Yeongdeungpo-gu Opens Grilled Fish Restaurant Run by Self-Sufficiency Workers

Low-Income Residents Handle Cooking and Operations... Supporting Self-Sufficiency Through Food Service Work

A restaurant has opened in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, where low-income residents grill fish and welcome customers themselves. Yeongdeungpo-gu, headed by District Mayor Jo Yujin, said on October 20 that it had opened Hwadeok Eoga, a grilled-fish restaurant and self-sufficiency worksite located at 4 Singil-ro 37-gil, on October 19 and begun full operations.

Self-sufficiency workers grill fish in a wood-fired oven at Hwadeokeoga, a self-sufficiency worksite that opened in Singil-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu. Provided by Yeongdeungpo-gu.

The restaurant is run by the Yeongdeungpo Regional Self-Sufficiency Center. It was established to provide jobs for low-income residents who are able to work but have been unable to find employment, and to help them achieve economic independence by building their skills in the food service industry. Seven self-sufficiency program workers currently handle every stage themselves, from preparing ingredients and cooking to running the restaurant.

The restaurant is in an alley across from the Singil 3-dong Community Service Center, a one-minute walk from the Singil Gamasa-ro intersection (formerly Sereoga Intersection). It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. The menu features grilled fish—including mackerel, atka mackerel, flounder, hairtail, Spanish mackerel and rockfish—cooked in an oven heated to 500 degrees Celsius and served with rice cooked in a pot. It also offers a set for two with grilled fish and spicy stir-fried pork.

The district has operated self-sufficiency work programs in various fields, including cleaning, recycling, distribution and food service. The district said Samgong (30) Table, a boxed-meal project launched in September last year, has become a self-sufficiency model that eases residents' meal costs by offering meals for 3,900 won and provides jobs for participants. Hwadeok Eoga is also being operated based on the district's experience in the food service sector.

A district official said, "We hope Hwadeok Eoga will become a workplace where participants build hope for independence and a place that provides local residents with a warm meal. We will do our utmost to support the restaurant's operations and strengthen participants' capabilities so that it can become a leading example of a successful self-sufficiency program in the area."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.