Jongno Japanese pub for a spicy seafood nabe date: Hanamato

My girlfriend and I visited Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa (하나마토 대학로혜화) for dinner and a few casual drinks. Unlike the bars I usually see around Hyehwa, its exterior stood out right away with the feel of an izakaya tucked into a Japanese alley.

Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa location and visit tips

The address is 1F, 10 Changgyeonggung-ro 34-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is very close—about a 100 m walk from Hyehwa Station Exit 4—and last orders are at 2:10 AM the following day.

If you turn on store notifications in your map app, you can get a coupon for a free beef-heart skewer along with information on outdoor seating, so I recommend checking before you visit. It is an ideal route for a relaxed late-night stop after seeing a play or performance in Daehangno.

An interior like an izakaya in a Japanese alley

The wood-toned interior and varied Japanese-style decor faithfully create a local Japanese atmosphere. Rather than feeling formally neat, it has just the right amount of lively bustle, making it perfect for a drink. It works for dates as well as casual get-togethers with friends,

There are also Japanese snacks for sale in one corner of the venue, which gives you a little extra to look at.

What we ordered and the prices

• Spicy seafood nabe (Japanese hot pot) ₩18,000
• Chicken and scallion skewer ₩6,000
• Tsukune (seasoned chicken meatball skewer) ₩3,500
• Sapporo draft beer ₩4,900
• Wagyu tataki ₩15,000
• Chilled sake ₩4,900

Spicy seafood nabe piled high with bean sprouts

The spicy seafood nabe arrived first, and the mountain of bean sprouts immediately stole the show. You let it come to a boil at the table, wait for the sprouts to soften, then dig in. The broth is spicy without being harsh, making it a fantastic drinking dish. I loved the crunch of sprouts soaked in broth and the fun of fishing out the plump seafood.

Chicken and scallion skewers, tsukune, and draft beer

For yakitori (grilled skewers), we chose chicken and scallion skewers and tsukune. The chicken and scallion skewers were browned on the outside with a smoky char, while the fragrant scallions neatly cut through the chicken's simplicity. The tsukune had a much softer bite, so the two dishes did not overlap in texture, and they paired perfectly with a cold Sapporo draft beer.

Wagyu tataki with onions

The wagyu tataki, with its striking bright-red cross section, came topped generously with sliced onions. The meat's savory aroma and the onions' crispness made it refreshing to enjoy, and placed between the hearty nabe and skewers, it brought the overall menu balance to life.

Chilled sake and crisp, juicy gyoza

After starting lightly with Sapporo draft beer, we added chilled sake. Having yakitori and sake in this exotic izakaya-like space made it especially immersive, as if we had come to Japan. The gyoza dumplings served alongside were crisp on the bottom and moist inside, pulling their weight as a drinking snack.

The quality of the gyoza dumplings was impressive, too. Their top wrappers were thin and translucent, holding in the moisture, while the pan-contacted bottoms were fried crisp enough to make a satisfying sound—the textbook crisp-outside, tender-inside contrast. One bite released the juices of minced meat and vegetables from the thin wrapper, making them a drinking snack just as satisfying as the main dishes.

A Hyehwa date pub made for sharing several dishes

Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa is a great-value Japanese dining pub where every dish is tasty and well made without feeling expensive, making it perfect for ordering a generous spread to share. I can confidently recommend it if you are looking for a special date spot in Daehangno or an atmospheric place to meet friends, and next time I plan to sit at the pleasant outdoor table and try other yakitori varieties and highballs that I missed this time.