Perfectly Grilled Fish & Sotbap at Houn in Icheon
This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Prices in parentheses are approximate conversions. Read the original Korean post →
Ever since my friend moved to Icheon (a city famous for rice), I've been visiting quite often. But since we usually just grilled meat in their garden or bought sashimi to eat inside, we never really went out to local restaurants. Today, I finally convinced them to eat out, and we headed to Houn, a grilled fish restaurant.
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| Houn Grilled Fish |
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| The parking lot is huge |
My friend recommended this place, and the parking lot is absolutely huge. What's even more surprising is that it was almost completely full. One thing to note, though: you have to slow down really suddenly from the main road to pull in, which seems like a prime spot for an accident. You definitely need to pay close attention when turning in.
After finishing our coffee, it was our turn to go in, and the banchan (side dishes) were served immediately. Since it's a pre-order system, you don't have to wait long at the table. I tried a few of the namul (seasoned vegetables), but they weren't anything to write home about. Just as the mood was dipping, the sotbap (hot pot rice) came out and completely turned things around.
After finishing our meal, we walked along the short trail. It's actually just a neighborhood street, but whether the locals have a knack for landscaping or the trees just naturally thrive here, the cherry blossoms were blooming beautifully.
Reservations are only taken through the on-site kiosk; they don't accept phone bookings. It gets crowded even 30 minutes before lunchtime, so I highly recommend arriving early and either grabbing a coffee at the cafe across the street to wait comfortably, or taking a walk along the nearby trail.
The cafe out front is a great place to kill time since you can check out some Icheon ceramics (local pottery). The walking trail is surprisingly well-kept with lots of flowering trees, so instead of getting bored, you might actually lose track of time walking around.
The stickiness of this sotbap is on a level you rarely see in other regions. It has that unique sweetness and chewy texture that you can only find in places famous for their high-quality rice.
We ordered the grilled mackerel, and their skill totally explains why they put "grilled fish" in the restaurant's name. It was grilled to absolute perfection—crispy on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside.
The main event is wrapping the pot rice and fish in lettuce leaves. The jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) was nothing special—just a standard neighborhood flavor meant to fill you up—so the rice and fish are definitely the stars of the show. It's the kind of place where the rice is so good that you end up eating the pork and veggies just as an excuse to eat more rice. The only downside is that because it's sotbap, it takes a while to cook, making it hard to order more in the middle of your meal. So, if you're a big eater, make sure to order two bowls of pot rice right from the start.
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| Rice you can only experience in a town known for great grains |
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| Whoever is grilling this fish is absolutely incredible at it |
After finishing our meal, we walked along the short trail. It's actually just a neighborhood street, but whether the locals have a knack for landscaping or the trees just naturally thrive here, the cherry blossoms were blooming beautifully.
Thanks to the cafe and the walking path, it feels less like a place to just grab a quick bite and more like a relaxing spot where you can comfortably unwind for a couple of hours. If I ever pass through Icheon on a trip in the future, I'll definitely stop by Houn to spend some time before hitting the road again.
