Kalguksu and monkfish stew set for two: Badaga Nae Sonagwi, Gwangju

I was in Gwangju, Gyeonggi for a wedding shoot, and while looking for lunch nearby between shots, I suddenly craved spicy monkfish stew, so I headed to Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju :)

At first I was just going to order the monkfish stew on its own, but it turned out there was a set that came with knife-cut noodles, steamed egg, and whelk sashimi too. The two of us ate, and it was so much more filling than expected that we couldn't even get to fried rice haha.

Where Badaga Nae Sonagwi is in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, and where to park

Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju is on the 1st floor at 7 Suha-gil, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and is open daily from 11:00 to 22:30 (last order 22:00). Parking is available at the restaurant.

We came by car that day, so I prioritized restaurants with parking, and there was a parking spot right next to the place, so we could park and walk straight in. Gwangju is somewhere you often get around by car, so not having to hunt for a separate parking lot was personally really convenient.

Inside and outside the restaurant

From the exterior alone, you could tell right away this was a spot specializing in monkfish stew and braised seafood. The parking was right next to the building, so the flow was easy. The inside was cozier and cleaner than I expected.

It was mostly 4-person tables, so it seemed good for couples or friends, and fine for families too. We arrived around 1:40 pm, a bit past the lunch rush, so the place was quiet and we could eat at ease.

What comes in the 39,000 won Kalguksu Set A

Before looking at the menu I was only going to order the monkfish stew, but the moment I saw the set composition my mind changed lol. What we ordered was the Great Feast Kalguksu Set A for ₩39,000 — a set that includes monkfish stew along with kalguksu (knife-cut noodles), steamed egg, and whelk sashimi.

You didn't have to order everything separately to get several dishes at once, which made it a great composition for two people who wanted to try a bit of everything. You could also choose the spice level for the monkfish stew — since we're both weak with spicy food, we went with level 1, mildly spicy.

Blanched whelk (sora sukhoe)

First out was the whelk sashimi. It'd been a while since I had whelk, so its distinctive springy texture was a welcome surprise haha. It was fine plain, but dipped in vinegar-gochujang sauce it got that tangy edge, making it great to pick at before the main dishes arrived.

Kalguksu noodles and steamed egg

Next came the kalguksu and steamed egg. The noodles arrived already partly cooked and were simmered further at the table. Being able to keep it bubbling warm seemed like it would go well alongside the monkfish stew.

The steamed egg had a nice soft, fluffy texture. It wasn't seasoned too strongly either, so it was great for a bite in between the spicy dishes. Pretty much an essential combo for spice-shy people like us haha.

How was the boneless monkfish stew?

While the kalguksu simmered, the main monkfish stew finally arrived. It was red with sauce and piled high with bean sprouts, and inside were monkfish meat, sea squirt, and monkfish roe.

Above all, ordering it boneless made it so easy to eat! Picking bones out of monkfish stew is usually kind of a hassle, but here you could dig straight into the plump meat, which made eating the whole time so much easier.

Eating it with the well-seasoned bean sprouts just made the rice disappear. The bean sprouts especially kept a crisp texture without going too soft, so a piece of monkfish piled with a good scoop of bean sprouts was the best combo.

How spicy is spice level 1?

The level 1 we ordered wasn't blazing hot from the first bite — more like a heat that crept up gradually as you kept eating. We're both bad with spicy food, but it was totally manageable eaten with rice, and I was glad we didn't order level 2 lol.

Free rice from the rice cooker

Monkfish stew really needs rice, and here rice is free! You could take as much as you wanted from the rice cooker, and piled with monkfish meat and bean sprouts it was genuinely delicious. Not having to worry about extra rice charges and just eating as much as you want is especially great for anyone who loves rice.

Once the kalguksu was fully cooked, I tried it alongside the monkfish stew too — a bite of the spicy stew, then a sip of the warm noodle broth, a pause with the steamed egg, then back to the whelk sashimi again.

With so many dishes to rotate through, it never got boring right to the end. The kalguksu especially had a rich broth that tasted like it came from a dedicated noodle shop — genuinely excellent 👍👍

Is Badaga Nae Sonagwi worth it for two?

I ended up at Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju for lunch while in town for a wedding shoot. I'd originally planned to just get monkfish stew alone, but I was glad we went with the Great Feast Kalguksu Set A.

Being boneless made the monkfish stew easy to eat, and having kalguksu, steamed egg, and whelk sashimi all together meant the two of us could enjoy a good variety. Best of all, there was a rice cooker in the restaurant so we could take as much rice as we wanted without ordering extra, which I really appreciated.

After finishing, we even got free ice cream, which rounded off the meal perfectly with dessert 👍. Parking right next to the restaurant makes it easy to visit by car, and one set alone was enough to fill the table, so it'd be great for a hearty meal with family or friends too.

If you're looking for monkfish stew or braised seafood in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, or you'd rather eat a variety than just one dish, Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju is worth checking out :)