Ox head gomtang restaurant in Jongno, Daegu: Hanwoojang since 1968

I was looking for something hearty to eat on a weekend evening in downtown Daegu, and this time I went to Hanwoojang :) It's known around Jongno in Daegu as a seolleongtang and suyuk (boiled meat) spot, so I took my mom along haha. Here's my honest review from the visit.

• 📍555 Gukchaebosang-ro, 1F, Jung-gu, Daegu (Jongno 1-ga, Hanwoojang)
• 🕐Open 24 hours, every day
• 🅿️No parking (use nearby public lots)

Where is Hanwoojang, and where do you park?

Hanwoojang is about a 4-minute walk from Exit 4 of Jungangno Station, so it's really close to the subway. It was easy to reach by public transit on days I wasn't driving. There's also a Megabox at Mangyeonggwan nearby, so it looked like a good spot to visit before or after a movie.

Since the restaurant is tucked inside an alley, there's no dedicated parking space. You'll need to use a nearby public parking lot, so if you're driving, it's good to know this ahead of time.

Is there a wait at 7pm on a Sunday?

I visited Hanwoojang around 7pm on a Sunday and was able to sit right down without any wait. It was slightly past the peak mealtime, so I didn't need to worry about waiting.

A Daegu old-timer: open since 1968, second generation

Inside Hanwoojang, wooden tables and chairs line the space, mostly set up as 4-person tables. On the walls are drawings, a guestbook, photos from TV appearances, and celebrity autographs, giving off a real old-school, tried-and-true restaurant vibe.

According to a sign on the wall, the father first opened the restaurant in 1968, and now his son runs it as the second generation. A restaurant passed down through generations is definitely trustworthy haha. The broth is simmered for over 12 hours, and they even make their own kimchi, kkakdugi, and stir-fried anchovies. Side dishes really matter for gukbap (soup with rice), right? I could see why this place has been loved for so long.

The hall is fairly spacious, so it looked comfortable for family visits too.

Hanwoojang's menu, from seolleongtang to suyuk

Hanwoojang's soup dishes include seolleongtang, special seolleongtang, ttaro-gukbap, ox head soup, oxtail soup, doganitang (knee cartilage soup), and yangtang, and the suyuk (boiled meat) lineup is just as varied, ranging from beef suyuk to doganitang suyuk, tripe suyuk, oxtail suyuk, and mixed suyuk — it's clear why it's called a suyuk spot.

There's a wooden sign hanging too, which gave it an old-country-house feel.

Banchan and the self-serve bar

At Hanwoojang, kimchi, kkakdugi, stir-fried anchovies, and onion soy sauce come out as basic side dishes.

You can grab extra side dishes yourself, as much as you need, from the self-serve station.

There was also a self-serve coffee station set up separately.

They even keep separate bowls for kimchi, kkakdugi, and anchovies, which felt surprisingly thoughtful.

What we ordered: yangtang 15,000 won and ox head gomtang 14,000 won

Yangtang (tripe soup) ₩15,000 / Ox head soup ₩14,000

The yangtang had a milky, rich broth, and the meat inside was tender enough that chewing wasn't an issue at all. The base seasoning was on the mild side, so you could adjust it to taste with the minced seasoning or salt.

Dipping the meat from the soup lightly into the accompanying onion soy sauce brought out even more flavor. The ox head soup had a milky, savory broth, and the meat was cooked tender and just right. Topping it with green onion and pepper made the aroma even deeper — really delicious.

Mixing in rice made it really filling. There was no odor from the meat at all, and it wasn't tough, so I enjoyed it to the very last bite!

Cleared the bowl again today!! hahaha

Is Hanwoojang worth a visit?

Hanwoojang is close to Jungangno Station and open 24 hours, so it was nice not having to worry about timing when visiting. With such a wide menu, from seolleongtang to suyuk, I'm already curious to try other dishes next time. The lack of dedicated parking might be a downside for those driving, though. If you're looking for a comfortable place to share a bowl of gukbap with your mom, Hanwoojang is worth a try.