Mackerel set for two with spicy pork, a Jeju restaurant: Hwadeogeuro

Grilled fish is one of my favorite foods these days. But it's such a hassle to grill at home that I rarely eat it there — grilled fish at a restaurant, though, is exactly the kind of dish that makes you polish off a whole bowl of rice.

On a Jeju trip, craving a full spread with freshly grilled fish over warm rice, I visited Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Jeju Iho Tewoo Branch, right in front of Iho Tewoo Beach.

It's only about 10 minutes by car from Jeju Airport, making it easy to stop by before or after a trip, and it's a wood-fired fish grill specialist where the mackerel comes off a 500℃+ oven with all the excess oil burned away.

Where is Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Jeju Iho Tewoo Branch, and is there parking?

A grilled fish spot right in front of Iho Tewoo Beach

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Jeju Iho Tewoo Branch sits on the 1st floor of the Naedo Music Arcade building at 106 Tewoo-haean-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju.

It's next to Byronic Espresso Bar Jeju branch and right in front of Iho Tewoo Beach, so you get a beautiful ocean view throughout the meal. It's also close to Jeju Airport, making it a good stop for your first or last meal of the trip.

There's a dedicated parking lot for the restaurant, plus street parking in front of and behind the building, so it's convenient for travelers arriving by car.

Inside the restaurant and what the self-serve bar offers

Inside, the space was clean and comfortable overall. There's plenty of seating, so it works well for family meals, work lunches, or eating solo.

You might picture a somewhat old-fashioned interior when you think of grilled fish restaurants, but this place is kept neat, and it felt comfortable the whole time we ate.

On one side there's a self-serve bar where you can freely grab extra banchan (side dishes) as needed.

There was a good variety of banchan, including japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), which made the full spread feel even richer.

Best of all, you can fry your own egg at the self-serve bar. Grilled fish plus rice, banchan, and a fried egg — that's a properly hearty meal.

Ordering the two-person mackerel set plus a serving of spicy pork

Mackerel grilled in a 500℃ wood-fired oven

Ordering is done via tablet at the table. There's a solid lineup of à la carte items, but since there was a set menu, we went with the two-person mackerel set plus a spicy pork side dish.

Two full mackerel spreads were laid out, with the spicy pork placed in the middle — a set that's perfectly sized for two people.

The biggest feature of Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang is definitely grilling the fish in an oven over 500℃. Maybe because of that intense heat, the mackerel skin came out crisp while the flesh stayed moist.

Enough banchan to finish a full bowl of rice

Rather than just a single mackerel, it came with a variety of banchan, which made eating more fun.

Japchae, seasoned vegetables, kimchi, and other rice-friendly banchan were all laid out, and anything running low could be topped up from the self-serve bar.

Rice refills are available too, so you can eat as much as you like. Rice tends to disappear fast with grilled fish, so being able to enjoy plenty of banchan and mackerel while topping up rice makes this a great fit if you want a filling meal.

When I picked the flesh apart with chopsticks it came away soft, and one bite filled my mouth with that distinctive nutty mackerel flavor.

Grilled fish can be hit or miss for people because of the fishy taste, but the mackerel I had in Jeju had almost no fishy taste at all — it was clean and nutty. The seasoning was just right too, so I didn't even need to dip it in soy sauce.

Crisp outside and moist inside — you really get the full appeal of wood-fired grilled fish here, and it made me think fish really does taste better grilled over a wood fire.

How the spicy pork paired with the wood-fired mackerel

The mackerel set alone was plenty filling, but the spicy pork (jeyuk) included in the set was delicious too.

The spicy pork, coated in a hot sauce, had a totally different flavor from the grilled mackerel, and the two together made for a great combo.

Switching from the clean, nutty mackerel to a little spice from the pork, then back to rice and fish again, was a nice rhythm to eat in.

If two people visit, the mackerel set alone would be plenty, but ordering the set is a good option if you want to try a bit more variety.

Who is this Jeju grilled fish restaurant best for?

Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Jeju Iho Tewoo Branch is a restaurant near Jeju Airport worth visiting when you want a clean, hearty meal done right. It's a great fit for people who love fish but find it a hassle to grill at home, or anyone looking for a restaurant to comfortably eat at with family.

With mackerel grilled at 500℃ to a crisp outside and moist inside, plus a variety of banchan, the self-serve bar, and rice refills, it felt like a hearty meal for the price, and the location right in front of Iho Tewoo Beach makes it easy to slot into a Jeju travel itinerary.

If you want to take in the ocean view and enjoy delicious grilled fish, how about Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang on your next Jeju trip?