Gwangju restaurant near Mudeung Market: ₩85,000 shrimp set for 3

I went to Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch, a Wolsan-dong restaurant near Mudeung Market in Gwangju known for its generous sukiyaki-style side dishes (sukkidasi).

An honest review of Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch's grilled king shrimp, raw shrimp sashimi, location, interior, and hours.

Where is Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Gwangju Wolsan Branch, and when is it open?

• 📍Address | 104 Gunbun-ro, 1st floor, Nam-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
• ⏰Hours | Daily 12:00 – 23:00
• Reservations available, group dining available

What comes in the ₩85,000 raw shrimp and salt-grilled shrimp set for 3?

For a Gwangju sashimi platter and hamo (pike conger) shabu-shabu spot in Wolsan-dong, we ordered the raw shrimp sashimi + salt-grilled shrimp set for 3, ₩85,000, plus shrimp ramyeon from the review event.

The free side dishes alone are worth a bottle of soju

First, the basic spread came out — and this much!! Sushi rice, corn mayo, seasoned vegetables, seaweed soup, grilled herring, and more. Anyone who likes to drink would probably already be one bottle deep just off the sides.

Raw shrimp sashimi at Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha

The raw shrimp sashimi came out first. It was already fully prepped, so all we had to do was eat — so convenient, haha. Even my friend who can't handle raw fishy flavors said it wasn't fishy at all and was delicious ✨

I made mine with sushi rice + wasabi + raw shrimp sashimi + aged kimchi (mukeunji), and it was the best combination 💗 Everyone should try making it this way too, haha. The umami of the rice, the crunchy nutty flavor of the raw shrimp, and the cleanness of the aged kimchi — it was perfect!!!

The three of us ate plenty and didn't go hungry at all.

Salt-grilled king shrimp (daeha)

While we were still working through the raw shrimp sashimi, they brought out the grilled king shrimp — the shrimp were still flopping around, which felt a little sorry,,,, but they were delicious ^^

Look at the color on those plump shrimp 🦐🦐 I don't know why shrimp never get old no matter how much you eat them — once fall hits, I feel like I go around eating shrimp nonstop. The shrimp weren't small either, which was great 🦐👍🏻🥹

Butter-grilled shrimp heads, free of charge

After leaving some meat and cutting off the shrimp heads, if you ask for the butter-grilled shrimp heads, they come out coated in this nutty, fragrant butter.

It's not an exaggeration to say I came here just for this,,,, I never used to eat shrimp heads, but after trying it once I was shocked at how good it was and kept eating it ever since. They make the butter-grilled heads for free, so everyone should try it at least once.

Shrimp ramyeon from the review event

We got shrimp ramyeon from the review event — and they even set up a burner for it, and the pot came out sized like a spicy stew pot, which surprised me. On top of that, 4 whole shrimp went in — can they really be this generous?

Inside the Wolsan branch: is it big enough for groups?

The interior of Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch was very spacious and clean. It was great being able to visit without worrying about seats, haha. I know Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha is a chain, but out of all the branches I've been to, this one had the biggest dining room by far ‼️

The spacing between tables was also comfortable enough for conversation. For reference, the restroom is inside the restaurant too. If you're looking for a great spot for grilled king shrimp and raw shrimp sashimi, I'd recommend Hwanggeum Hoe Pocha Wolsan Branch 💗