Ilsan grilled fish restaurant with self-serve banchan bar, Siksa-dong

Today's post is a strong recommendation for a grilled fish restaurant in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang — Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch! This place is famous around Sikjang-dong for roasting fish in a 500-degree wood-fired oven, so if you're a genuine grilled fish lover, one visit and you'll be totally hooked on the flavor haha. Let me walk you through it with photos from my visit :)

Where is Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch, and is there parking?

Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch is on the 2nd floor of a building at 6-70 Wisiti1-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Good parking makes any outing so much easier, right? Thankfully there's a large private lot right in front of the building, so you don't need to worry about that at all~

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the building's exterior. I personally love fish and hotpot rice and eat it often, so I was so excited!

It's easy to find right at the entrance to Sikjang-dong. I'd say coming by car is better than bus or subway!

Inside the restaurant: seating and the kids' play area

Walking in, the space was so clean and well kept, spacious, with pretty lighting and a nice mood. The tables were spaced far apart too, so it doesn't feel crowded even when busy, and the atmosphere isn't loud, so you can have a quiet meal — I liked that even more~ Seating ranges from tables for 4 up to 8, so it looked great for gatherings or family meals~

There's also a play area for kids, so parents bringing children can eat comfortably~ It was cleaned really well too!

How the 500-degree wood-fired oven grills the fish

Ta-da~ this is the real deal — the 500-degree wood-fired oven. It's quite large too, which built up my expectations for a properly cooked fish. This seems to be the secret behind fish that's clean-tasting with no fishy smell~

What's on the self-serve banchan bar?

Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo Siksa Branch has a generous spread in the center of the restaurant that you can help yourself to as much as you like~ The banchan (side dishes) were so tidy and tasty that I went back for more several times~ It all looked very clean and hygienic! Seriously, highly recommend the banchan!

With so many namul (seasoned vegetable) side dishes, if you love bibimbap you can go all out here! Great for guys who eat a lot too!

Deodeok muchim (bellflower root salad), japchae, black sesame lotus root salad, seasonal kimchi — the basic banchan were all so good, set out like a proper hanjeongsik (Korean set meal)! I went back for the side dishes multiple times before the main dish even arrived, they were that good!

How do the mackerel and rock trout hotpot rice sets taste?

Finally, the grilled fish!! I ordered the mackerel and rock trout hotpot rice set~

Thanks to the intense heat unique to the wood-fired oven, the oil on the fish's surface was completely gone while the flesh stayed juicy — crispy on the outside, moist inside, texture fully intact! At home I can never really cook grilled fish well because of the smell, which is a shame, but this was truly a flavor an oven at home just can't replicate!!

The menu is nicely varied and there's a kids' menu too, so it'd be great to bring children along~

Tea, sikhye and coffee after the meal

For dessert, they've got plum tea, sikhye (sweet rice drink), and coffee all set up and ready to go.

The food was great, but honestly the best part was the owner, a young guy who was so kind and kept smiling while topping up any banchan we ran low on — no wonder this place is known as a top spot in Ilsandong-gu!

Who should eat at Hwadegeuro Gan Godeungeo?

• Anyone in Ilsandong-gu looking for wood-fired grilled fish
• Anyone hunting for a top grilled fish restaurant in Sikjang-dong
• Families wanting to treat their parents to a nice meal out
• Anyone looking for a restaurant with a play space for kids
• Anyone who wants to enjoy a wide variety of banchan from a self-serve bar
• Anyone looking for a place that's easy to park even for beginners