Jonggak Chinese restaurant, weekend lunch: guobaorou tower, Cheonghwa

Why I came to Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon on a weekend Cheonggyecheon walk

I was walking around Cheonggyecheon on a weekend and went to Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon (청화 우육도삭면) near Jonggak Station for lunch. I'd been curious about beef noodles for a while, and this place is well known as a Gwanghwamun beef noodle spot, so I decided to try it.

Even though it was the weekend, the restaurant was packed, so I waited a little before getting in. Watching customers keep coming in while I waited, I could tell right away how popular it is.

Location, hours and parking at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is on the first floor of Le Meilleur Jongno Town, about a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Jonggak Station. It's behind the Olive Young in the Pimatgol alley, so it wasn't hard to find.

It's open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with last order at 9:40 p.m. There's no break time, so a late lunch or early dinner is no problem. You can also use the building's underground car park if you're driving.

A roomy restaurant that works for group gatherings

The restaurant runs over two floors, first and second. I got in after waiting, but turnover was fast, so it wasn't a long wait.

The inside has a clean Chinese restaurant feel, with plenty of space between tables. There were solo diners, families, friends and office groups. With so many seats, it looked good for group meals and gatherings too.

What's on the menu at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon?

Besides the signature knife-cut beef noodles (uyuk dosakmyeon), they sell beef noodles (uyukmyeon), spicy mixed knife-cut noodles, fried rice, guobaorou, youlinji (crispy fried chicken in sauce), gyeongjangyuksyul (shredded pork in sweet bean sauce) and more. There are several dim sum too, like xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and shumai, which I thought would go well alongside a meal.

This time I ordered the signature knife-cut beef noodles and the guobaorou.

My first knife-cut beef noodles: how was the texture?

Two side dishes come out first, and nibbling on them while you wait makes the time fly, haha. The peanuts are nicely salty and I kept reaching for more. The pickled cabbage is just right with Chinese food~

It was my first time trying knife-cut beef noodles, and what impressed me most was the noodle texture. They have that thickness knife-cut noodles are known for, so they were really satisfying to chew. Chewy yet springy, they felt clearly different from regular noodles.

The beef was tender and nice with the noodles, and the sauce had soaked in well, which brought out the flavor. The broth was rich and went well with the noodles. Even people trying knife-cut noodles for the first time should enjoy it without any worry.

Warm, crispy guobaorou stacked like a tower

The guobaorou came stacked on the plate like a tower, so it looked generous right away. Be careful, because it's hot straight out of the kitchen. Maybe it's fried to order, but the crunch was great and the warmth made it even better.

The portion is big, so it's perfect when you want a hearty meal. The sweet-and-sour sauce was balanced and not overdone, so I kept going back for more. It paired well with the knife-cut beef noodles too.

Next time I want to try the dim sum

While eating, I noticed a lot of the tables around me had ordered dim sum. Many were having shumai and xiaolongbao, and they looked so good that I'll definitely order them next time. Knife-cut beef noodles with dim sum would make an even more satisfying meal.

If you're looking for a Gwanghwamun beef noodle spot, Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is worth a visit. It was busy enough on the weekend to have a wait, but turnover was fast so it was worth waiting, and the food satisfied me. Getting chewy knife-cut noodles and crispy guobaorou together made it a hearty meal.

No break time is a big plus too, so you can go whenever suits you. I can see why it's also a popular Gwanghwamun dim sum spot, and I'd love to come back to this Jongno Chinese restaurant and order dim sum as well.