Gwacheon Korean restaurant for birthday seaweed soup: Haenon Miyeok

A seaweed soup set meal for Dad’s birthday with three children

We came to Haenon Miyeok, a delicious seaweed soup set-meal spot in Munwon-dong that is great for family gatherings, for Dad of three’s birthday celebration with our 22-month-old baby and elementary-school children.

With fifth-grade twin sons and our 22-month-old youngest daughter, we visited Haenon Miyeok in Gwacheon after looking for a wholesome place to eat out where all three children, with their different tastes, and the adults could have a filling meal that would sit comfortably.

Dad of three and all three children especially like miyeokguk (seaweed soup), so I was excited because it felt like such a good place for Dad’s birthday celebration.

I first spotted Haenon Miyeok while passing by on the way to and from an English camp at Gwacheon Youth Training Center in Munwon-dong during summer vacation. I had been curious about it, so I looked it up and came by.

How were the parking and child-friendly space?

The parking lot was spacious, and the space from the entrance through the dining room was roomy and pleasant. We had our 22-month-old with us, and there was space between tables and an open feel, so I could stay relaxed even when she fussed and cried for a moment after finishing her meal.

Haenon Miyeok apparently operates only directly managed branches, and I saw that this Gwacheon Munwon-dong branch opened on March 18.

Location: 67 Araetbaeraengi-ro, 1st floor, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Hours: Daily 11:00–21:00 (break time 15:00–17:00; last order 19:45)

Visit tip: If you visit within seven days of a birthday, you can use a birthday-cake coupon through Naver Reservation, so make use of it for a celebration gathering.

Pregnant guests and birthday guests receive one complimentary abalone. When I was pregnant with the twins and then our third child, I always felt hungry again so quickly, and I remember feeling so grateful whenever I went somewhere that offered benefits for pregnant guests.

The entrance and interior are clean, spacious, and neatly kept. High chairs and children’s facilities are well provided, making it a very comfortable atmosphere for families visiting with children.

Refillable side dishes and seaweed soup set meals

As an original restorative seaweed soup specialist that simmers each bowl richly, almost like a tonic, as soon as you order, it is a truly good Gwacheon Korean restaurant for a hearty meal with children. The side dishes can be refilled, so we could get more muk (acorn jelly) and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), which the children liked.

High chairs and children’s facilities are well provided, making it a very comfortable atmosphere for families visiting with children.

There are plenty of perks as well, including a drink and a full service through a receipt review, which made the meal even more enjoyable.

Neatly arranged banchan (Korean side dishes) and savory grilled fish come together, making the table feel wonderfully abundant.

The seasoned scallop salad was spicy and salty, the kind of side dish that kept drawing my hand back.

The fried eggplant was crisp with a fresh taste. The muk and kimchi were fresh too, and all three children especially enjoyed the muk.

The flounder was fresh and generously sized, thinly fried until crisp and coated in seasoning. It was sweet, salty, and just spicy enough to be delicious, so I kept reaching for it. Even the elementary-school children loved this fried flounder.

Along with the flounder dish, the chicken dish was clean-tasting and delicious too, so it felt like we got plenty of protein.

The fried eggplant was crisp and refreshingly tasty, so I kept reaching for it.

At Haenon Miyeok, this Gwacheon Korean restaurant, my chopsticks were busy from the very first bite of the neat side dishes.

Since we go out with our late-in-life little one, I might have run out of hands caring for the youngest if all three were little. But the twins were so good at serving themselves side dishes that I could eat with an easy mind.

It was lovely to see a child enjoy the side dishes and confidently go refill japchae herself.

The earthenware bowl stayed hot until the end

Maybe it was a special ttukbaegi (earthenware bowl), because although the inside of the restaurant was quite cool, the seaweed soup stayed piping hot until we finished eating.

They carefully checked whether it was okay to place the bowls in front of the elementary-school children, and reminded us to be careful because the ttukbaegi was hot.

As fifth graders, the twin brothers were careful because it was hot, scooped out small portions, and blew on them before eating. Each of them happily finished a seaweed soup set meal of his own.

What was really amazing was that even after we had finished and the bowls were empty, steam was still rising as though heat remained inside.

I loved being able to eat a warm meal from beginning to end, and it felt as though we stayed warm inside for a long time too.

The flounder, abalone, and beef seaweed soups the children chose

After giving birth to our third child, I ate lots of seaweed soup for quite a while. Our oldest fell in love with it, so whenever I make it at home, he often has another two or three servings.

After the family chose beef seaweed soup, flounder seaweed soup, and scallop seaweed soup, our oldest said he wanted abalone flounder seaweed soup, with such expectant eyes.

This seaweed soup, filled with savory, delicious flounder and abalone, made my mouth water. The flounder seaweed soup and abalone flounder seaweed soup were marked as best sellers, and their savoriness and softness really were special.

It was generously filled with seaweed too, with an excellent savory, deep, rich flavor.

Our second child, who loves beef, said he wanted the beef seaweed soup he often eats. He served himself more seaweed than usual and ate more than usual too. The seaweed was definitely tender and deliciously cooked.

Because the flavor was wholesome rather than overpowering, it was absolutely perfect for children. Our 22-month-old youngest ate it so well too when I mixed the tender seaweed soup with the beef-and-vegetable rice I had prepared for her toddler meal.

The 22-month-old tasted the soup once, made a face that said it was delicious, and then drank lots of broth and even ate by herself. She also ate plenty of the tender flounder, along with the muk and japchae.

I was surprised that seaweed soup could be this deep, rich, delicious, and tonic-like, and felt we had done well coming here for a birthday family gathering. It was a lovely Munwon-dong place for our family of five to have a cozy meal. Haenon Miyeok, this Gwacheon Korean restaurant, felt like somewhere I would think of again on a birthday or whenever I wanted a deep, comforting broth.

It is also close to Jijeongta, Seoul Land in Gwacheon, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, the Gwacheon National Science Museum, and Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, making it a good place to visit with a baby when looking for food in Gwacheon.