Byeongjeom squid stir-fry restaurant with free rice refills: Haetan

What we ordered at Haetan and what it cost

What we ordered at Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom that day was stone-plate squid ₩13,000 x 2 people = ₩26,000, pork belly for one ₩13,000, a half plate of squid fritters ₩9,000, and a drink ₩2,000. I was debating what to eat for lunch and suddenly craved spicy squid stir-fry after a while, so I went.

Where Haetan is: second floor on the main street of Jinan-dong, Byeongjeom

Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom is on the main street of Jinan-dong in the Byeongjeom central shopping district, so it wasn't hard to find. It's on the second floor of the building, but it's clearly visible from the main road, so even first-timers should spot it easily.

What struck me the moment I walked in was just how spacious the place was! The interior was much bigger than I expected, with tables set well apart — this would work great for a family meal or a group outing too.

When I'm looking for a good restaurant in Jinan-dong, Byeongjeom, I tend to care about the atmosphere and space too, and this place felt open and roomy, never cramped while eating.

What we ordered was properly stacked: stone-plate squid for two, pork belly for one, a half plate of squid fritters, and a drink too. There was one reason we ordered so much from the start — I wanted to try the squid stir-fry alongside boiled pork belly and fritters. As it turned out, that combo was extremely satisfying.

Self-bar side dishes, sungnyung and free rice refills at lunch

Haetan has a self-bar, so you grab whatever side dishes you need yourself. There was a good variety of side dishes at the self-bar, so I could take as much as I wanted. What I liked especially was that they had sungnyung (scorched rice tea)!

When you're eating something spicy, there are moments you crave something warm and savory in between, and a bowl of sungnyung settled my stomach nicely. Little touches like this made me think this is a pretty solid pick for anyone hunting for good food in Jinan-dong, Byeongjeom.

And here's something worth knowing: if you visit before 2pm at lunch, rice refills are free! Once you start mixing rice into the spicy squid sauce, one bowl is never going to be enough — free refills meant I could dig in without holding back.

How does the stone-plate squid at Haetan taste?

When the stone-plate squid finally arrived, the sight of it sizzling away on the hot stone plate was enough to spike my appetite on its own. The squid pieces were nice and chunky with good bite, and above all, the sauce was delicious.

It wasn't a sauce that was just spicy — it had a savory depth that paired really well with the squid, the kind of flavor that keeps you reaching for more. Piling a piece of squid on rice with a generous scoop of sauce, I thought: yeah, this is how squid stir-fry should be eaten.

Haetan Byeongjeom vs. the Yunggeolleung branch

I've personally had Haetan at the Yunggeolleung branch before, and I felt the side dishes there were a bit more varied. But as for the squid stir-fry itself, I found the Byeongjeom branch tastier. There can be small differences between branches, but the stone-plate squid I had at the Byeongjeom branch that day had a sauce that hit my taste exactly right.

Pork belly and squid fritters as side orders

And the menu that unexpectedly worked so well together was the pork belly and squid fritters. A bite of pork belly with squid stir-fry on the side, plus a piece of squid fritter — the spiciness, the savoriness, and the crunch kept taking turns, and I couldn't stop eating.

I especially tried dipping a squid fritter lightly into the stir-fry sauce, and it was better than I expected. The crispy batter plus the sweet-and-spicy sauce made it a real treat. Even the sauce left on the stone plate was great with pork belly.

But if I had to pick one star of the day, it's the squid stir-fry, hands down! It was seriously the best. Big chunks of squid soaked in a delicious sauce made the rice disappear nonstop, and I felt this is a great spot to visit for lunch when searching for a restaurant in Jinan-dong, Byeongjeom.

Portions are big: taking Haetan leftovers home

At first I worried we'd ordered too much, but somehow by the time we finished, our stomachs were completely full. In the end, we packed up what we couldn't finish and took it home.

But when I ate it again at home, the packed squid stir-fry was still delicious. Usually I think food tastes best fresh at the restaurant, but even the leftovers with rice at home still had that good sauce flavor, so I got a solid extra meal out of it.

Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom sits right on the main street of the Byeongjeom central shopping district, so it's easy to get to, and even though it's on the second floor, the place is spacious enough that a group won't feel cramped. You can freely help yourself at the self-bar for side dishes, and with free rice refills before 2pm at lunch, this place should suit anyone who loves squid stir-fry.

If you're hunting for a restaurant in Jinan-dong, Byeongjeom and craving something spicy, try the squid stir-fry sizzling on the stone plate along with pork belly and squid fritters. Out of all the combinations I tried that day, eating the squid stir-fry together with the fritters stuck with me the most.

Personally, I'll remember Haetan as the place for stone-plate squid stir-fry! I ate until I was full and still had leftovers to pack, so that lunch was pretty much a success.

On a day you want a hearty meal of spicy squid stir-fry with rice, Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom is worth a visit as a restaurant in Jinan-dong, Byeongjeom.

There was even ice cream for dessert at the end, so I had some too, haha. Great for cleansing the palate.

When you're craving squid stir-fry, I recommend Haetan!!

Haetan Hwaseong Byeongjeom hours and parking

• Hours: Daily 11:00–22:30 / last order 21:30
• Lunch special: 11:00–14:00
• No break time, open year-round
• Parking: Use the Jinan public parking lot across the street; no lot in the building
• Address: 1024 Hyohaeng-ro, Byeongjeom-gu, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, 2nd floor