Late-night Korean pub in Hyehwa: clam fish cake stew, fried peppers

Headed to Hyehwa Station today to catch a play 🎭 but traffic ruined that plan, so here's a report on the night we just drank instead …^^..

Today's spot was Hyehwahwa, found while searching for a Hyehwa bar for good food. If you're looking for a Korean-style pub in Hyehwa to pair with drinks and hearty side dishes, this one's worth a look!

Where is Hyehwahwa? Down an alley at Hyehwa Station Exit 4

📍 Come out of Hyehwa Station Exit 4 and head straight into the small alley across from CGV! Deeper into the alley you'll find Hyehwahwa, a Korean pub filled with the smell of straw fire.

The owner is truly devoted to straw-fire cooking ..🤭

Loved the aesthetic white-toned entrance from the start ✨

Inside Hyehwahwa: window bar seats with a hanok roof view

The inside of Hyehwahwa is white and deep wood tones, full of warmth 🤎 with soft lighting adding to the atmospheric mood! Besides the bar table, there are about 2 tables in the middle of the restaurant too. A perfect Daehangno bar for anyone who wants good food and good vibes >.<

The window bar seats ••• 🪟 with an outdoor hanok roof visible through the glass make for such a good mood, right? Perfect spot to sit facing each other and chat over a date.

Hyehwahwa waiting times and Naver reservations

✅ Aprons are provided, and there's a waitlist on weekend evenings 📝 Just a heads up that there may be a wait in the evenings!

✅ Naver Reservation is available, so book ahead and skip the wait worries ~~~~ >.<

Menu ordering is by QR code!

Hyehwahwa menu: straw-fire fusion Korean dishes and drinks

🔥 A straw-fire fusion Korean restaurant 🔥 Dishes seared over straw fire are the signature here, and there are so many distinctive bar snacks! Beyond the food, they also have soju, highballs, distilled spirits, traditional liquors, and makgeolli (Korean rice wine) 🍶 — a wide range of drinks to choose from depending on your taste!

• Plump Scallop Fish Cake Stew ₩23,000
• Sturdy Stuffed Fried Pepper ₩15,000

Since this was our second stop of the night, I ordered the cool, refreshing scallop stew ~~!

The basic side dishes — tofu kimchi and baek-kimchi (white, non-spicy kimchi)! The combo worked way better than I expected!?

The food and the atmosphere are such a perfect match ~~~

Scallop fish cake stew at Hyehwahwa, packed with clams instead

Hyehwahwa's plump scallop fish cake stew is 23,000 won, but that night the scallops were sold out so they gave us plenty of clams instead! The clams made the broth so refreshing, and with chopped hot peppers thrown in, the broth turned out cool and spicy — perfect with soju ...+_+

The fish cakes were bouncy and chewy too 🍢 — not just plain fish cake, but a mix of spicy fish cake, glass-noodle-stuffed fish cake, square fish cake and more!

I asked separately for a soy dipping sauce for the fish cake! It wasn't just plain soy sauce either — they'd made a fresh new blend.

Sturdy stuffed fried peppers, 15,000 won

The crispy fried peppers came out too 🌶️

Inside the fried peppers is glass noodles + meat + vegetables — crispy on the outside, hearty and stuffed on the inside!

That's a genuinely sturdy fried pepper alright ^^

Is Hyehwahwa worth a second-round stop in Hyehwa?

A Hyehwa bar with both great taste and great atmosphere ••• 🤎

• Distinctive bar snacks seared over straw fire
• Korean food plus a wide range of drinks
• A good spot for a date near Hyehwa Station
• A Hyehwa bar good for both a first and second round

If you're looking for a Korean pub in Hyehwa with great atmosphere, I recommend Hyehwahwa ~~~>.<