Solo beer with kkanpunggi at a Jongno Chinese restaurant: Cheonghwa

There are days after work when you just crave something hot and hearty, right? On one of those days I found the perfect place near Jongak Station. It's Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon, known as one of the go-to Chinese restaurants in Jongno — I'd heard their dosakmyeon (knife-cut noodles) and dim sum are made by a chef from mainland China, so I was curious to check it out.

Where is Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon? Pimatgol alley by Jongak Station

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is at 19 Jongno, 118-1, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the first floor of the Lemeilleur Jongno Town building. Walk into the alley called Pimatgol, pass the Pimatgol sign, and it's right at the entrance of the alley.

Turns out all the good restaurants in Jongno were clustered right here. It was fun just browsing the places along the way. It's in front of the Olive Young on the Pimatgol alley, a 3-minute walk from D-Tower's first floor, Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4. From Jongak Station Exit 1 it's about 235 meters, so about a 3-minute walk to get there.

Parking at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

If you're driving, you can use the basement parking of the Lemeilleur building. The first 2 hours are free, then it's ₩6,000 per 60 minutes after that (max ₩100,000). For a spot near Jongak, the free parking window is fairly generous, which took some of the pressure off.

Opening hours and last order

Open daily from 10:30 to 22:00, with last order at 21:40. Open 365 days a year, no closed days.

7pm on a weekday: first floor full, second floor open

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon has seating split between the first and second floors. I went around 7pm on a weekday and the first floor was already full, so I headed upstairs. Clearly a favorite among office workers near Jongak. The second floor was pretty packed too.

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon menu and prices

• Dosakmyeon (knife-cut noodles): uyuk dosakmyeon ₩11,000, Sichuan-style uyuk dosakmyeon ₩11,000, yubal dosakmyeon ₩11,000, stir-fried beef noodles ₩12,800
• Dim sum: xiaolongbao ₩9,800, siumai ₩9,800, crystal dumplings ₩9,800
• Fried dishes: kkanpunggi ₩19,900, yurinji ₩19,900, chili shrimp ₩19,900, cream shrimp ₩19,900, fried eggplant ₩15,000, gguabaorou ₩19,000
• Stir-fried dishes: mala tofu ₩10,800, tomato and egg stir-fry ₩10,800, gyeongjangyukseul ₩18,800, tiger stir-fry ₩18,800, cumin beef ₩18,800
• Larger dishes: lazi chicken ₩18,800, suzhu yukpyeon ₩23,000

Dosakmyeon is made in-house by slicing dough with a knife. They say the dough is aged for a day and served in broth simmered from bones. I heard the Sichuan-style version has a numbing, spicy kick — and sure enough, I saw bowls of uyukmyeon (beef noodles) in front of nearly everyone in the restaurant.

Bottled beer, free peanut side dish, then the kkanpunggi

I was in the mood for a cold beer, so I ordered a bottle (they had soju, beer, and gaoliang liquor). The basic side dishes were peanuts and cabbage jjasai, which paired perfectly with beer. For a side dish I ordered the spicy fried chicken, kkanpunggi.

In photos it looked like a small portion, but in person I was surprised — it looked like the size of an entire chicken.

Kkanpunggi 19,900 won: thin batter, sauce that clings

Cheonghwa's kkanpunggi has thin batter, yet it's crispy outside and moist inside — I couldn't figure out how they fried it that way. What struck me was that the sauce didn't run off but stuck right to the batter.

It's loaded with dried chili, bell pepper, green pepper, garlic, and green onion, and the soy-based sauce is sweet and salty with a hint of tang, so it wasn't greasy at all. I expected it to be spicy given all the chili peppers, but it was milder than I thought, so I could enjoy it without worry. That's the charm of kkanpunggi right there. It was such a great match for beer that I couldn't think of a better pairing.

Who should eat at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon?

• Anyone looking for a spot near Jongak Station for a group dinner or gathering
• Anyone curious about authentic Chinese dosakmyeon and dim sum
• Anyone wanting a spicy fried dish to go with a drink

It's easy to get to from Jongak Station, parking is stress-free with the 2 free hours, and above all, it really nails that authentic Chinese restaurant feel. Next time I want to try the uyukmyeon too. If you're after a Chinese restaurant in Jongno, I'd recommend this one.