Monkfish stew and braise combo set at Badaga Nae Sonagwi, Gyeonggi

I usually eat out for meat dishes, so I was craving something a bit different. I hadn't had braised monkfish in a while, so I visited Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju.

What kind of place is Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju?

Known as a Gwangju restaurant famous for seafood braises, Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju specializes, as the name suggests, in braised monkfish (agujjim) and seafood braises. Located near a residential neighborhood, it's a good spot for families or small gatherings with friends. Beyond dine-in, they also offer delivery and takeout, so you can enjoy their seafood and monkfish braises in whichever way suits you.

Is parking convenient?

There's plenty of parking space, so it was easy to park. The parking barrier opens if you just mention you're heading in, and then I parked and went inside.

Is there a wait?

Before stepping into this Gwangju seafood braise restaurant, I saw a waitlist sign at the entrance! Apparently it's popular enough that the place fills up during peak hours. Worth keeping in mind — there might be a wait if you visit during peak dinner hours.

Atmosphere and seating

The place is cozy, with about 5 tables for 4. It has a warm, homey vibe, making it a comfortable spot to enjoy a drink.

If you take part in the Naver receipt review event, you can get soju for ₩2,000, and adding their KakaoTalk channel gets you free ice cream. Lots of promotions running, so it's worth joining in!

Set menu options — Kalguksu Set and Agu Set

What caught my eye at this Gwangju seafood braise restaurant was how good the set menus are value-wise. There's a Kalguksu Set with braised monkfish and noodles, and Set A with braised monkfish and monkfish soup — you can choose depending on your preference. I ordered the small Daehwanjang Agu Set A.

There's also a separate menu for those who want a la carte dishes, with a wide range from mains to sides, so there's plenty to choose from. It was also nice that you could add extra noodles or other items.

Side dishes

The side dishes were cabbage salad and white kimchi.

The wasabi sauce, wasabi, and seaweed for eating with the braised monkfish came in individually packaged portions, which made everything much cleaner to eat.

This Gwangju seafood braise restaurant apparently has branches in various locations including Gwangju itself. Since the branch I visited is a directly-operated store, I was even more excited going in.

Steamed conch, egg custard, and free rice refills

First to arrive was the boiled conch — soft yet chewy, great texture!!

The fluffy, tender steamed egg custard was perfect for a bite here and there between the monkfish soup and braise.

At Badaga Nae Sonagwi, rice comes with free refills, so it was easy to just grab more whenever I wanted.

How much food does the small Agu Set actually give you?

The monkfish soup arrived quickly~~ Since it's part of a set menu, I thought the portion wouldn't be that big... but that was a mistake ^^;; It was huge and packed full of ingredients, so the amount was really generous.

The braised monkfish came out next~ It was loaded with crisp bean sprouts and plenty of firm monkfish meat :)

A hearty Agu Set spread where you can enjoy both the soup and the braise together!! It would've been perfect with a drink, but since I drove, I put the drinking aside for now~~ and enjoyed it as a late lunch instead.

How was the taste?

Piling the braised monkfish onto seaweed, yum — the super soft monkfish meat pairs so well with the salty flavor of the seaweed 😍😍

The monkfish soup broth is refreshing... perfect for a hangover cure or as a drinking snack. The soup also had boneless monkfish meat in it, which made it easy to scoop and eat.

Dipping a piece of monkfish into the wasabi sauce, the soft, nutty flavor just spread through my mouth. There's even a savory depth to it — totally my type!!

There was also plenty of monkfish roe in both the braise and the soup, so you won't feel shortchanged there.

In summary

This Gwangju seafood braise restaurant has a well-priced Agu Set that lets you enjoy both the monkfish soup and the braise, which was super satisfying. The portion was also so huge that I packed the leftover braise and fried rice with it at home later 😁😁😁 If you love seafood dishes like braised monkfish or seafood braises, I'd recommend giving Badaga Nae Sonagwi a visit.

• Badaga Nae Sonagwi Gyeonggi Gwangju
• Address: 1F, 7 Suha-gil, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea