Solo dining hairtail-fish set in Jeju, Iho Tewoo: Hwadeogeuro Gan

If you're in Jeju, you have to eat grilled hairtail-fish, right?! Traveling alone, it's not easy to find a place that serves it as a single portion, but this place does — Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang, Iho Tewoo branch.

Location and hours of Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Jeju Iho Tewoo Branch

• Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang Jeju Iho Tewoo Branch
• 106 Tewoohaean-ro, 1st floor, Jeju-si
• Hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 22:00
• Closed: every Wednesday

An interior that works for solo diners and groups alike

Inside, the space is spacious and clean, good for eating whether you're alone or with a group. It's calm and quiet enough that I saw other solo diners like myself.

This is a grilled-fish specialist that roasts fish in a wood-fired oven above 500 degrees in the kitchen, so the outside comes out crispy while the inside stays moist. They also use salt that's been drained of bitterness for over 10 years, which brings out the fish flavor even more and makes it easy to eat without feeling heavy.

Menu and prices

The signature dishes are the wood-fired mackerel set, and the Atka mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and hairtail-fish sets. Since I was in Jeju, I picked the hairtail-fish grill!

Fried egg and scorched-rice tea from the self-serve bar

On top of the side dishes that come standard, you can also grab extra side dishes, a self-serve fried egg, scorched-rice tea (sungnyung), and cherry tomatoes from the self-serve bar!

After ordering the hairtail-fish grill through the kiosk, I noticed the whole place is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea right outside, so it was nice to watch the ocean while waiting for the food.

Wood-fired Jeju hairtail-fish set, ₩27,500 — single-portion orders welcome

Wood-fired Jeju hairtail-fish set, ₩27,500. Hairtail-fish grill is usually hard to order as a single portion, but Hwadeogeuro Gan lets you do it! It came out neatly plated, and the meal was satisfying.

It comes with four side dishes plated cleanly: chonggak kimchi (whole radish kimchi), japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), seasoned bean sprouts, and braised lotus root. Combined with what I grabbed from the self-serve bar, the spread ended up even more generous than usual.

Another thing I loved was that it comes with black rice. As a Korean-food lover, you also need soup — and there's bean sprout soup too!

One whole crispy-outside, moist-inside hairtail-fish — just the right amount for one

The star of the show, the wood-fired Jeju hairtail-fish grill!!!!! You get one whole fish, perfectly grilled with a crispy outside and moist inside. It was just the right amount to finish alone~

You all know how to pick apart hairtail-fish bones, right?! The lightly salty fish was tender and moist — this is definitely a grilled-fish spot worth its reputation! With just one hairtail-fish grill, a bowl of rice disappears in no time 🍚 It's a satisfying meal that anyone from grandparents to kids can enjoy without any burden, and I was happy with it too. I like grilled mackerel too, so next time I might try the mackerel set :)

Recommended for

Iho Tewoo Beach is right nearby, so it was nice to look out at the sea after eating. Also, Hwadeogeuro Gan Godeungeo Bansang has branches all over the country besides Jeju, making it convenient to visit.

• Anyone who finds grilling fish at home too much of a hassle
• Anyone who wants a hearty, clean meal
• Great for family outings, work meals, and solo dining alike

How about wood-fired grilled fish for today's meal?