Jonggak Station beef noodle shop revisit: better fried rice, Cheonghwa

Back at Cheonghwa after a long time: how does it hold up?

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon (청화 우육도삭면) is a Chinese restaurant near Jonggak Station that I visited in May 2025 and hadn't been back to since! Last time I ordered the knife-cut beef noodles and the beef fried rice, and this time I got the same two dishes. I happened to be near Gwanghwamun, and since I remembered enjoying it so much, I stopped in again.

Getting to Cheonghwa, seating and parking

Cheonghwa is a 3-minute walk from Exit 1 of Jonggak Station on Subway Line 1.

(There were people on the first floor, but lunchtime was over, so the second floor was empty.) We sat upstairs, up the stairs, where every table has a kiosk and a call bell~ As soon as we sat down, we got water, small plates and the side dishes: crunchy zha cai (pickled mustard stem) salad and roasted peanuts.

• 🅿️ Paid parking in the building's basement (first 2 hours free)
• 🚻 Separate men's and women's restrooms

Knife-cut beef noodles (₩11,000): does it taste the same?

The uyuk dosakmyeon (beef noodles with knife-cut noodles) is ₩11,000, and as the name says, it's beef noodle soup plus knife-cut noodles. It's 🇹🇼 Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup, known for big chunks of tender braised beef and a deeply savory broth.

Thanks to the clean but rich soy-sauce-based beef broth, exotic spices like star anise blend nicely with Korean tastes and it's delicious. If anything, it adds character, don't you think?

Texture of the knife-cut noodles

The noodles are dosakmyeon, which you could call the kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) of Chinese cooking. They get thinner toward the ends, so they're thick but never heavy, chewy and springy. They say they're made in-house, and the texture is great, then and now, and goes well with the broth.

How is the amount of beef compared with last time?

If I had to compare, the amount of beef felt slightly smaller than before. It's just my personal impression so it may differ, but I remembered being happy with the generous meat, so it was a little disappointing, sob. Maybe it's the rising prices... Still, it was delicious, and especially good on a chilly day like these days.

Beef fried rice (₩10,500): did it get better?

The beef fried rice is ₩10,500, with a salty, light flavor and plenty of minced beef.

Compared with last time? The beef fried rice actually tasted better! The oily smell was reduced, and it seemed to have more meat and be moister. I loved the fluffy, separate-grain charm of good fried rice, and it was the dish I was most satisfied with this meal. It also pairs well with the noodles, so thumbs up for the fried rice 👍

Mixed up naturally, it looks like this. We shared it between two of us and the portion was fine.

The egg and seaweed soup served with the fried rice

This time a soup came with the beef fried rice too! It was a Chinese-style soup that seemed to be egg drop soup with seaweed added and thickened with starch water. It had a savory depth like chicken stock, with carrots in it and a slightly thick texture, so it felt a bit different from Korean-style seaweed soup (miyeokguk).

The clear, hot, silky soup balanced out the dry, crumbly nature of the fried rice, which was definitely a plus. It's been upgraded in many ways!

Are the zha cai and peanuts refillable?

The side dishes at Cheonghwa, zha cai and peanuts, get refilled if you ask once they're finished! I'll wrap up with photos of the salty stir-fried peanuts you keep reaching for and the crunchy, cool zha cai and cabbage salad~

Overall verdict on the Cheonghwa revisit

Back at Cheonghwa after a long time! The beef in the noodles felt slightly reduced compared with before, which was a pity, but apart from that it was still delicious and good overall. The beef fried rice in particular felt even better, which made me happy. The warm egg and seaweed soup that came with it also suited the chillier weather. 😊

With its casual, Taiwan-local-like atmosphere and the combo of beef noodles and beef fried rice, it was a great place for a filling meal! Next time I visit, I'll definitely order the beef fried rice again. 👍