Solo gukbap and daytime soju in Jongno, Daegu: Hanwoojang

Today I'm introducing a gukbap (Korean soup with rice) spot on Jongno in Daegu. It's Hanwoojang, a Blue Ribbon-certified seolleongtang and gomtang restaurant. Shall we go together??

What kind of gukbap restaurant is Hanwoojang in Jongno, Daegu?

Hanwoojang is a 24-hour ox soup restaurant located on Jongno in Jung-gu, Daegu. They sell several gukbap dishes like seolleongtang and (blood sausage) ttaro-gukbap. Since it's open 24 hours, it'd also be perfect for a drink on Jongno followed by hangover soup!

I visited around weekday lunchtime, and the place was already full of lunch customers.

A restaurant that has steadily received the Blue Ribbon for many years running. Proof that it's been loved for a long time, right??

Is Hanwoojang good for eating alone? Seating and atmosphere

Inside there are about 10 tables set up, usually 4-person tables, so table turnover seemed fast. I went to eat alone today, and there were quite a few other solo diners there too.

Hanwoojang's menu and ordering the special ttaro-gukbap

This is the menu at Hanwoojang, a gukbap restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu. Beyond the soup dishes, they have various suyuk (boiled meat slices) like beef suyuk, tripe suyuk, and ox knee cartilage suyuk, which would make great drinking snacks too. Today I ordered the special ttaro-gukbap — ttaro-gukbap turned out to be made with ox blood. (I'm not usually a fan of rice that's already mixed in ㅠ)

Less than a minute after ordering, my food arrived. When I asked why it was so fast, they said they keep it simmering constantly. I guess since it's so busy at lunch, they just keep boiling it nonstop. Fast service is a huge thank-you from the person eating, right?

Special ttaro-gukbap at ₩12,000: how much ox blood curd is in the bowl?

✔️Special ttaro-gukbap, ₩12,000. This is Hanwoojang's special ttaro-gukbap, an ox blood soup topped with minced garlic. It has ugeoji (dried napa cabbage leaves) along with the ox blood, and the amount of blood was insane. Maybe that's because it's the special version haha.

Can you see the massive chunks of ox blood??!! There were about 3-4 chunks of blood, plus ugeoji, and even thin noodles mixed in. A gukbap without noodles always feels a bit sad, somehow...haha.

The moment I took the first spoonful of soup, all I could think of was soju?! So I ordered a bottle.

Hanwoojang's standard banchan and self-serve bar

The standard side dishes that come out are napa cabbage kimchi, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), and stir-fried anchovies.

For extra banchan, you can use the self-serve bar on one side of the restaurant, which had onions, peppers, ssamjang, and extra kinds of kimchi ready to go.

The stir-fried anchovies were crisp and crunchy, unlike how they looked.

The kkakdugi was fermented just right — an unbeatable combo with the gukbap.

I don't usually love napa cabbage kimchi much, but one bite of this and I instantly wanted plain white rice — pure magic. This place really knows its kimchi!!

How the ox blood curd tastes, and asking for a broth refill

Breaking up the ox blood, I got a full dose of protein!! Rich and savory blood — no gamy smell at all, and the texture was nice and soft.

I kept scooping up the solids and broth, and by the time I wanted to mix in the rice, the broth had run short. I asked if I could get a refill, just in case, and they scooped me out another bowl without hesitation, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

So I dumped the rest of my rice straight in and mixed it all together.

Hanwoojang as a spot for soju with lunch

I polished off a bowl of gukbap and a whole bottle of soju in broad daylight on a weekday, then headed home patting my full belly. Located on Jongno in Jung-gu, Daegu, Hanwoojang is great for office workers' lunch, and also great for a lunchtime drink like I had. Next time I'll bring my husband and have another round!!