was moist, just right with rice. The mackerel's rich, nutty flavor came through too, and flaking the meat onto warm rice made me think grilled fish really is best with rice, haha

My husband's reaction: "Anything tastes good when it's cooked in a wood-fired oven"

My husband especially was digging in so happily, haha He often says "anything tastes good when it's cooked in a wood-fired oven," and that day, eating the mackerel, he kept saying how good it was and ate with real gusto. Watching him made me feel warm inside, haha You know that feeling, when you go out to eat together and the person next to you is enjoying their food, and it makes you happy too.

Can you make bibimbap with the namul from the self-serve bar?

The self-serve bar at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Suwon KT Wiz Park Branch has several side dishes, including namul (seasoned vegetables), so I brought some back and made bibimbap (mixed rice). While eating the mackerel, I went to look around the self-serve bar.

There were lots of side dishes, so I took a little of what I wanted, but when I saw the namul I just couldn't walk past. So I made bibimbap too. I piled various namul onto warm rice, mixed it up and took a bite, then a piece of mackerel, haha

• A bite of mixed rice
• A piece of mackerel
• Another bite of bibimbap

Eating like this, I suddenly realized I was having a real feast, haha And the bibimbap was honestly better than I expected. Eating namul along with the grilled mackerel made the meal feel much fuller than just the fish. (Also, sometimes mackerel alone isn't quite enough food, right? haha But at Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo, there was none of that disappointment~)

Grilled fish is a hassle at home, and the wood-fired mackerel set solves that

After eating mackerel, rice and namul in balance with the wood-fired mackerel set, it felt like I'd had a truly healthy meal. I like punchy food too, but sometimes you just want Korean food with warm rice, grilled fish and namul. That day was exactly that kind of day, and I'm really glad we went.

Grilled fish especially is a bit of a hassle at home, with the cooking smell to worry about, so eating warm wood-fired mackerel like this was easy and nice.

Is it good for a family meal near KT Wiz Park?

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Suwon KT Wiz Park Branch is a good place for days when you want a filling, mild Korean meal, or when you need somewhere comfortable to eat with family. My husband happily ate his wood-fired mackerel, I made bibimbap on the side, haha and in the end we both left very satisfied and stuffed.

If you want a filling Korean meal in Suwon that isn't too spicy or heavy, or a comfortable restaurant for a family meal, I think a grilled fish set like this would be a good choice.

Above all, the mackerel was well grilled, crispy outside and juicy inside, and making bibimbap too made the meal really worthwhile. Eating grilled mackerel, warm rice and namul in balance, I felt like I'd finally had a proper Korean meal after a long time. It was delicious, filling, and left me with the satisfaction of having eaten a healthy meal, haha

I'm proud I satisfied my mackerel-loving husband, haha He keeps asking if I picked a good place, haha and he's acting all smug about it.. haha As a spot near KT Wiz Park, it's close enough for a family meal, and it was a table that looks after your health too, haha