Hyehwa izakaya for motsunabe hot pot and tori karaage: Hanamato

I wanted to share my visit to Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa. Hanamato already built a name for itself as a popular spot in Sindorim, and I heard it had opened a branch in Daehangno Hyehwa-dong, the sacred ground of culture and art, so I went with a friend after a while. It has that retro vibe, with something special radiating from it.

How to walk from Hyehwa Station Exit 4 to Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa

Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa is a 3-minute walk from Hyehwa Station Exit 4, and I got there easily using Naver Maps. As befits a street full of food and youthful culture, there's a wide range of businesses around it. At the entrance, true to a Daehangno Japanese izakaya, signs advertise the charcoal-grilled skewers, oden, and various other menu items. I headed inside with high expectations.

Coming out of Exit 4 and passing the pojangmacha (street tent bar) alley, it comes into view right in front of you. It really gives off that Hyehwa bar, Japanese-restaurant feel, haha. Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa.

Inside Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa: atmosphere and seating

The interior is special with a retro touch, and above all, it feels warm and inviting. The space seems to carry layers of different moods, feelings, and memories. Really got me excited for a Daehangno Japanese izakaya. It's not intimidating but has a friendly feel, perfect for having a drink — that Daehangno sensibility, done right.

Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa is made up of a 1st floor and 2nd floor, with the 1st floor offering counter seats, 2-seat tables, 3-4 seat tables, and larger group tables, so it works whether you're drinking solo, meeting a friend, on a date, with family, or at a gathering or work dinner.

I could see a variety of liquors on display. Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa also prepares and makes a range of highballs.

What the retro second-floor hall looks like

The 2nd floor also has comfortably cushioned tables that feel stylish without being over the top, put together in a friendly way.

Champs-Élysées-style? The fixtures hanging from the ceiling and the images on the walls give off a slight old-theater vibe, without feeling tacky — proper upscale retro atmosphere. Daehangno izakaya, haha, the vibe is really great.

It's the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to down a cold Japanese draft beer in one go, haha. A variety of sake is also prepared.

This is the staircase connecting the 1st and 2nd floors. Every corner of the space is arranged with real character. The oak wood-tone interior gives a calm yet comfortable feel — a Daehangno Hyehwa bar and Japanese restaurant with a proper youthful atmosphere.

Kiosk ordering and the counter seats

You can check out the various menu items and order directly through the kiosk monitor set up at each table. It shows the various highball options and cold draft beer, plus a big, generous variety of side dishes. Really got me looking forward to this Daehangno Japanese izakaya. These days I really like having counter seats like this — a spot to grab when you're visiting with just one other person, or sometimes when you want to drink solo, perfect for a simple sake, highball, or draft beer alongside some yakitori.

First, I ordered a cold draft beer. Nothing beats a draft beer of clean Terra lager on a hot day. The cold, refreshing gulp really quenches your thirst.

What two people ordered at Hanamato, and the 54,000 won total

My friend and I ordered the signature dishes and other items that looked delicious. A wide variety of menu items caught my eye, and with prices that weren't intimidating, ordering felt even more comfortable.

• 5 charcoal yakitori skewers: ₩13,000
• Motsunabe: ₩19,000
• Tori karaage: ₩12,000
• Terra draft beer x2: ₩7,000
• Drink: ₩3,000
• Total: ₩54,000

Motsunabe, 19,000 won: Japanese beef intestine hot pot loaded with daechang

The motsunabe is ₩19,000 — a Japanese-style gopchang (beef intestine) hot pot generously packed with gopchang, daechang (beef large intestine), and vegetables, simmered to a piping-hot, refreshing broth. Underneath the chives, there's a generous helping of daechang. Really the kind of visual you'd expect from a Daehangno Japanese izakaya, haha! There's also plenty of cabbage, mushrooms, and other vegetables, and the broth has a distinctive, refreshing flavor. It tastes a bit like sukiyaki broth, with hints of a cool oden broth too — a real specialty.

Each table has a small electric burner, so you can enjoy the dish warm and freshly bubbling.

Cabbage, bok choy, chives, and this plump daechang — the real deal. The flavor is mild yet savory, the kind that makes you forget a tiring day, haha.

The visuals are insane, haha. If you love daechang, this Daehangno Japanese izakaya is where you can really taste it done right.

Tori karaage, 12,000 won: crisp and straight out of the fryer

The tori karaage is ₩12,000 — fried in a special way that brings out the natural flavor of the ingredients, letting you really taste that crunchy texture. A slightly crispy karaage is exactly what you need. And with most menu items available for around ten-thousand won, that's a real reason to visit Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa, a proper Hyehwa bar-Japanese-restaurant, haha.

Since it's fried fresh to order, it's extra crispy, and paired with the accompanying vegetable salad and mayonnaise, it fills your mouth with happiness.

Also, each piece is just the right size, so easy to eat in one bite. If the pieces are too big, they're actually inconvenient to eat and you hesitate to reach for them, but true to a great Hyehwa Station restaurant-bar, the size here was just right.

Five charcoal yakitori skewers, 13,000 won: the Hanamato signature

The 5 charcoal yakitori skewers are ₩13,000, the signature dish of Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa. Grilled with tare sauce for a full smoky charcoal flavor, these 5 skewers are handmade and grilled fresh to order, so the taste is properly chewy yet tender and mild. Really lives up to being a Hyehwa bar-Japanese-restaurant. The real deal! Highly recommend.

The visuals, texture, and taste are all satisfying. The 5 charcoal yakitori skewers are definitely a MUST-order signature item, haha.

With savory, distinctively textured chicken skin skewers, heart, and various other ingredients, there's plenty of fun both in eating and looking at it.

Ordered one more beer, haha. Draft beer really pairs well — Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa, a great Hyehwa Station restaurant-bar. Next time I meet friends or acquaintances for a gathering in Daehangno, there's probably no better place than here.

Is Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa worth it for a Daehangno get-together?

As a genuinely good-value Hyehwa Station restaurant-bar, Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa is easy to meet at, just 2-3 minutes from Daehangno Exit 4, and combines the retro vibe, comfortable hall atmosphere, and the triple pleasure of looking, eating, and enjoying. I recommend a visit to this great-value Daehangno Japanese izakaya.