Grilled mackerel restaurant in Siheung: Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo

Lately, I’ve been noticing fish-grill restaurants called Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo popping up here and there. I really love grilled fish, but for some reason it is not something I often eat at home. Fish tastes great when I buy it and grill it myself, but the smell lingers in the house, oil splatters everywhere, and then I have to clean the frying pan and the surrounding area afterward—there is secretly quite a lot of work involved in one meal. So even when I wanted grilled fish, I often chose something else instead. When I heard that they grill the fish in an oven, I went to try it for myself.

Oven-grilled fish that caught my eye in Baegot

The place I visited was Hwadogeuro Gan Godeungeo in Baegot. From the name alone, it was clear that grilled fish was the main attraction, so there was no need to agonize over the menu. Once inside, I found more varieties of fish than I expected.

There were several grilled fish options, from mackerel to atka mackerel, as well as dishes to enjoy alongside them, such as braised fish and spicy stir-fried pork. Since it was my first visit, I ordered the most basic grilled mackerel. I thought fish alone might feel a little lacking, so I added an order of spicy stir-fried pork too. If two people are visiting, ordering one different dish each and sharing sounds like a good idea.

A generous table setting for two from the moment we sat down

After ordering and waiting a little, the table for two was set first. There was japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), young-radish kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, seasoned bellflower root, and many other side dishes that went well with rice. Warm doenjang-guk (soybean-paste soup) came with it too, making me want a spoonful of rice before the grilled fish had even arrived. Since it was a grilled-fish restaurant, I expected one fish and just a few side dishes, but the spread was actually quite substantial. As I sampled little bites of all the sides, I kept eating rice and banchan before the mains even came out.

A self-serve corner with kimchi pancakes and tteokbokki

As I ate, I discovered that there was a separate self-serve corner. There were kimchi pancakes, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), and vegetables for bibimbap. At first I was going to stick to the basic side dishes, but seeing the self-serve corner made me want to bring back a little of everything, so I took some kimchi pancake and vegetables for bibimbap too.

You can refill any side dishes yourself, so I never felt short on banchan during the meal. If anything, there was so much to eat that I had come for grilled fish but ended up tasting all the side dishes as well. People who like a hearty meal with a variety of sides will probably enjoy it.

Dolsotbap with scorched-rice tea at the end

The rice comes as dolsotbap, rice served in a hot stone pot. Grilled fish really needs hot rice, and when I saw the freshly served pot, I wanted to take a spoonful of rice right away. You scoop the rice out and eat it with the fish, then pour water into the stone pot at the end to make sungnyung, a warm scorched-rice tea. I like sungnyung at the end of a meal, so I really liked this part too. After filling up on grilled fish, side dishes, and rice, finishing with warm sungnyung made it feel like I had had a proper meal.

Grilled mackerel: crisp outside, moist inside

Finally, the grilled mackerel—the main event—arrived. The skin was nicely browned and looked crisp. When I separated the flesh with my chopsticks, the outside had a crisp texture while the inside remained moist.

Grilled fish can be disappointing when it is cooked too long and turns dry, but the mackerel I had that day was crisp outside and moist within, just right with rice. I put a piece of mackerel over rice with a little young-radish kimchi, and yes—grilled fish really is delicious as something to eat with rice. I liked not having to worry about the smell as when grilling fish at home, and that it came fully cooked so all I had to do was enjoy it.

Sharing grilled mackerel and spicy stir-fried pork

The spicy stir-fried pork we ordered alongside it was better than I expected too. I had come for the grilled mackerel, so I thought of the pork as just an extra, but trying them together, I liked alternating between the two.

The mackerel was mild, and switching things up with spicy stir-fried pork in between made it feel less repetitive than eating just one dish the whole time. If you visit as two, I would recommend ordering grilled mackerel plus one other dish and sharing them.

A filling meal from side dishes to sungnyung

At first, I visited thinking, let’s just have some grilled fish, but once I started eating, I ended up trying more things than expected. The basic side dishes were varied, and the self-serve corner offered additional kimchi pancakes, tteokbokki, and vegetables for bibimbap. With the grilled mackerel and spicy stir-fried pork as well, the two of us had a very filling meal. After finishing with sungnyung made from the stone-pot rice, I was truly full.

Grilled fish for days you do not want to cook it at home

The biggest thing I felt after this meal was that fish is so much easier when someone else grills it. I love grilled fish, but because of the cooking process and smell at home, I do not eat it often; for me, a restaurant like this felt especially convenient. The oven-grilled fish was crisp outside and moist inside, and with stone-pot rice and all the side dishes, it became a much more satisfying Korean meal than grilled fish alone. If you want something other than meat or noodles in Baegot, or suddenly crave grilled mackerel but cannot be bothered to grill fish at home, this is a place worth trying. If you are like me—someone who loves grilled fish but rarely cooks it at home—I recommend enjoying an easy meal here.