Choigane Chueotang
최가네추어탕
About
Long-running local restaurant near Ilsan Market serving thick, rich mudfish soup with freshly made hot stone pot rice and fried mudfish.
Tucked away on the second floor of a seasoned commercial building beside Ilsan Market, Choigane Chueotang has been quietly feeding Goyang locals since before the surrounding district transformed into a modern new town. The dining room holds fast to the customs of an earlier era: guests slip off their shoes at the door, stepping into a spacious hall where a coal briquette stove sits flanked by stacked fuel, gently warming water kettles for incoming diners. The menu is strictly pared down to essentials—standard mudfish soup, whole mudfish soup, and fried fish. Patience is required here, as every bowl of chueotang is paired with made-to-order dolsotbap (hot stone pot rice). The wait is bridged by banchan anchored by a standout appetizer: piping-hot, crisp whole chueotwigim (fried mudfish) served straight from the oil alongside pungent galchi-sokjeot (fermented hairtail viscera sauce), cabbage kimchi, and kkakdugi. When the stone pot arrives, the soup is strikingly dense, ladled in thick, earth-toned waves packed with tender ugeoji (dried greens) and savory depth. Rather than sharp and fiery, the broth leans deeply nutty and grounded. Diners adjust the intensity at the table with garlic, chopped fresh chili, chives, and a pinch of aromatic sancho powder. Following the house guidance, regulars stir only half a bowl of rice into the broth initially, letting the grains absorb the viscous soup without dulling its body. Meanwhile, warm water goes into the scraped dolsot, creating a roasty sungnyung (scorched rice broth) to cleanse the palate before rounding off the meal with a ladle of iced, spicy-sweet sujeonggwa from the drink station.
Menu
- Hot Stone Pot Mudfish Soup₩11,000
- Hot Stone Pot Whole Mudfish Soup₩12,000
- Deep-Fried Mudfish₩10,000
Local tips
- You must take off your shoes at the entrance regardless of table type.
- A small portion of freshly fried mudfish is served as a complimentary side dish before ordering more.
- Stone pot rice takes a little time to prepare, so plan for a short wait after ordering.
- Park at the nearby Ilsan Market public parking lot as street parking is heavily congested.
Details
- Ilsan Station
Opening hours
- Sunday
- —
- Monday
- 11:00–20:00
- Tuesday
- 11:00–20:00
- Wednesday
- 11:00–20:00
- Thursday
- 11:00–20:00
- Friday
- 11:00–20:00
- Saturday
- 11:00–20:00