Seohae Korean restaurant lunch with braised pollock: Hangsangcharim

A Korean table spread so abundant it could make the table legs bend—how could you not be impressed!

A newly opened braised pollock set meal in Gajeong-dong

On Friday, September 4, it finally opened—boldly and with plenty of excitement. I stopped by Hangsangcharim Kodari Myeongga Ruwon City Branch (한상차림코다리명가 루원시티점), a Gajeong-dong spot for a proper lunch spread, and settled in for a leisurely late lunch. Lots of people seemed to have come out of curiosity, and since I happened to visit on its grand opening day, I could really feel the warmth and eager spirit of a place just getting started.

Getting there and opening hours

It is a three-minute walk from Exit 6 of Gajeong Station. Hours are 11:00–21:00, with a break from 15:00 to 16:00.

For anyone looking for lunch in Gajeong-dong, Seohae, Incheon, this was about as good as it gets. Until 3 PM, this usually pricey braised pollock could be had for just ₩13,000 per person, which made the place feel especially endearing. It had that genuinely homey warmth and fun—the kind that properly brings to mind a mother's cooking and a home-cooked meal.

There are not many older people who do not enjoy kodari (semi-dried pollock), right? My parents love it too, so every time I eat this dish, I think of Mom and Dad. They could not come with me today because it was far away, but I found myself thinking that when they travel nearby next time, we should have lunch here together.

A spacious, spotless interior for family gatherings

The interior was genuinely polished enough for family gatherings or even a formal meeting between two families before a wedding. There were so many tables inside that I thought anyone seeking a good restaurant in Gajeong-dong, Incheon, would find this place an oasis.

There were also plenty of small tables where one or two people could dine comfortably and privately. Since it is newly opened, it was exceptionally clean overall, so I thought it would be a lovely place for women to visit, too.

A sweet and spicy braised pollock set meal

One feature was a tightly focused menu of just a few things they do well for their guests. The signature here was, of course, braised pollock. You simply cannot recreate this sweet and spicy seasoning at home, so in the end, you choose to eat out, don't you?

That punchiness is part of the charm of eating out, too. It was ₩37,000 for two people, and you can have it more cheaply at lunch; there is also a dinner set that comes with dolsotbap (stone-pot rice), so that seemed worth making use of.

The cost goes up little by little as the group grows to three or four people and beyond, but you all know that places like this become better value when more people come together, right?

Side dishes and hot pot rice, too

The spread of banchan (Korean side dishes) was a work of art. There was broccoli and tofu salad, bean sprout soup, cabbage salad, mul kimchi (water kimchi), and a parade of neat, familiar sides you would enjoy at a place like this. The pickles and such were delicious, too, and the hot pot rice served alongside was a warm specialty, making me think this could easily become a regular spot.

Above all, the mains—assorted grilled fish, braised pollock, stir-fried pork ribs, and more—were so plentiful that I thought it could not be better for the whole family to come for a weekend meal out. And with the warm pot rice, the meal just went down so easily, you know.

Scoop out your rice and enjoy it happily, then do not skip pouring hot water into the pot at the end to enjoy nurungji (crispy scorched rice). The side dishes were abundant in every way, and since the restaurant had just opened, everything from the service and tidy presentation to the interior atmosphere was beyond reproach.

Coming for lunch in Gajeong-dong on opening day and soaking up that fresh-start spirit made me happy for the first time in a while. It was a solid-quality restaurant brand that I would rush to visit often if it were in Seoul. When you want kodari, that precious protein-packed semi-dried pollock, search for this place.