Family gukbap near Daegu Modern History Museum: Hanwoojang

Whenever I go out with my kid, a warm Korean soup dish is always the first thing that comes to mind to fill our stomachs comfortably. This time I visited Hanwoojang, a long-loved seolleongtang (milky ox bone soup) restaurant on Jongno in Daegu that's earned Blue Ribbon certification.

Location — next to Daegu Jungbu Police Station, walking distance from the history museum

This is Hanwoojang, a gukbap (soup with rice) restaurant near Jongno in Daegu! The exterior alone carries decades of history and gets you excited for deep, hearty flavor. It's right next to Daegu Jungbu Police Station and close to the Daegu Modern History Museum, so it's a great stop for a meal while exploring Jongno with a kid. I walked over after making cookies at a nearby bakery — nice and close.

• Address: 555 Gukchebosang-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea
• Hours: 00:00–24:00 (open every day)
• Menu: seolleongtang / ttarogukbap / somorigomtang / kkorigomtang / boiled meat…

So many Blue Ribbon awards — I could see why people come from far away for this gukbap spot!

Interior — mostly tables for four, open kitchen and self-serve side dish bar

The interior had that warm, cozy atmosphere you'd expect from a restaurant with real history, which made eating with my kid feel relaxed and easy. Most seats are for four, so groups are no problem at all. It's an open kitchen too, so you can watch the food being prepared — that builds even more trust! I took a video to capture the vibe of the place haha.

Extra side dishes are at a self-serve bar so you can help yourself easily, and there's coffee ready for after the meal. The wall tells the story of Hanwoojang — running since 1968, which had me excited before I'd even eaten.

Menu and prices

Here's the menu at Hanwoojang, the gukbap restaurant near Jongno in Daegu. It's split into rice dishes and boiled meat, with seolleongtang, ttarogukbap, somorigomtang, doganitang, and yangtang.

• Seolleongtang 11.0
• Ttarogukbap 11.0

I picked the two most popular dishes — seolleongtang for the kids and ttarogukbap for the adults — perfect for sharing.

How the seolleongtang and ttarogukbap tasted

The full spread at Hanwoojang, the gukbap restaurant near Jongno in Daegu! Seeing the steaming soup got me hungry all over again haha. Korean food really is the best when eating out with kids!

Rice really matters at a rice restaurant, and the moist, well-cooked rice came with three side dishes that were all worth reaching for. Top the soup with a well-fermented piece of kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi) and I could easily go for two bowls haha.

The seolleongtang my kid inhaled

The Blue Ribbon-winning seolleongtang! The clear yet milky broth stood out, and noodles inside made it easy to eat with rice. I tried a spoonful myself and could really feel how much care and time went into simmering that rich broth.

The broth was smooth and rich, and the meat so tender that the kids had their faces buried in the bowl haha.

Ttarogukbap with a spicy, refreshing finish

The ttarogukbap I ordered! That distinct spicy-yet-deep savory flavor of Daegu-style gukbap!! Really appealing haha. The sweetness from the big chunks of scallion and radish blended with the rich beef broth — the first taste was spicy and heavy, true to its red broth, but the finish was clean and refreshing.

Mixing rice into the rich broth for a big spoonful, topped with chewy meat and sweet scallion, filled my mouth with such rich texture it made me sigh in satisfaction haha.

True to its Blue Ribbon status, the flavor came from real hanwoo (Korean beef) rather than any sharp MSG taste, so I felt comfortable and satisfied even after finishing. Before I knew it, my bowl was completely empty haha. Even more satisfying that both kids and adults can enjoy this place. ^^

Overall verdict

Both the deep, pure-tasting seolleongtang and the spicy, refreshing ttarogukbap were perfect, and our whole family left satisfied. If you're looking for a gukbap restaurant near Jongno in Daegu that's good to visit with kids, I highly recommend stopping by Hanwoojang, a Blue Ribbon restaurant with real tradition and depth.