Gwangju sashimi restaurant in Wolsan-dong: an all-shrimp meal for two

What is Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch in Gwangju?

Hi, this is Chocolat :) Today I'm introducing Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Gwangju Wolsan Branch, famous for fresh seafood, located in Wolsan-dong, Gwangju! There are many branches around Gwangju, but I visited the newly opened Wolsan branch~

Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Gwangju Wolsan Branch 📍104 Gunbun-ro, 1st floor, Nam-gu, Gwangju, South Korea ⏰ Daily 12:00–23:00 📌Group seating available, takeout, reservations

When it comes to seafood restaurants in Gwangju, Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha comes to mind. It's a place that serves fresh seasonal sashimi ingredients caught and cut right there on the spot each month.

Parking and the opening lunch deal

Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch has no dedicated parking lot, so you have to park on the street or in an alley when visiting. There's a fish tank right in front of the store, so I could see the fresh sashimi ingredients with my own eyes. It's clean and well managed.

They officially opened on June 6, and to celebrate, they've prepared a seasonal sashimi bomb mulhoe (raw fish in cold soup) as a lunch special, plus a drink discount event from 12pm to 5pm where soju and beer are just ₩1,900!! Drinkers now have a reason to run right over!!

Interior, seating and menu

The interior was spacious and clean without being cluttered~ Tables are arranged for 4 people, and group seating is also available, so it seems like a great spot for gatherings or work dinners haha. Every table has vinegar-chili sauce, soy sauce, and a tabletop ordering system, so you can order comfortably from your seat.

The main menu includes salt-grilled king shrimp, raw shrimp sashimi, live fish sashimi, conger eel sashimi, conger eel shabu, halibut makhoe (rough-cut sashimi), spotted flounder sekkoshi (bone-in sliced sashimi), red sea bream yubikki, rockfish sekkoshi, mixed sashimi, and seafood mulhoe~ If you love seafood, this might just be heaven haha.

Free side dishes at Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch

Here's the basic table setting at Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch, a Wolsan-dong sashimi restaurant. Just the basic side dishes alone filled the table.

On one side, a large grilled fish also came out — the outside was grilled golden brown and the flesh was moist, so dipped lightly in soy sauce or the sauce it was light and delicious! The meal is seafood-focused, and eating only shrimp can get a little repetitive, but having grilled fish alongside made it nice to mix in between~~

What comes in the raw and salt-grilled shrimp set for two?

The main dish was, of course, shrimp! The grilled shrimp I was already excited about before even opening the lid 🤍 The moment I opened it, it was packed full of plump shrimp.

I peeled off the shell and tried it — the shrimp meat was firm and springy with that distinct sweet flavor, so delicious it hurt ㅠㅠ Best of all, there was plenty of shrimp, so I could peel and eat one after another without holding back. Shrimp really is best peeled and eaten hot right away!

Fried shrimp heads on request

I asked them to cut off just the shrimp heads and fry them right away! Fried golden brown, shell and all, with real nutty flavor~~ If the steamed shrimp was firm and moist, this was crispy and nutty — same shrimp, but a completely different charm. Personally I think things like this taste best eaten by hand, one piece at a time 😆

11 raw shrimp and DIY shrimp sushi

The well-prepared raw shrimp sashimi came out to 11 pieces. It was just the right amount for two people to share.

Raw shrimp sashimi is tasty and chewy just eaten plain~~ Placed on a small ball of rice, the plainness of the rice combined with the springy texture of the shrimp made for a super simple sushi that I kept reaching for again and again. Dipped lightly in soy sauce or spicy sauce, it's even better 👍🏻

Shrimp ramyeon to finish

And to finish, shrimp ramyeon of course!! I joked that this was basically a shrimp omakase at this point ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ending with a spicy, hearty bowl of ramyeon felt so good. Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch is a place I'll think of especially when I want to eat my fill of shrimp — thanks to the generously loaded table, it was fun both for taking photos and for picking through each dish one by one. Highly recommend it if you love shrimp 🦐✨