Grilled fish restaurant in Ilsan with nurungji dessert: Hwadegeuro Gan

My mom had been saying for days that she wanted fish haha. Grilling fish at home makes the whole place smell and the cleanup afterward is a pain, so I figured we'd just go eat well outside. That's how we ended up at the newly opened Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch.

With grilled fish, having it come out perfectly cooked really is more convenient than grilling it yourself haha. Especially when eating with my mom, I like places where we can have a clean, easy meal like this.

Parking and what the second-floor dining room looks like

It was convenient that you can park in the lot in front of the building at Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch. After parking, we took the elevator up to the second floor.

Maybe because it's newly opened, the whole place felt clean and tidy! The inside was spacious too, so it didn't feel cramped, and it seemed fine for a family meal. With this kind of atmosphere, I felt like I could bring my parents here without any worries. Lately when I need to eat around Siksa-dong I look for clean places, and this one made a good first impression. So if you're looking for good restaurants in Siksa-dong, I think it's worth a visit.

Grilled mackerel and Spanish mackerel: what comes with the set?

Once seated, we ordered grilled mackerel and grilled Spanish mackerel. You've got to try one of each fish, right? haha

After ordering, it wasn't long before the banchan started arriving one by one. Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), grilled deodeok, lotus root salad, salad, mu kimchi, gochu ssamjang mix, and even seaweed soup. It was great that it wasn't just the grilled fish alone — a nice variety of side dishes came with it.

My mom especially loves a table full of banchan like this, so she was happy from the moment the side dishes appeared haha. The japchae was easy to eat, just like the kind you'd have at home, and the grilled deodeok and lotus root salad paired well with it. Sometimes the banchan can run a little short while you're eating grilled fish, but here there was a separate self-serve salad bar where you could go get more yourself.

What's on the self-serve salad bar?

Checking out the salad bar at Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch, there was actually a wider variety than I expected. Seasoned crab, wood ear mushroom, bibimbap toppings, mu saengchae, bean sprouts, bracken, tofu ssamjang, kimchi pancake, and even tteokbokki. It was a little surprising to find tteokbokki at a grilled fish restaurant haha.

Instead of trying everything, we just grabbed a bit of tteokbokki and wood ear mushroom. It was nice that if the banchan ran low while eating, you could just go get as much as you needed without feeling awkward about it.

Especially when eating as a family, everyone likes different side dishes, right? Having a salad bar meant everyone could pick what they liked. Because of this, I think it would also work well for anyone in Ilsan looking for a place for a family meal out.

How does the wood-fired mackerel and Spanish mackerel taste?

And then finally, the main dishes arrived — the grilled Spanish mackerel and grilled mackerel. The moment I saw them, they were golden brown and looked so appetizing haha.

Maybe because they were cooked over a wood fire, the outside was grilled to a nice golden brown. Fish is disappointing if it's undercooked, but also dry if it's overcooked — the mackerel and Spanish mackerel we had that day were just right.

Picking the flesh apart with chopsticks, the meat was tender and delicious. Most of all, my mom said it was really good haha. Since we came here because she wanted fish, whether it suited her taste was the most important thing — and hearing her say it was delicious made me satisfied too!

It was also less salty than I expected, which I liked. Grilled fish can sometimes end up tasting too salty, but the mackerel we had that day was light and easy to eat, not salty at all. The Spanish mackerel had thick, meaty flesh too, so eating it with rice made for a really filling meal. Grilled fish really does taste best with rice haha.

Finishing with nurungji, sikhye and coffee

After enjoying the fish and banchan, we were pretty full. But you still have to have nurungji (scorched rice tea) haha. We finished the meal with nurungji, and it was delicious too. Ending on something warm made my stomach feel settled and satisfied.

And at the end there were drinks to have as dessert too. Sikhye (sweet rice punch) and plum tea were set out, along with mixed coffee and Kanu coffee. I love having a cup of coffee after a meal, so I grabbed one on the way out haha. It was nice being able to finish everything, from the meal to dessert, neatly in one place.

Is Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo good with kids or parents?

They also have a kids' play room here. There's a space where children can play a bit after eating, so it seemed like a good option for families visiting with kids too.

Grilled fish restaurants tend to draw a lot of families, so having a play room like this would make things much easier for households with kids haha. We didn't come with a child this time, but seeing how spacious the store is and that there's even a play room, it felt like the place had really thought about being a family dining spot. Especially since you just park, take the elevator, and go straight up to the second floor, and the place is clean, it was also comfortable for bringing my parents.

A grilled fish meal in Siksa-dong worth going back for

We went that day because my mom wanted fish, and it turned out more satisfying than expected. Parking was easy, the place was spacious and clean, and above all, the fish came out beautifully grilled to a golden brown.

Both the mackerel and Spanish mackerel were delicious, and neither was salty, so they went down easily with rice. There was a good variety of banchan too, and being able to grab extra sides from the salad bar was convenient. At the end, there was nurungji, sikhye, plum tea, and coffee, so we finished the meal at a leisurely pace haha.

Hearing my mom say it was delicious made me quietly proud too haha. If you're looking for somewhere to eat grilled fish with your parents, or looking for a clean restaurant in Siksa-dong, I think it's worth a visit. I'll be keeping this one in mind as a good spot in Ilsandong-gu for those days when I just want an easy meal with family :) Next time I'd like to try a different fish too haha.

Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch: address, hours and info

• Address: 6-70 Wisiti 1-ro, 201-204ho, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00-21:00 (last order 20:20)
• Parking: Lot available in front of the building
• Amenities: Kids' play room, high chairs, reservations, group dining, wifi, waiting area, separate restrooms