Milyang Korean restaurant for family loach soup: Ilpum Irojeong

A loach soup restaurant we visited with family after a Milyang outing

It had been a while since we had taken a weekday outing as a family. When we come to Milyang, we usually look around Wiyangji Pond or Yeongnamnu Pavilion and finish with a hearty meal; this time, we went to Ilpum Irojeong, a Milyang restaurant I had searched up in advance and heard was known for loach soup. (Visit date: September 2 / Party: 2 adults, 2 preschool children)

There was parking for about four cars in front of the restaurant, so we could park without much trouble. We arrived right as it opened for dinner.

Sanghwang loach soup set meals and spacious family dining

Once seated, we looked at the menu first. There were individual loach soup dishes as well as set meals. We ordered three warm boiled pork sanghwang loach soup set meals, one grilled mackerel, and a shredded potato pancake.

The tables were well spaced and the place felt clean overall. Private rooms and the main dining hall were nicely divided, making it a comfortable layout for families; while we ate, I also saw people dining alone.

There was even a sign like this posted up..

Sanghwang mushroom tea we kept refilling before the meal

As we ordered, water came out. It was no ordinary water—it was tea slowly brewed from sanghwang mushrooms. With a subtle mushroom aroma and a savory, toasty taste, even the first glass of water felt like something good for the body.

We kept refilling the sanghwang mushroom tea before the meal. It made my stomach feel settled, a detail that felt fitting for a restorative-food restaurant.

Fried loach the kids loved and rich loach soup

While we waited, the boiled pork and side dishes arrived in a neat spread. The set meal includes fried loach as standard.

The kids liked this fried loach far more than I expected. We ended up ordering more.

Then came the loach soup!! It came with garlic and spicy green chili seasoning to add to the soup, haha.

The loach soup, the main dish, was rich without being heavy or muddy, so it was good to eat with the kids too. It was a flavor adults would enjoy as well, and I thought I should bring my parents here sometime.

The rice was not just plain white rice. I think it was turmeric rice. Such a thoughtful detail for a restaurant known for restorative food!!

The shredded potato pancake was fried wonderfully crisp. The fried dishes were tasty, and this pancake was so good too. The kids enjoyed it just as much.

They also had children's tableware prepared separately, which made visiting with kids convenient.

A drink with the meal and extra assorted fried loach

The moment I took a bite, I immediately thought of a drink. So, soju and beer—let's go! When I looked to order, there happened to be an event: soju was ₩2,900 and a bottle of beer was ₩4,000. We ordered both.

The menu also had makgeolli (Korean rice wine), including something called Eoreumgol apple makgeolli since this is Milyang. I'll try that next time..

We had one bottle of soju and one bottle of beer with the meal, and having them with the loach soup felt easy on the stomach. As we ate, the kids said they wanted more fried loach, so we ordered the assorted fried loach.

The assorted fried loach we ordered extra came in a generous portion, making it great as a snack for the kids too. It also comes with sweet pumpkin!! I kept eating it because it was so tasty.

The grilled mackerel we ordered separately was not salty and was simply grilled, so the whole family could eat it comfortably. Plus, it was boneless, so I could give it to the kids without worrying about bones.

Putting a piece of garlic on the boiled pork made it taste clean, with none of that unwanted smell. Behind our table was a self-service bar where we could take any extra small plates or side dishes we needed.

It seemed like a lot of food as we ate, but we finished it all. With drinks as well, we were so full by the time we were done ㅠㅠ

The loach soup was good, and so were the fried dishes and pancake.. It was a satisfying meal.

Finishing with sikhye and sujeonggwa

On the way out after our meal, there was a machine where we could pour ourselves sikhye (sweet rice drink) and sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch), which made for a refreshing finish. Maybe because the sanghwang mushroom tea we had drunk throughout the meal lingered with me, I left feeling comfortable, and I think next time I'll make sure to get the sanghwang mushroom tea first.

After this visit, I think I can confidently recommend Ilpum Irojeong to anyone looking for a good loach soup restaurant in Milyang. It was a great restorative-food restaurant to visit for lunch or dinner with parents or family after an outing to Wiyangji Pond or Yeongnamnu Pavilion.