Hyehwa Korean pub with a thick meat-bomb beef pancake: Hyehwahwa

One cool evening, heading to Hyehwa for a musical after a long while, I stopped by Hyehwahwa (혜화화), a Korean pub with great atmosphere. Hyehwahwa is a fusion Korean pub centered on straw-fire cooking with a variety of Korean dishes — but beyond the food, the hanok roof view from the window seats really left an impression.

Where is Hyehwahwa? Second floor in an alley near Hyehwa Station

Hyehwahwa sits on the 2nd floor at 29-3 Daemyeong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, tucked in an alley close to Hyehwa Station. It's a good spot for a meal or a drink before or after a show in Daehangno.

The tiled-roof view from Hyehwahwa's window seats

Right from the entrance, bundles of straw were laid out, so I could tell this was a straw-fire specialty spot — and the view from my seat made me even more excited for the food. Beyond the window, rows of old hanok roofs stretched out, and staring at that scene between the tall buildings around it was oddly calming.

The hanok roofs also made a natural backdrop when photographing the dishes, so it was fun to shoot. The space feels clean yet distinctly Korean, making it a comfortable spot to chat with a friend, and I thought it could also work well as a date spot if atmosphere matters to you.

Ordering at Hyehwahwa with a Toss QR code

Hyehwahwa uses Toss QR for ordering, and each person in the group could browse the menu and add items to a shared cart. We ordered the signature straw-fire seared cauldron knife-cut octopus and the meat-bomb beef pancake, along with a bottle of soju and a zero-sugar cola. Tofu and white kimchi came out first as the basic side dishes.

Rather than heavily seasoned, the flavor was plain and clean, so it was easy to snack on before the main dishes arrived. Pairing the tofu with white kimchi cleansed the palate, working like an appetizer before the real menu. Even the basic side dishes carried that natural Korean-pub feel.

Meat-bomb beef pancake: thick yuk-jeon topped with shredded perilla leaf

The first Hyehwahwa dish I want to introduce is the meat-bomb beef pancake (고기폭탄육전).

As you can see in the photos, it's noticeably thicker than a typical thin yuk-jeon (beef pancake). The golden-fried pancake came piled high with shredded perilla leaves, making it look generous from the start.

The savory beef flavor combined with the fragrant perilla leaves, so it ended up cleaner and less greasy than I expected.

Since the pancake itself is thick, even one piece was quite filling, and eating it alongside the spicy knife-cut octopus helped tone down the heat — really nice combo haha~

Straw-fire seared cauldron knife-cut octopus: smoky, spicy stir-fried octopus

The dish I was most looking forward to that day was the straw-fire seared cauldron knife-cut octopus (짚불 초벌 가마솥 칼낙지).

The octopus stir-fry, served generously in a cast-iron cauldron, looked mouthwatering just to see. When I lifted a whole octopus with tongs to take a photo, its thick leg came up intact — quite the visual.

The octopus wasn't too chewy and kept a springy texture, and the spicy sauce coated the octopus and vegetables evenly. Since it goes through a straw-fire searing step first, a subtle smoky aroma gave it a different flavor from a typical octopus stir-fry.

The sauce was tasty enough that eating it with the cabbage was just as good as eating the octopus alone. The spiciness plus the crunchy vegetables kept my chopsticks going back for more.

Knife-cut noodles hidden under the octopus

True to its name, the knife-cut octopus dish had kalguksu (knife-cut noodles) sitting at the bottom, and once I mixed the chewy noodles into the leftover spicy sauce, what started as a drinking snack somehow turned into a hearty meal.

For a group, ordering a shareable dish like the beef pancake alongside a main like the knife-cut octopus and taking your time seems like a good approach. The current menu also includes straw-fire gopchang hot pot, straw-grilled garlic pork jowl barbecue-suyuk, Hanwoo beef tartare and more — I'd love to try other dishes next time.

Who should visit Hyehwahwa, and when

After visiting Hyehwahwa, it felt less like just a bar to grab food and leave, and more like a place to enjoy the food and the space together. From the window seats you get the hanok roof view, and the menu carries that distinctive straw-fire smokiness — it all matched Hyehwa's atmosphere quite well.

Reservations and group bookings are available, and corkage is allowed, so it's worth keeping in mind for gatherings or dates. Whether it's before or after a show in Daehangno, when you're deciding on dinner, or when you're looking for a Korean pub with good atmosphere in Hyehwa, it's worth stopping by.

On this visit I had the meat-bomb beef pancake and the straw-fire seared cauldron knife-cut octopus — both went well with drinks, and the hanok roof view from the window stuck with me for a long time.

Hyehwahwa hours, parking and address

• Name: Hyehwahwa (혜화화)
• Address: 29-3 Daemyeong-gil, 2nd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: Tue–Sun 17:00–01:00 (last order 00:00)
• Regular closed day: Every Monday
• Parking: Not available (Korea National Open University lot or Changgyeonggung Palace lot recommended)
• Reservations: Available
• Corkage: Available