Sunchang hanok café classic bingsu and tangerine mochi: Hwayangyeonhwa

I took a trip to Sunchang not long ago and found a hanok (traditional Korean house) café with a lovely atmosphere, perfect for a break. It blends the charm of a traditional hanok with pretty desserts, so I was excited before I even got there, haha.

Where is Hwayangyeonhwa in Sunchang, and when is it open?

Here it is~~ the hanok café Hwayangyeonhwa (화양연화).

• Address: 91 Gyeongcheon-ro, Sunchang-eup, Sunchang-gun, Jeonbuk, South Korea
• Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00 / Sat–Sun 10:00–21:00

It's close to Sunchang IC, so it's easy to reach. I heard many people come on purpose, not just from Sunchang but from Jeonju and Gwangju too. The quiet hanok buildings you can see from far away are impressive. Traditional beauty and a modern feel blend together here, so it's a great spot for photos.

Hwayangyeonhwa has a large private car park in front of the building, so you don't need to worry about parking^^

You can see several hanok buildings, and they look comfortable just to look at.

To order, come into this hanok building. Note that the hanok buildings aren't connected to each other.

A quiet hanok with a space this atmospheric~~ the mood is great right from the entrance. You order here, and it was lunchtime so the staff were super busy. There are a few tables and chairs in this space too, so you can enjoy your café time here as well.

Hwayangyeonhwa menu: bingsu and mochi

There's the signature mochi (chewy glutinous rice cakes) of Hwayangyeonhwa. There are so many kinds, and fruit mochi is trending right now, so I was excited before even eating, haha.

Their bingsu (shaved ice dessert) is good too, but when I went only the classic and matcha bingsu could be ordered. (I wanted the mango bingsu T_T) There are plenty of drinks too, like americano, ade, latte and tea, so check the menu~

It was a shame that the mango bingsu had run out of ingredients. Instead, I tried the refreshing classic bingsu.

Hanok seating: porch, floor rooms and a pet-friendly space

This is a different hanok building, and I heard you can bring pets here. The space is quite big, so it looks comfortable to use.

Many people enjoy the café in this hanok building, on what's called a toenmaru (a wooden porch). It's so atmospheric. A coffee on the porch when the weather is cool would be amazing~~^^

Further inside there's a space that keeps the hanok building as it was, with only light repairs, and it felt warm and homey.

You can sit on the cool wooden floor and spend calm time. It was so comfortable I wanted to lie down, hahaha.

You can feel the old hanok structure is kept as it was, and each room lets you relax and enjoy the café. I think older visitors would like it, and younger people get a different kind of experience too.

Classic bingsu served in a jar

I picked the classic bingsu, an iced vanilla latte, and matcha red bean butter, tangerine and Shine Muscat mochi. Doesn't it look right at home with the hanok?!^^

Eating on the daechung maru (the main wooden floor) felt especially good, haha. It was cool and relaxing.

First, the classic bingsu. Maybe because this is Sunchang (famous for its jars), it comes in a small, cute jar, and it's so pretty.

Snow-fine milk ice is loaded with sweet red bean and mochi, and there's vanilla ice cream on top, so it was really delicious. (My disappointment about the mango bingsu vanished, lol) It's not just classic, it's a totally upgraded classic.

You can tell they don't skimp on ingredients. It was cold and sweet and I enjoyed it a lot. It's packed with chewy mochi too, so I was full after finishing it.

Matcha red bean butter, tangerine and Shine Muscat mochi compared

There were so many mochi types that I agonized over what to pick. I chose matcha red bean butter, tangerine and Shine Muscat (a seedless green grape), and they were wrapped so prettily too.

First, the matcha red bean butter mochi. Red bean paste and butter are inside the chewy mochi, so it looked tempting from the start.

With matcha added, the three flavors blended naturally and tasted great, and I was happy with the chewy texture of the mochi too.

Second, the tangerine mochi I was really looking forward to. There's a tangerine inside the basic mochi, and the juice bursts out with a sweet, fresh flavor. It was chewy but not too sweet, so it was delicious.

The last one is the Shine Muscat mochi. A whole Shine Muscat grape is inside the basic mochi. I liked the pop of texture and the cool juice, and it went well with the chewy mochi.

The iced vanilla latte I ordered with the bingsu had a sweet vanilla aroma that blended nicely with strong espresso, and I enjoyed it.

That was Hwayangyeonhwa, the Sunchang café I recommend to anyone traveling to Sunchang. I loved the relaxed hanok atmosphere, and there are lots of tasty items like bingsu and mochi, so I fully recommend it!!