# Gwanghwamun yakiniku with rooftop night seating: Hwarodam, Seoul - By Eunchae (https://superchart.com/en/@gyeongnam-dining-stroll/) - Written Sep 21, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This review is based on a meal provided by the restaurant for the visit. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@gyeongnam-dining-stroll/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@gyeongnam-dining-stroll/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/index.md) ## In short Hwarodam is a personal-grill yakiniku restaurant on the 2nd floor of 9 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, near Exit 8 of Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno, Seoul. The special set ordered for two ran as a course through chuck flap and short rib beef, chicken neck, scallops, fish cake soup, fried shrimp, maki and buckwheat soba, and Hwarodam also has a 3rd-floor private room and rooftop outdoor seating. For a personal-grill course plus space for a group in the Gwanghwamun office district, Hwarodam is the answer. ## Good to know - **Location**: 2nd floor, 9 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (3rd floor and rooftop also in use) - **Hours**: 11:00–23:00, closed Sundays - **Wagyu special course**: 80,000 won per person - **Special course**: 60,000 won per person - **Hwarodam set menu**: 45,000 won per person - **À la carte**: Wagyu chuck flap, sirloin, short rib, chuck flap and more / grilled items: chicken neck, ox tongue, lamb rib - **3rd-floor room**: Private dining for groups of 4 or more - **Rooftop seats**: Reservations for groups of 6 or more - **What was ordered**: Special set for 2, 2 draft beers (Asahi) - **Price reference**: ₩80,000 ≈ $58 · ₩60,000 ≈ $43.5 · ₩45,000 ≈ $33 (2026-09-22) *as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026* ## Where Hwarodam is and when it opens Hwarodam is a yakiniku (Japanese-style grilled meat) restaurant on the 2nd floor of 9 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It's open 11:00–23:00, closed every Sunday, and also uses space on the 3rd floor and rooftop. Hwarodam is a yakiniku restaurant that's super close to Gwanghwamun Station Exit 8 and even walkable from City Hall. ![Exterior of the 2nd-floor entrance to Hwarodam on Saemunan-ro 5-gil in Gwanghwamun](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-01-oq2yf-900.webp) So it's located here on the 2nd floor. I heard from the owner later that there's a room on the 3rd floor and a space on the rooftop that's kind of like a camping site — somewhere I'd love to come back to for a group gathering. ## What Hwarodam's seats and table setting are like On the 2nd floor of Hwarodam there's a clean counter with a Japanese vibe and window seats with a great view. Every seat has its own smoke ventilation, so you can eat without worrying about smoke. They've got rare Japanese whisky like Hibiki stacked up hahahaha — can you feel the owner's power? Whoa. Just like a fancy tuna restaurant, each table is set with paper, small plates, water cups, chopsticks, and tongs for the grill. Even wet wipes — nice touch. ![Hwarodam table setting with paper, small plates, and tongs laid out](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-02-ygge1-900.webp) ## Hwarodam course prices and what each menu includes At Hwarodam, the Wagyu Special Course is ₩80,000 per person, the Special Course is ₩60,000, and the Hwarodam Set Menu is ₩45,000. There are course options as well as à la carte items, plus grilled items like chicken thigh, ox tongue, and lamb rib. You can go for a course or order à la carte depending on your taste (wagyu flower cut, sirloin, short rib, sirloin cap, etc.). ![Menu board showing Hwarodam's courses and à la carte items](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-03-78r3t-900.webp) The sake lineup is diverse too. I heard the owner lived in Japan for a long time — which explains the impressive sake selection haha. They seem to have a lunch menu too, plus plenty of side dishes. We ordered the special set for two. ![Hwarodam side dish and lunch menu board](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-04-1fu6g-900.webp) ## The special set for two: how the Hwarodam course runs The Hwarodam Special Set starts with salad and basic banchan (side dishes). First out: salad, pickled ginger, pickled chili, and pickled radish. ![Salad, pickled ginger, pickled chili, and pickled radish starting the special set](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-05-1mu1r-900.webp) Then came the hot coals. Great coals too — yakiniku really tastes best over good fire. ### Draft beer that starts with a tap cleaning We ordered two draft beers, and they cleaned the beer machine before pouring — hygiene first, 100 points. These days most places just pour straight away... the owner is thorough. The Asahi draft was so good I one-shotted it. ![Two glasses of Asahi draft beer at Hwarodam](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-06-1031r-900.webp) ![Hwarodam salad with raw squid mixed in](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-07-j8o8y-900.webp) ![Plate of Hwarodam beef cuts trimmed by section](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-08-1mf2c-900.webp) They carefully slice the meat by cut like this, and even weigh it on a scale for accuracy — whoa. A salad with raw squid mixed in. Perfect with a beer. Maybe because the owner washed the beer machine before pouring, but the Asahi draft was insanely good, so I one-shotted it, ha. Surprisingly... this isn't Japan, it's Korea... I'd walked a lot that day so the draft beer tasted even better, ha. ![Main meat and vegetables from the special course set on the personal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-09-1yhxg-900.webp) ## Grilling chuck flap and short rib on your own charcoal grill The main of the special course is a varied spread of beef, mushrooms, eggplant, plus chicken thigh and scallops. You get to grill it all at your own pace on your personal grill. ![Spread of beef, mushrooms, eggplant, chicken thigh, and scallops](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-10-1dd8p-900.webp) First up on the grill: sirloin cap. ![Sirloin cap placed on the personal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-11-rpsgf-900.webp) Yakiniku sauce, green tea salt, and shio-tare sauce. The yakiniku sauce was my favorite, honestly. ![Yakiniku sauce, green tea salt, and shio-tare sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-12-fe4q3-900.webp) ![A piece of grilled beef dipped in sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-13-9knf4-900.webp) And of course, wasabi, ha. Even piled on high it's not spicy at all. Wasabi really does go with beef... ![Grilled Hwarodam beef topped with wasabi](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-14-1c3oo-1200.webp) Asahi... massacre..... The meat and eggplant were cooking so deliciously. The eggplant was great too... hahahaha ### Fish cake soup served mid-course True to a course meal, fish cake soup came out midway. It tasted about as good as what you'd order at an izakaya (Japanese pub). The fish cake itself felt like a premium version, haha. ![Fish cake soup served midway through the course](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-15-5xd3r-900.webp) ![Broth with premium-looking fish cake](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-16-qvgia-900.webp) So good, right? ![Meat and eggplant cooking on the grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-17-1m92d-900.webp) ![Grilling meat piece by piece with tongs on the personal grill](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-18-1ic5n-900.webp) It kind of felt like those grilling games I used to play on Junior Naver as a kid — grilling each piece myself with the tongs somehow made it taste even better haha. The short rib was insanely good too. It made me wonder why short rib is the best cut — it was that good. This yakiniku sauce was my favorite of all. The kind of flavor you'd want to just scoop up with a spoon. ## Hwarodam's 3rd-floor room and rooftop night seating On the 3rd floor of Hwarodam there's one room where groups of 4 or more can dine privately. The rooftop can be reserved for groups of 6 or more. Quick space rundown. Go up one more floor and there's a room like this. It's private and available for 4+ people, so it'd be great for a gathering nearby too. The AC was blasting too. ![Hwarodam's 3rd-floor room, available for 4 or more guests](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-19-2wlek-900.webp) And the best part — the rooftop. It has an outdoor barbecue-camping kind of feel, almost like eating at a campsite. This one can be reserved for 6+ people. Would be great for a year-end gathering. There aren't many restaurants with a space like this in the Gwanghwamun office district, so it's a perfect rooftop for group get-togethers. ## Scallops, fried shrimp and chicken neck Scallops too... sorry, scallop... Next up in the course: fried shrimp hahaha. I'm about to burst. ![Fried shrimp served as part of the course](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-20-ta9s2-900.webp) ![Plate of fried shrimp with homemade batter](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-21-zfc2p-900.webp) This doesn't seem like store-bought frozen shrimp — looks like they batter and fry the shrimp themselves. The inside of the shrimp was so satisfying. ![Fried shrimp cut in half showing the inside](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-22-1o5ie-900.webp) Chicken thigh. The thigh meat somehow tastes better than the rest of the chicken, ha. ![Chicken thigh grilled on the coals](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-23-1pnwd-900.webp) I ended up drinking way too much soju and beer... thanks to the owner... my one-week dry streak failed. ![Soju and beer set out on the table at Hwarodam](https://img.superchart.com/images/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam-24-14nfg-900.webp) The coals were so good that the heat never weakened, even toward the end. No need to ask them to turn up the heat or swap the coals — the meat cooked well through the whole long course, and that was great too. ## Finishing with maki and buckwheat soba Finally, the last course — maki (sushi roll) hahaha. Packed with roe and super crispy seaweed. I thought this was the end but... to be continued... There's so much meat that it never seems to end... I ate a ton, hahahaha. Looking back now, I really did eat a lot, hahahahaha. Ah, the maki wasn't the end after all... buckwheat soba too, hahahahaha. Mixed in plenty of wasabi and finished off with a refreshing palate cleanser. It was a delicious meal. ## Where it is - Hwarodam (화로담) - 9 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 종로구 새문안로5길 9 2층 - 37.5710653, 126.9747932 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%ED%99%94%EB%A1%9C%EB%8B%B4/@37.5710653,126.9747932,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@gyeongnam-dining-stroll/gwanghwamun-yakiniku-special-course-hwarodam/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt