Seonjiguk without the gamy smell in Jung-gu, Daegu: Hanwoojang

With the mornings and evenings turning chilly lately, I kept craving warm soup. So for a proper hearty meal, I headed to Hanwoojang, a gukbap (Korean soup with rice) spot everyone's been raving about.

I love gukbap and try all kinds, but after this visit I found myself thinking "I need to come back here" for the first time in a while. The food was delicious, the space was clean and tidy, and the staff were kind, so I felt great the whole meal. It's honestly one of the best gukbap places I've had recently, so I wanted to give you the real rundown.

What is Hanwoojang? A 24-hour soup restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu

• Name: Hanwoojang
• Type: Gomtang, seolleongtang
• Address: 555 Gukchaebosang-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea (207m from Jungangno Station Exit 4)
• Hours: Open 24 hours, every day of the year
• Amenities and services: Takeout, reservations, high chairs, separate men's/women's restrooms

Hanwoojang, well known for its seolnongtang gukbap, runs 24 hours every day of the year. It's great for a hangover cure the morning after drinking, and just as good for a solid, filling meal any other time.

Selected by the Blue Ribbon Survey for 12 years running. That's basically proof this is a real must-visit spot, right??

I dropped by Hanwoojang wanting a proper hearty meal for once, so I was really looking forward to it!

Inside Hanwoojang: the dining room, self-serve bar and table chargers

From the moment I walked in, the place felt clean and well-managed overall. Even though I visited at that awkward hour after lunch, customers kept coming in!

When you think of a gukbap restaurant, you might picture something a bit rough around the edges or old-fashioned, but Hanwoojang felt different from that. The tables and dining space were tidy and well arranged overall, making it comfortable to eat.

And something I quietly consider important at any restaurant is how the staff treat you — the staff here were kind from the moment I arrived, which made a great first impression.

Delicious food matters, but when the place is clean and the staff are kind too, my overall satisfaction really goes up.

Seeing all the famous visitors who've stopped by, my trust in this place went up even before I tried the food!

One thing I really liked was the self-serve bar! I'm the type who can't eat without kimchi on the table, so normally I feel awkward asking for more — but here I could just help myself to as much as I wanted, no need to feel shy!

Self-serve bars can get pretty messy if they're not maintained well, but this one was really, really clean!

And the charger set up at the table! My companion's phone battery was nearly dead, and this charger swooped in to save the day haha! There were also high chairs for anyone visiting with little ones — small touches of thoughtfulness for customers that really stood out. ❤️

What's on the menu at Hanwoojang

The menu is split into meals and boiled meat dishes, with seolleongtang, ttaro-gukbap, ox head gomtang, oxtail gomtang, doganitang, yangtang, and more! Order the special version and you get extra meat and noodles added. ❤️

That day I ordered the special ttaro-gukbap, special seolleongtang, and a drink.

Simple side dishes that cover the basics

As someone who believes the gukbap itself matters, but the kimchi matters just as much at a gukbap restaurant

— here, the kimchi, the stir-fried anchovies, and the kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) all passed the test. ❤️

Even if the main dish is great, if the sides fall flat I won't go back. I'm especially strict about this with gukbap places, and this one earns its reputation.

Special seolleongtang piled high with meat

Seolnongtang is a dish many people seek out for the clean, comforting flavor typical of broth-based soups. It's perfect when you want something warm and filling rather than a spicy, intense broth.

I ordered it special, which meant extra meat and noodles for an even more generous bowl. The milky, deeply simmered broth looked delicious before I'd even taken a bite.

The broth itself wasn't heavy, but paired with rice it made for a really filling, satisfying meal!

The noodles were generous too, but what I liked most was the amount of meat... honestly, it was big enough to blanket you with.

I've had famous seolleongtang and gomtang all over the country, but I'd never seen meat sliced this thick, like little rolled bundles, haha.

Does that mean the meat is tough? Not at all — it was tender and not chewy at all, so even I, with a weak jaw, ate it happily!!!

With gukbap especially, the broth's flavor is everything, and this one wasn't too salty or intense. I also liked that I could season it to my own taste!

Seonjiguk with no gamy smell, even for skeptics

I love sundaeguk (blood sausage soup) and have traveled around the country trying it, but nothing has ever beaten the sundaeguk spot in Chilseong Market in Daegu.

But this time I found a place that broke my preconceptions about sundaeguk. The seolleongtang was fantastic too, but the dish that stuck with me most personally was the sundaeguk.

Sundaeguk is honestly a dish that can go either way with people, but the one I had at Hanwoojang was delicious enough that it really stayed with me.

The broth was clean while still carrying the deep, distinctive flavor sundaeguk is known for, and best of all, there was no off-putting gamy taste. I finally found a place that can stand up to the Chilseong Market sundaeguk! Haha

The ttaro-gukbap also came special with somyeon (thin wheat noodles) added, and the sundae itself paired beautifully with the broth — eaten with rice, it was really filling. It was simmered so long and rich that even the vegetables went down smoothly.

If you already like sundaeguk, you'll likely be very satisfied here, and if you've eaten it in many places like I have, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a try!!

Even a friend who normally can't stand sundaeguk and won't touch it ended up eating this one enthusiastically, saying it was delicious!!

Personally, the sundaeguk was the best dish I had that day, and I really felt like this is the place if you're looking for great sundaeguk!! (Of course, the seolleongtang was excellent too.)

Final verdict on Hanwoojang

The biggest thing I took away from eating at Hanwoojang, a Daegu gukbap favorite, was how consistently satisfying everything was. The food was great, but the space was also clean and the staff kind, so there wasn't a single uncomfortable moment during the meal.

As someone who loves gukbap, this is one of the best bowls I've had in a while, memorable enough to stick with me. It'll suit anyone who likes clean, hearty broth dishes like seolnongtang, or anyone craving a proper bowl of gukbap. And if you love sundaeguk like I do, I'd personally recommend trying it here at least once.

This is a place I'd want to revisit whenever I want a hearty meal in a clean setting, or whenever I'm just craving gukbap. Overall, the food, the space, and the friendliness at Hanwoojang were all satisfying. Worth a visit any day you're craving a warm, filling bowl of gukbap.

This review reflects my personal opinion, so please take it as a reference.