Jongno lunch with dosakmyeon and two dim sum dishes: Cheonghwa

I was looking for somewhere to have lunch near Jongak Station, and this time I was craving something a bit different from my usual, so I went to Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon (청화 우육도삭면).

Along with the refreshing uyuk dosakmyeon (beef knife-cut noodles), they also have dim sum like siumai and xiaolongbao, so it was great for trying a few different dishes at once. If you've been looking for a Gwanghwamun restaurant or a Jongno Chinese food spot, this might be worth checking out :)

Location, hours, and parking at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

• 📍 Location: 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Jongno Lemeilleur building
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 10:30–22:00 (last order 21:40)
• 🚗 Parking: 2 hours free at Jongno Lemeilleur building

Since it's open 365 days a year, it seemed like a good spot not just for weekday lunches but also for a Gwanghwamun date on the weekend. It's easy to get to from both Jongak Station and Gwanghwamun, so it's also worth putting on the list when office workers nearby are looking for a Gwanghwamun lunch option.

What I liked most was that even in the middle of Jongno, you get 2 hours of free parking. There are quite a lot of parking spots, and the spaces themselves are wide, so even if you come with a larger car, parking felt relatively stress-free.

Hand-cut noodles, made in-house

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon serves authentic Chinese food made by a local Chinese cuisine specialist chef. In particular, the signature dish, uyuk dosakmyeon, doesn't use pre-made noodles —

they said it's house-made dosakmyeon (knife-cut noodles), sliced by hand with a knife from dough that's been aged for a day.

Because the noodles are cut with a knife, they have a distinctly different texture from regular Chinese noodles — that's the whole point.

Besides the beef noodles, there's dim sum and various other Chinese dishes, so I'll leave a photo of the full menu and prices here too :)

The three dishes I ordered that day

This time, what I ordered was

• Uyuk dosakmyeon (beef knife-cut noodles) ₩11,000
• Siumai ₩9,800
• Xiaolongbao ₩9,800

those three dishes. Instead of just having the noodles alone, I wanted to try the dim sum at this Gwanghwamun spot too, so I ordered both kinds haha.

The signature dish: uyuk dosakmyeon

The first thing I tried was the signature uyuk dosakmyeon. It uses a broth made from bones simmered directly, along with the hand-cut dosakmyeon noodles.

What I was most curious about was, of course, the noodles.

Unlike regular noodles that are uniform in thickness and shape, these had a bit of a different feel, and I could taste that distinctive dosakmyeon texture when chewing.

Eating the broth and noodles together, I think even people who usually like ramen or regular Chinese noodles would find this a nice change of pace when looking for something a little different. So if you're looking for the best place for beef noodles in Gwanghwamun, this signature dish is a good place to start.

The dim sum: siumai and xiaolongbao

Personally, I was looking forward to the dim sum just as much as the uyuk dosakmyeon this meal.

First, the siumai is their signature dim sum, filled with pork and shrimp and topped with flying fish roe. Tasting it, the fillings came through all at once with a really good texture. Eating one between bites of the uyuk dosakmyeon made the meal feel more varied than just eating the noodles alone.

The xiaolongbao, savory with great broth

Then the xiaolongbao is a dim sum with pork filling and broth inside. Taking a bite, the broth that came out was savory and full of umami — personally, it was one of the dim sum dishes I remembered most.

They said pairing it with shredded ginger brings out even more depth of flavor, so if you like dim sum, I'd recommend trying that combo too :) Ordering the uyuk dosakmyeon along with two kinds of dim sum definitely made this Gwanghwamun Chinese restaurant more fun than just sticking to one dish — sharing several things at once.

From Gwanghwamun lunch to group dinners

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is a good place to visit between Jongak Station and Gwanghwamun when you're craving Chinese food that's a little different from what you'd usually order.

There's a satisfying single-bowl dish like the uyuk dosakmyeon, plus dim sum and various other Chinese dishes, so it's worth considering not just for a Gwanghwamun lunch but also for a meal shared among several people or a group dinner spot.

Given how hard it usually is to find parking in Jongno, having 2 hours free is a pretty practical perk for anyone driving to find good food in Gwanghwamun.

I stopped by while looking for lunch near Jongak Station, and I got to enjoy several dishes together — the hand-cut dosakmyeon, the siumai with its great texture, and the xiaolongbao with its impressive savory broth. I'd especially recommend it if you've been looking for the best place for beef noodles in Gwanghwamun or a Jongno Chinese restaurant where you can also get dim sum. Next time I'm in Gwanghwamun or Jongak Station craving Chinese food, I'd like to come back and try the other dishes I didn't get to this time :)