[Gyeongnam/Hadong] Hyesung Restaurant – A famous sweetfish stone pot rice restaurant with a 40-year tradition near Seomjin River Hwagae Market

I decided on Hadong as my travel destination for June. In Hadong, from freshwater clams and sweetfish to plums
It was because it was a neighborhood rich in ingredients that could fully capture the energy of early summer.

Hyesung Restaurant is the first restaurant I chose after arriving in Hadong.
I decided to visit because it is one of the few places nearby that serves sweetfish stone pot rice.

There are rows of aquariums in front of the entrance.
It is a fish tank where you can strongly feel the spirit of the Seomjin River, with mandarin fish, catfish, sweetfish, and even freshwater crabs.

There is a wide variety, ranging from freshwater crab stew and barracuda stew to mandarin fish stew.
The customers around were mostly eating freshwater crab stew.
Befitting a restaurant specializing in freshwater fish, it also had a wide variety of sashimi, fried dishes, and grilled items.
I'm really curious about sweetfish sashimi and want to try it, but... I'm scared of freshwater sashimi... ㅠ

Looking to see what kind of alcohol is available, I found Gotaek glutinous rice raw wine and Hwagae Market Makgeolli.
Gotaek Glutinous Rice Raw Wine is a type of makgeolli produced by Gotaek Brewery in Wanju, Jeonbuk.
It is a really good makgeolli with the luxurious sweetness produced by glutinous rice, but
Today, I plan to choose Hadong Makgeolli.

We ordered sweetfish stone pot rice and clam soup, a menu item available for orders of 2 or more people.
It costs 25,000 won for one person and 50,000 won for two, and clam soup is served automatically.

Ten side dishes were served.
The pickled plums, in season, caught my eye; perhaps because Hadong is a region famous for plums, the sourness was distinct.
Bamboo shoot side dishes were also served, and it is said that Hadong bamboo shoots are a well-known local specialty.

The accompanying drink was from Hwagae Market Makgeolli, It is made at Hwagae Joint Brewery near Hwagae Market.
Looking at the charming bowl makes my mouth water.

Even though it is makgeolli with added sweeteners, the acidity hits you before the sweetness.
Compared to Jangsu, I got the impression that it is definitely less sweet and well-balanced.
Since it is not very sweet, the yeast flavor comes across as complex, and that seems to be a good thing.
It is a makgeolli with a nice atmosphere, which I haven't tasted in a long time among sweetener makgeolli.

Sweetfish Stone Pot Rice + Clam Soup (For 2 people, 25,000 won per person)

The sweetfish stone pot rice I ordered came out.
It catches the eye from the start with the visual of two whole sweetfish placed inside a stone pot.
The fish was served placed directly on top of rice mixed with grains, peas, and nuts.

The clam soup was topped with plenty of chives, and the broth was clear.
Jaecheop is a freshwater clam found in abundance in the lower reaches of the Seomjin River, which runs through Hadong.
It is known to be collected only from rivers with good water quality.
Thanks to its mild umami flavor, it is also the best hangover soup.

As someone from Busan, I often think of this clam soup even after moving to Seoul.
I really didn't like it when I was young, but strangely enough, I crave it now.
Because it has the unique pungent yet tangy umami flavor of freshwater clams
It has a charm that cannot be replaced by any other clam broth.

The staff member roughly debones the meat for you.
It is a method of removing the backbone with tongs and mixing only the meat with rice.

If you take a spoonful without seasoning, you can faintly smell the watermelon scent.
However, the moment the seasoning sauce is added, the unique scent of the sweetfish is actually felt less.
If you want to enjoy the aroma, I recommend tasting it without seasoning first.

I think I would have been much more satisfied in that regard if the sweetfish had been seasoned beforehand.
This is a bit of a shame.

Seeing the side dishes, makgeolli, stone pot rice, and clam soup all laid out on the table,
The composition itself felt neat and substantial.
Pour water over the scorched rice left over after scooping out the rice to make sungnyung.

Finishing off with scorched rice soup. I visited because this is the only restaurant nearby that serves sweetfish stone pot rice,
It's worth trying at least once, but the price of 25,000 won per person feels a bit excessive.
It is difficult to recommend it readily.

The freshwater crab stew looks really delicious, so I'm curious about that too...,
The food itself is neat, so it's not bad. The only downside is that it's expensive...
For those who like to try new foods
It would be good to visit out of curiosity.
I enjoyed the meal.