Abalone course meal near Mulgeum Station, Yangsan: Wando Sanghoe

Wando Sanghoe (완도상회) is the place to go in Yangsan for an abalone porridge feast — a restaurant that starts with abalone and ends with abalone!

If you're from Yangsan, you've probably been here at least once by now. In the past, if someone said "let's get a hearty meal," samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) was the first thing that came to mind — but these days, for people in Yangsan, the first restaurant that comes up is Wando Sanghoe. That's how well established this place is. I've been a steady regular here myself for the past two years.

Location and parking at Wando Sanghoe

It's located near Mulgeum Station, and there's a dedicated parking lot right next door, so parking is really convenient. That said, during lunch and dinner it gets so busy that the parking spaces fill right up! I went for an opening run, and by the time I left, the restaurant was full and the lot was packed too — just a heads up!

Inside Wando Sanghoe's Mulgeum Station main branch and the menu

It's set up like an old-school seafood stew restaurant. The interior has a strong ocean feel, and the course meals are shown in photos, which makes ordering a lot easier. You order via tablet, and most people order the abalone course. The course is plenty for lunch, and for dinner, a spicy seafood stew as a drinking snack would be great too! The regular abalone course is ₩30,000 per person, and that alone is filling enough, so we ordered two — one per person.

What does the abalone course actually look like?

It starts with mussel soup, followed by the basic side dishes — salad, silkworm pupae, sweet potato, and more. There's enough here to fill you up, but the main dishes are so good that if you have a small stomach, don't fill up on the sides! Trust me.

Abalone innard sauce and boiled octopus

There's a sauce made from abalone innards, which anyone who likes innards will love — I really enjoyed it myself! If you're the type who loves your Yangsan abalone porridge packed with innards, you'll definitely love Wando Sanghoe's abalone porridge.

There's also tender boiled octopus. It's not chewy at all — clearly boiled just right. My son loves octopus so much... seeing this made me think of him again, haha.

Abalone salad and abalone jang

There's also an abalone salad made with cooked abalone, and abalone jang (soy-marinated abalone). It would taste great with plain rice, but it's seasoned just right so it's delicious to eat on its own, without being too salty.

Abalone hoetguk and abalone sashimi

By the time the whole spread is laid out, the table is practically overflowing. A course where you can enjoy every type of abalone — hoetguk and sashimi! Honestly, even in Jeju Island you can't get this kind of food at this price. If ₩30,000 per person gets you this proper a restorative meal, I'd choose seafood over hot samgyetang any day, haha.

There's something fun about the crunchy, springy bite of abalone sashimi, too. And as you chew it softly, the sesame oil meets that distinctive nutty flavor and releases a sweetness — that's the true taste of abalone!

Why I've been a regular for two years

I originally went looking for Yangsan abalone porridge as a restorative meal, and when I found out they had a full course, I checked it out — and I was completely won over, becoming a regular for two years now at Wando Sanghoe.

The portion size and quality haven't changed a bit between two years ago and now — it's exactly the same as the first time, which is why it's one of the restaurants I trust for a hearty meal in Yangsan! And above all, the staff are all so kind, and maybe because so many older guests come here, everyone is bright and cheerful^^

Butter-grilled abalone

Even if you make it exactly the same way at home, it never tastes quite like this — why is Wando Sanghoe's butter-grilled abalone so good? It's not chewy at all, just tender and easy to bite into, and it's one of the dishes that even older guests with sensitive teeth genuinely enjoy!

Visit tips

When it comes to Yangsan abalone porridge, the place that comes to mind now is Wando Sanghoe's Mulgeum Station main branch! It's great as a drinking snack spot, and also great for a lunchtime meal with kids for a hearty boost. There was a time when I was completely worn out from raising my child and went here with my mom — and I realized this must be what people mean by

food as healing. My son ate well, my mom (who works so hard) got well fed, and I did too — I left completely satisfied!

• Lunch and dinner get fully booked, so an opening run is recommended — the parking lot fills up fast too
• The regular abalone course at ₩30,000 per person is plenty filling on its own
• Filling up on the basic side dishes might mean you can't finish the main dishes
• If it's a dinner drinking session, the spicy seafood stew is also a good option