Suwon grilled fish for two, three fish at weekday lunch: Godeungeo

What kind of restaurant is Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch?

Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch is a grilled fish spot on Seobu-ro in Topdong, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon. It's open daily from 10:40 to 22:00, and groups, reservations and parking are all available.

There are two Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda locations — Pyeongtaek and Suwon — and my husband kept talking about how good the Pyeongtaek branch was after he tried it. We finally had a free weekday, so we went for lunch.

I'd driven past the place many times and it's the kind of building that stands out even from a distance — the entire first floor is the restaurant.

Parking and the waiting area in Topdong

The best part, hands down, is the parking. Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch reportedly has one of the largest dedicated parking lots in Suwon. That matters a lot when you're visiting with family or a bigger group, and on that front this place really delivered.

Even though we went on a weekday for lunch, the lot already had plenty of cars parked. My expectations went up before I'd even walked in.

There's a CatchTable kiosk inside, and I'd imagine waiting is basically unavoidable on weekends given how busy this place gets.

Right as you walk in, there's a comfortable waiting area on the left. It's a nice place to sit out the summer heat, and there are plenty of chairs.

Further inside, you can see the kitchen and the fish tanks, which gave me a sense that they're confident about their ingredients.

Even though it's a grilled fish specialist, they also sell a variety of raw fish (mackerel sashimi, croaker sashimi, flounder sashimi, giant bluefin tuna sashimi).

How to order and what the dining room feels like

At Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch, you order from a kiosk right at your table. You just take the cold water they hand you at the door, sit wherever you like, and order from there.

Pretty much everything you'd need is already set out at each table — tissues, wet wipes and cutlery, of course, but even individually packaged soy sauce and wasabi, which felt hygienic and convenient.

Since it's a large Korean restaurant known for grilled fish, a lot of families with kids come here, and everything is set up to make that easy.

The tables are spaced out generously and everything is kept neat and tidy overall, which makes it a nice atmosphere for a family meal.

What's on the self-bar at Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda?

Right in the middle of Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda Suwon Branch there's a self-bar. It's convenient to grab extra side dishes yourself, and the variety was satisfying.

True to a Korean restaurant, every side dish was tasty, so it was nice being able to serve myself. Muk salad (jelly noodle salad) and geotjeori (fresh cabbage kimchi) aren't part of the basic side dishes, so make sure to grab them from the self-bar!

There's also sikhye (sweet rice drink) for after the meal, plus small plates and forks, so you don't have to flag down staff for extras.

Menu and prices for grilled fish in Suwon

The menu covers a wide range of grilled fish — mackerel, Alaska pollock, Spanish mackerel, cutlassfish, croaker, tonguefish sole and more. There are also braised fish and sashimi options, so it's a good spot to order a variety when you come with a group.

After we ordered at our seats, everything was set up in less than 5 minutes. I guess it's because it's the busy lunch rush, but the food came out fast, which I liked.

These are the basic side dishes that come standard. There was a good variety and they all seemed to pair well with grilled fish. None of them were too salty or too sweet overall, which made them delicious. You could easily finish a bowl of rice on the side dishes alone!

There's also a gochujang bulgogi (spicy pork stir-fry) item on the menu, and I was debating ordering it — but I was completely satisfied that a small portion comes included by default!

It's not very spicy and not overly strong-tasting, so it's a gochujang bulgogi that anyone, young or old, would enjoy. Grilled fish alone can feel a bit heavy after a while, but eating it alongside the bulgogi balanced things out nicely.

It's not one of the default side dishes, but I would have missed the geotjeori kimchi we grabbed from the self-bar if it hadn't been there.

And it doesn't stop there — seaweed soup comes with the meal too. Not a single thing missed the mark for my taste, and I'd love to come back with my parents next time.

• Grilled mackerel ₩16,000
• Grilled cutlassfish ₩19,000
• Added grilled Spanish mackerel ₩17,000

Three fish for two people — can you finish it all?

There were so many grilled fish we wanted to try that, after some deliberation, we noticed there was an add-a-fish option, so the two of us ordered and ate three fish together.

The fish were bigger and thicker than they look in photos. I was worried whether we could finish it all, but since we'd shown up hungry, I was actually looking forward to it.

The grilled fish is cooked in a fire oven, so the outside was appetizingly golden brown, and the savory aroma of the fish really got my appetite going.

It's not just the grilled fish — rice, soup and a variety of side dishes come together for a proper full meal! The whole spread was neat and generous, which made it great for photos too.

Grilled mackerel, 16,000 won

We started with the grilled mackerel. It came out golden brown with a crispy skin, while the flesh underneath was moist and tender. It was mildly oily and you could really taste the mackerel's distinctively savory, clean flavor. The flesh was plump and firm — a real rice thief!

Grilled cutlassfish, 19,000 won

Personally, this was the one I really loved! The golden-grilled cutlassfish flesh came apart easily, so it was easy to eat too. The flesh was so soft and moist it practically melted in my mouth.

It was just the right amount of salty and clean-tasting without any fishiness, so I kept reaching for more. The flesh was especially thick, so piling it on rice made for a bowl that disappeared in no time.

Extra grilled Spanish mackerel, 17,000 won

Of the three fish, the grilled Spanish mackerel clearly had the thickest flesh. It was plump and tender, with a clean, savory, mellow flavor that I think anyone, young or old, would like.

We stuffed ourselves picking all three fish clean, then finished it off cleanly with a cool sikhye from the self-bar.

Who should eat grilled fish at this Suwon restaurant?

Everything from the grilled fish to the side dishes was served so neatly and generously that it made for a satisfying meal — I'd definitely recommend giving Godeungeo Myeongpumi Doeda a try. With ample parking and a clean interior, it's a great choice for a family outing or whenever you're craving good Korean food. If you're looking for delicious grilled fish in Suwon, I'd recommend paying a visit!