Suwon fish restaurant, opening rush with mother-in-law: Godeungeo

Grilled fish is a surprisingly bothersome dish to make at home, so it's one we often end up eating out. We visited Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch (고등어명품이되다 수원점) with my mother-in-law and husband, and even at weekday opening time people were lining up :) Once I got inside, I understood right away why people do the opening rush. The fish and every single side dish were neat and well made, and the place is huge, so it was really comfortable for a family meal. Today I'm introducing this Suwon grilled fish restaurant near Homaesil that I left happy with.

Heading out with the Long-Long family :)

Where is Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch, and where do you park?

The restaurant is at 1731 Seobu-ro, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi, on the 1st floor, and it's open 10:40–22:00 (last order 20:50). The parking lot is very large, so I highly recommend coming by car :)

If you come by bus, get off at the "Haengjeong Town Intersection" stop and it's just a 6-minute walk :)

Is there an opening rush wait on weekday mornings?

We arrived right at weekday morning opening and there were already quite a few people waiting. The restaurant uses the entire first floor of the building and the size is honestly insane! Even the outside of the building looks clean ^^ West Suwon opening-rush restaurant, confirmed!!

It will probably get even busier at mealtimes, so maybe plan to come with some time to spare?

Atmosphere and facilities

As you enter, there's a cafeteria on the left :) Inside there's a coffee service and plenty of seating!

Of course a Suwon opening-rush spot has Catch Table (a waitlist app) ^^

The restaurant is very spacious! The tables are arranged around the self-bar.

There are separate restrooms, but there's also a hand-washing sink in the middle for anyone who just wants to wash their hands. So thoughtful! Plenty of kids' chairs too :)

And this is the restroom! Go through the door and head right.

Must-grabs at the self-bar: japchae and sikhye

The self-bar here is big, which surprised me. If you want more of the basic side dishes, just take more from the self-bar. There are also kids' utensils and hygiene gloves if you need them.

Maybe because we came for the opening rush, there was no japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) at first, but just as we were about to start eating, a steaming fresh batch showed up. Freshly made japchae is so good. Thumbs up!

But the sikhye (sweet rice drink) gets a double thumbs up from me :) It's pleasantly sweet and left my mouth feeling fresh after the meal! Please try it when you visit. One tip: if you press the button too hard it overflows, so press gently. I saw the older folks have it spill all over the place ㅜㅜ

These are set out at every table~ The soy sauce and wasabi come in single-use packs, which I thought was very hygienic :)

Here's the origin-of-ingredients board for reference.

Menu and prices at Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch

The grilled fish here ranges from grilled mackerel and Atka mackerel at ₩16,000 up to grilled croaker and bakdae (sole) at ₩20,000, and the Myeongpum set (premium set meal) is ₩32,000. The croaker sashimi and mackerel mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) are seasonal items.

• Croaker sashimi / assorted sashimi - market price
• Grilled mackerel - ₩16,000
• Grilled Spanish mackerel - ₩18,000
• Grilled cutlassfish - ₩19,000
• Grilled croaker - ₩20,000
• Grilled bakdae (sole) - ₩20,000
• Grilled Atka mackerel - ₩16,000
• Myeongpum set - ₩32,000
• Croaker sashimi - seasonal
• Mackerel mulhoe - seasonal
• Mackerel sushi - ₩20,000
• Mackerel sashimi - ₩38,000
• Gochujang bulgogi (spicy marinated pork) - ₩13,000
• Braised mackerel - ₩18,000
• Braised cutlassfish - ₩19,000

How were the grilled mackerel, Spanish mackerel and cutlassfish?

We ordered the grilled mackerel (₩16,000), grilled Spanish mackerel (₩18,000) and grilled cutlassfish (₩19,000). All three had their own clear charm, and above all, I couldn't detect any fishy smell at all.

• Grilled mackerel: nicely golden on the outside and moist inside.
• Grilled Spanish mackerel: moist and mild, which I liked.
• Grilled cutlassfish: a subtle savory depth, and the lightly salty seasoning went well with rice.

With no fishy smell, I think even people who don't usually eat fish could enjoy it without hesitation! The side dishes were varied and paired really well with the fish. Personally, the seaweed soup was so, so good that I even got a refill :) Eating here, I naturally figured out why it's called a Suwon grilled fish go-to.

Naver review event: abalone sashimi

When we visited, the restaurant was also running a Naver review event, and the abalone sashimi had a wonderfully crunchy, chewy texture! It went so well with the soy sauce and oil dipping sauce that came with it~

Visiting tips

If you want a relaxed meal here, I recommend coming a bit early! The opening rush is recommended too. Especially on weekends ^^

Overall verdict

• Fresh grilled fish, neat side dishes and a big, pleasant dining room made for a satisfying meal.
• With no fishy smell, a mild flavor and a generous spread, I felt quite satisfied after eating.
• Having eaten here myself, I fully understand why it's popular enough for an opening rush.