Siheung loach soup and whole mackerel restaurant: Seolak Chueotang

I was looking for a solid meal near Mulwang Lake and ended up here. This time I visited Seolak Chueotang Hwadeok Saenggeongui Mulwang Reservoir Main Branch. My husband and I went together and ordered one ureong chueotang (loach soup with snail) and one grilled mackerel.

Both dishes came with their own hot-pot rice, and the grilled mackerel even came with a soybean paste stew, so it worked out great for two people ordering one dish each and sharing. At other places grilled fish often comes as just half a fish, but here we got a whole mackerel, which felt satisfying right from the start.

Why we chose Seolak Chueotang near Mulwang Lake in Siheung

Seolak Chueotang Hwadeok Saenggeongui Mulwang Reservoir Main Branch looks fairly sizable from the outside. True to its name, it serves not just chueotang (loach soup) but also hearth-grilled fish, so there were plenty of menu options.

When looking for somewhere to eat around Mulwang Lake, you tend to gravitate toward Korean food, and dishes like chueotang or grilled fish with rice felt hearty enough to bring the whole family.

My husband's story also played a part in choosing this place. He's lived in Mokgam for over 30 years, and apparently this restaurant used to run elsewhere for a long time before relocating to the Mulwang Lake area. Since he said the taste would probably be good, I went in with expectations.

What the front of Seolak Chueotang looks like

When I look for restaurants near Mulwang Lake, I care about accessibility as much as the food. This place stands out visually, so it wasn't hard to find even on a first visit. If you're driving around Mulwang Lake and looking for a place to eat, it's worth checking the location too.

Parking at Seolak Chueotang

We came by car, and there was a parking lot available. Around Mulwang Lake people mostly drive, so checking for parking is often the first thing you do. It's especially reassuring when moving with parents or kids, and this place made that easy.

First floor nearly full on a weekday, plus a second floor and elevator

Inside, the restaurant was quite spacious. But even though we visited on a weekday, the first floor was almost fully booked. Seeing that many people eating here on a weekday made it clear this place has been running for a while.

It's not just the first floor — there's a second floor too, along with an elevator. If you're worried about stairs when visiting with elderly parents, having an elevator is reassuring. Worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a place for a family meal or a group outing.

What is on the menu at Seolak Chueotang

After some deliberation, we ordered ureong chueotang and grilled mackerel. I wanted both the soup and the grilled fish, so we decided to order one of each and share.

Bottom line: this combination was great. If we had only picked one, it might have felt like something was missing, but getting to try both was nice.

How the self-serve bar and aprons work

After ordering, I looked around and noticed a self-serve side dish bar. The basic side dishes are set on the table first, and after that you can freely grab more side dishes from the self-serve bar as needed.

Aprons were also hanging near the self-serve bar. If you're worried about splashing chueotang or fish oil on your clothes, it's worth grabbing an apron before eating. It was convenient having all of this ready together near the self-serve bar.

Side dishes and hot-pot rice on the table

After a short wait, the basic side dishes were set out first. Water was provided too, along with separate water to pour into the hot-pot rice. Personally, whenever I go to a restaurant that serves hot-pot rice, I get excited from the start just thinking about eating the scorched rice at the end. It's not just about finishing the rice — you get to end the meal with warm scorched rice too.

The basic side dishes were dried radish greens namul, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), lotus root with perilla dressing, cabbage salad, and kimchi. These went well with chueotang and grilled fish. Since the main dishes were chueotang and grilled fish, these rice-friendly side dishes worked well. Anything missing could be picked up from the self-serve bar I mentioned earlier.

Perilla powder and sancho pepper for the loach soup

Perilla powder and Sichuan pepper powder were also set on the table. Everyone has slightly different taste preferences when it comes to chueotang — some like perilla powder, others insist you need Sichuan pepper powder to do it right. Having both on the table meant we could each season it to our own taste. I tried the basic version first, then added a little at a time.

The full spread: ureong chueotang and grilled mackerel

Finally, everything we ordered arrived. One ureong chueotang, one grilled mackerel, each with its own hot-pot rice — the table felt completely full. Even though we ordered one dish each between the two of us, the spread turned out more generous than expected. Especially with the soybean paste stew that came with the grilled mackerel, it felt like a proper full meal.

Grilled mackerel with soybean paste stew and hot-pot rice

I looked at the grilled mackerel first. The first thing that caught my eye was the size. And here's the thing I really liked — most places serve half a fish when you order grilled fish, but here you get one whole mackerel.

A big, golden-brown grilled mackerel, plus soybean paste stew, plus hot-pot rice. Anyone who loves grilled fish would be pretty happy with this setup.

Ureong chueotang served with hot-pot rice too

The ureong chueotang came out piping hot too. Chueotang is best eaten hot with rice. Scooping rice from the hot-pot into the soup, then pouring water into the leftover pot to make scorched rice — this made for a very filling meal.

My husband, who loves chueotang, ate it happily. Since he'd known about this place for a long time and said it was good, it somehow tasted even better to me.

For two people, order one of each dish

If two of you are visiting like we did, ordering one of each dish and sharing is a good approach. Order one ureong chueotang and one grilled mackerel, and you get to try both.

You each eat your own dish and share bits back and forth, so there's no need to agonize over the choice. Since the mackerel came as a whole fish, it was also good for splitting between two. We were glad we ordered this combination that day.

How big is the whole grilled mackerel?

Seeing the mackerel up close, you really get a sense of the size. The outside was grilled to a golden brown, and the fish itself was big, so it paired well with rice. Honestly, grilled fish alone can make you finish a bowl of rice fast without any other side dishes. Flaking off the golden mackerel meat and putting it on warm rice worked perfectly, as expected.

A spoonful of rice with a bite of mackerel

This is the best way to eat it, in my opinion. A spoonful of rice, a bite of mackerel. And once the hot-pot rice is done and turns into scorched rice, a bite of mackerel on that too.

Warm rice with mackerel on top just keeps disappearing. The scorched rice from the hot pot was nutty and warm, perfect for the end of the meal. Eating rice alongside the grilled fish, then finishing with scorched rice, left us feeling quite full.

In the end, we finished nearly everything between the two of us. We picked apart the mackerel, ate the ureong chueotang, and even had the scorched rice from the hot pot — we were really full. I think this kind of spread would be great whenever you want a proper meal on a weekday lunch or dinner.

Scorched rice and snacks by the register

On the way to pay, I noticed scorched rice and snacks displayed near the register. It's more fun to check things like this out rather than just walking straight out after eating.

Free coffee on the way out

And finally, on the way out, there was coffee available too. We finished off a filling meal with a cup of coffee.

Who Seolak Chueotang suits best

What I liked about Seolak Chueotang Hwadeok Saenggeongui Mulwang Reservoir Main Branch is that you can enjoy both chueotang and grilled fish in one visit. Both dishes we ordered — ureong chueotang and grilled mackerel — came with hot-pot rice, and the grilled mackerel also included soybean paste stew, making it a very filling meal.

What stuck with me most was the grilled mackerel. Getting a whole fish instead of half made the portion feel generous. It was also convenient that basic side dishes came out first, with extras available at the self-serve bar, and aprons were provided nearby. The restaurant isn't limited to the first floor either — there's a second floor and an elevator, which makes it a good option for family visits.

Most of all, since my husband has lived in Mokgam for over 30 years and already knew this place, hearing that it used to run elsewhere for years before moving to Mulwang Lake made it feel even more special. He said the taste was guaranteed, and after actually eating there, I understood why it's been running for so long.

If you're looking for a hearty Korean meal near Mulwang Lake,

On days you want chueotang, go for the ureong chueotang; on days you want grilled fish, go for the hefty grilled mackerel. If you want both, order one of each and share like we did. Keep this in mind if you're looking for a family meal near Mulwang Lake, or a filling meal in the Mokgam area. We left that day full, with coffee in hand.

What we ordered and Seolak Chueotang's address and hours

• Ordered: Ureong chueotang, grilled mackerel
• Address: 40 Dongseo-ro 857beon-gil, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 10:00–21:00 / last order 20:00
• Parking: Available next to the restaurant
• Menu: Ureong chueotang, grilled mackerel, hearth-grilled fish, and more
• Features: Hot-pot rice included / self-serve side dish bar / aprons provided / second floor / elevator available