Dongdaemun Market chicken hot pot and meat pancake lunch: Sunhuine

When you're shopping at Dongdaemun Market, you get hungry before you know it, right? And what comes to mind is a steaming hot soup dish. This time I went to Sunhuine (순희네) Dak Hanmari near Dongdaemun Market. I ordered the chicken hot pot and a meat bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) and had a hearty lunch. Mild chicken, warm broth, and a savory meat pancake! It's a combo I'd love to recommend to anyone looking for a Korean meal near Dongdaemun Market.

How do you find Sunhuine Dak Hanmari Dongdaemun?

Sunhuine Dak Hanmari is on Jongno 40ga-gil, marked by a big orange sign. The sign has a large photo of the chicken hot pot, so you can tell from far away what they serve.

Atmosphere and seating

Inside, there were light wood-tone chairs and marble-pattern tables. Every table has a burner for simmering the chicken hot pot. With plenty of tables, it looked like a good spot for friends or family.

What really caught my eye was the wall filled with handwriting and signatures. Messages in Korean and other languages were packed all over, and it was fun to look through what visitors had left behind. Sunlight came in by the windows too, so lunch felt bright and cheerful.

Menu and prices

The menu has the chicken hot pot (₩33,000) plus a range of other dishes, including yukhoe (Korean beef tartare), yukhoe tangtangi and octopus tangtangi.

• Chicken hot pot ₩33,000
• Extra half chicken ₩17,000
• Rice cake add-on ₩2,000
• Kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) add-on ₩2,000
• Vegetable porridge ₩3,000
• Green onion add-on ₩2,000
• Potato add-on ₩2,000
• Mushrooms ₩2,000
• Yukhoe tangtangi ₩38,000
• Yukhoe ₩23,000
• Octopus tangtangi ₩17,000
• Yukhoe bibimbap: regular ₩12,000 / special ₩15,000

Set menus for four

There were also set menus for four. Set A is the chicken hot pot, yukhoe tangtangi and a seafood or meat pancake for ₩75,000. Set B is the chicken hot pot, yukhoe and a seafood or meat pancake for ₩63,000. If you're planning a group meal near Dongdaemun Market, the sets are worth a look. We had the chicken hot pot and the meat pancake.

Side dishes and how to make the dipping sauce

Before the chicken hot pot arrived, we got kimchi and pickled side dishes. The broth is mild, so spicy sides go nicely with it, right?

The table also had instructions for making the dipping sauce yourself.

First, mix minced garlic, soy sauce, chili paste (dadaegi) and mustard. Then add vinegar and chives to taste, and you're done. The tangy, sharp sauce pairs really well with the chicken. The instructions also said to eat the rice cakes first, and once the potatoes are cooked, eat them with the chicken. Handy for first-timers.

How was the broth?

At last, the chicken hot pot arrived in a big pot. The clear broth held chicken, napa cabbage, green onion, potatoes and more.

Simmering it right at the table kept it warm to the very end. Once the broth started to boil, a gentle aroma from the chicken and vegetables rose up.

The broth is clear and mild, so I think even people who don't like strong flavors would enjoy it. With cabbage and green onion in the pot, you could taste the vegetables in the broth too.

I dipped the well-cooked chicken in the sauce I'd made. Mild chicken with a tangy, sharp sauce made the flavor much more defined.

The big chunks of potato went especially well with the chicken. The cabbage soaked up the broth and was tender, and the faint aroma of green onion fit right in. If you're looking for a chicken hot pot lunch in Dongdaemun, eating warm broth and chicken together like this is a good choice.

The meat pancake we ordered with it

The one dish this meal couldn't do without: Sunhuine's meat pancake! It came golden brown on a wide plate and looked so tempting.

It was already cut into bite-size pieces, so it was easy to pick up one at a time. The outside was crispy, and inside there was meat and vegetables, so the texture was great. The crispy edges in particular were so savory.

Taking a bite of the meat pancake and then sipping the hot chicken broth, the two went really well together. Mild chicken hot pot plus savory meat pancake! If the hot pot alone feels a little lacking, ordering the meat pancake too seems like a good choice. It's also great for sharing when you come with a group.

Is Sunhuine Dak Hanmari a good lunch near Dongdaemun Market?

Sunhuine Dak Hanmari, the Dongdaemun Market spot I visited this time, let me enjoy warm chicken hot pot and a savory meat pancake together. The clear, mild broth came with plenty of chicken and vegetables, and dipping the chicken in the homemade sauce was fun. The crispy meat pancake went so well with the hot pot that it stayed with me. If you're shopping at Dongdaemun Market or planning lunch nearby, give Sunhuine Dak Hanmari a look. It's a Korean dish worth remembering on a day when you crave hot broth 👍