Hanam Misa nurungjitang restaurant, 11:30am window seat: O Hyeongje

Why we stopped at O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang in Hanam Misa

My mom and I were heading out toward Yangpyeong, and on the way we stopped for a meal at this Hanam spot — O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch. Spacious, clean dining room, and the food was neat and delicious too — really high satisfaction. There's clearly a reason this place does well.

It's not far from Starfield Hanam, located on the main road near the rowing/canoeing stadium park. There are a bunch of big restaurants nearby with parking, and this is one of them — a wide single-story building.

Given the location, parking is obviously available and the lot is on the larger side. There's a parking attendant too, so it's easy to park. Hours are daily from 11am to 9:20pm.

Inside the restaurant: window booths and group tables

I was surprised at how genuinely spacious O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch is. And it's super clean with a really pleasant dining room vibe.

We visited around 11:30am, and even in the big dining room the window seats were already almost full.

I liked that the window seats are partitioned booth by booth. But once it hit around noon, group after group of customers poured in and the place became nearly full.

It's a great spot for gatherings in Hanam Misa given the spacious layout — I think that's exactly why so many group customers come in. My mom, who came with me, was really satisfied too and said she wants to come back soon with friends.

What's on the menu at O Hyeongje, and what it costs

It's a seafood nurungjitang (scorched rice soup) specialty restaurant, and it seems Chinese-style nurungjitang is the original form. Tasting it, it's like a thick hot-pot rice dish loaded with seafood — the flavor is great and it sits easy on the stomach. Very appealing.

There are five types of nurungjitang total, plus Chinese dishes like tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) and chili shrimp.

Funny that they even have kongguksu (cold soybean noodle soup). And of course there are drinks and alcohol too.

Table setting and side dishes: the green onion kimchi steals the show

I think people come here because the side dishes are so good and appealing. The banchan (side dishes) feel completely like a Korean restaurant — and it looks like they make their own kimchi to sell, too.

Seasoned chwinamul (aster greens) / cabbage salad with black sesame dressing

White kimchi and dongchimi (watery radish kimchi)

The dried radish with squid jeotgal (salted seafood) was genuinely delicious

The green onion kimchi at this place was a total standout. The seasoning is so good and it pairs really well with the nurungjitang.

There's a self-serve bar so refills are possible

And they had oranges too, which was nice — good as a light dessert.

The tableside performance: scorched rice poured into the broth

For lunch at this Hanam Misa favorite, O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang, we ordered the maesaengi abalone nurungjitang (22,000 won) and the seafood abalone nurungjitang (20,000 won).

The food came out pretty fast after ordering. They rolled it out on a cart, and I wondered what it was for — turns out the visual is amazing. Over the thick nurungjitang base, they pour glutinous rice scorched rice into the pot right in front of you. Total performance, and it's so good.

A bubbling, piping hot stone pot of nurungjitang. They say you need to stir it right away so it doesn't stick, and the heat lasts forever. You can eat it hot all the way to the end.

Maesaengi abalone nurungjitang, 22,000 won

What I ordered was the maesaengi (fine seaweed) abalone nurungjitang. Unlike the regular seafood nurungjitang, this one has maesaengi in it, giving it a green tint. The nurungjitang at O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang is thick and has a Chinese-food feel, but it's actually a bit lighter and more like a rice pot dish — honestly closer to a Korean restaurant vibe. It's basically the nurungjitang version of the trendy sotbap (stone-pot rice) restaurants right now. It feels like a full meal, so one bowl per person is perfect.

Maesaengi nurungjitang with a small piece of ginseng and scorched rice mixed in. Stir it briefly and the glutinous rice scorched rice melts in, getting nicely thick.

Start with the plump abalone. It's washed really cleanly — so white. Eating abalone just makes you happy. The texture is chewy and great.

There's ginseng in there too, which makes it feel like a nourishing tonic dish. The bitterness wasn't too strong. There's also a generous amount of various seafood and vegetables on top, which really adds to the satisfaction.

• Squid / cuttlefish
• King oyster mushroom / paprika
• Wood ear mushroom / broccoli
• Conch, maybe with webfoot octopus leg?
• Mushroom / scallop
• Plump shrimp / dried squid (solbang-i style)

Generous portion, tons of seafood toppings — perfect.

The thick nurungjitang broth is really savory, and with the maesaengi in it, it's a touch saltier and has an ocean scent — the distinct presence of maesaengi is a real draw.

A hearty, well-put-together meal — very satisfying. The side dishes like the green onion kimchi are a perfect match.

Seafood abalone nurungjitang, 20,000 won: how does it differ?

My mom ordered the seafood abalone nurungjitang. The main ingredients — abalone, ginseng, seafood — are basically the same, but without the maesaengi it's white in color. Without the maesaengi it's a bit more mild and plain, and my mom said she actually liked this one better.

Maybe it was just in my head, or maybe it's actually the case, but the shrimp in this one looked a bit bigger, haha.

Definitely mild and savory — clearly delicious.

The stone pot really was scorching hot, so we could eat it hot until the very end, and finished it full and satisfied.

Lastly, we cleansed our palates with orange for dessert.

Service and overall impressions of O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang

The staff were very kind.

I've never in my life seen a restaurant specializing in seafood nurungjitang before — and there's clearly a reason this huge dining room fills up so early.

Location, parking and who eats here

O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch is located on Misa-daero in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do. It's not far from Starfield, and it's about a 15-minute walk from Hanam Pungsan Station.