Grilled mackerel set with parents at Baegun Lake, Uiwang restaurant

Today I want to introduce a restaurant near Baegun Lake that I visited with my parents. It's a place specializing in fish grilled in a 500℃ wood-fired oven, and the crispy-outside, tender-inside mackerel and the roe stew were genuinely impressive. The parking lot was spacious and the restaurant was clean, so it was a really good spot to take my parents. Let me walk through the location, menu, and side dishes one by one 😊

Location and hours of Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch

• Location: 148 Neungan-gil, Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Weekdays 11:00–21:00 (break 15:00–17:00) / Weekends 11:00–21:00
• Parking: Free parking available (large lot)

How to get there

This is a spot that's a bit hard to reach without a car. You have to wind your way up a curvy road, but it's above Jeongwon Kalguksu and across from Maepsi Nakji, so keeping that in mind makes it much easier to find. The access isn't the most convenient, but that's exactly what lets you enjoy such a quiet, relaxed atmosphere.

What's the restaurant and parking lot like?

I went with my parents, the three of us together, and the restaurant overall was neatly kept, with a spacious parking lot that made it really easy to bring my parents along. There's an actual wood-fired oven on one side of the restaurant, which was fun to watch. Even though it's tucked away in a spot like this and we visited around 5:30 pm on a weekday, an early time slot, there were quite a lot of customers — I could tell why it's become known as a go-to spot near Baegun Lake.

What makes 500℃ wood-fired grilled fish different

The concept here is a healthy table built from what the sea and land provide, with fish grilled in an oven over 500℃ to make it crispy outside and tender inside. Right near the entrance there's a glass wall so you can actually watch the fish being grilled in the oven, which I found fascinating. They said they use salt that's been drained of bittern for over 10 years, so it's a meal that's easy on the stomach for everyone from elders to kids.

Signature dishes include the wood-fired mackerel set along with Atka mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and hairtail set meals, and I liked that each fish is carefully grilled in the wood-fired oven to bring out its own flavor.

Kiosk ordering and what we chose

The spoons and chopsticks came individually wrapped, which felt hygienic, and ordering was easy through the kiosk. After thinking it over, we just went with what my parents liked —

• Two grilled mackerel sets: ₩34,000
• One minari roe stew set: ₩17,000

Since the restaurant's name literally starts with 'mackerel,' there was no way we weren't ordering the signature wood-fired mackerel set, so we decided on that plus the minari roe stew set. My mom is a roe stew fanatic, so that pick was non-negotiable.

The buffet-style side dish bar

The basic side dishes were really varied and set up buffet-style. There was kimchi pancake, japchae, tteokbokki, and acorn jelly, plus all kinds of namul (seasoned vegetables), seasoned dishes, and braised dishes, so there was fun in picking what to eat. Rice refills were even possible, so it was a very filling meal. While we kept refilling side dishes and waiting, the main dishes — the grilled mackerel and roe stew — arrived.

How the wood-fired mackerel and minari roe stew tasted

The wood-fired mackerel set, grilled at 500℃, crispy outside and tender inside, is the restaurant's signature dish. The mackerel really was crispy-outside, tender-inside, maybe because it's grilled in that 500-degree oven! I spotted the actual oven near the entrance, and being grilled directly in it seemed to make it taste even better.

The roe stew, loaded with roe and milt plus freshwater shrimp that captured the sea's freshness, was refreshing and full of savory depth. The roe and milt were both plump and the broth was rich, and the freshwater shrimp made the broth especially clean and refreshing.

The hot pot rice was generously portioned and well cooked, with just the right stickiness — really delicious. After scooping out the rice, they pour water over the leftover scorched rice at the bottom to make nurungji sungnyung, and even that was delicious, which really rounded out the satisfaction.

Who I'd recommend this to

• Anyone who wants to properly enjoy crispy-yet-tender grilled fish
• Anyone who finds grilling fish at home too much of a hassle and would rather eat out
• Anyone who wants to treat their parents to a meal
• Anyone near Baegun Lake looking for a quiet spot with spacious parking

Overall verdict

Both the owner and the staff were kind, so I felt good the whole meal through. The food was tasty, the restaurant was clean, and my parents were very satisfied, so I'd say I'm 100% likely to return. If you're looking for a grilled fish restaurant near Baegun Lake, I strongly recommend Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Baegun Lake Branch.