Blue Ribbon seolleongtang restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu: Hanwoojang

Stopped by Hanwoojang after Shinsegae, right around dinnertime! My heart was already pounding haha.

12 straight years on the Blue Ribbon Survey, running since 1968 in Jung-gu, Daegu

Hanwoojang is a seolleongtang (ox bone soup) and ttaro-gukbap (soup served with rice on the side) restaurant at 555 Gukchaebosang-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Daegu. Right at the entrance is a big sign announcing 12 consecutive years on the Blue Ribbon Survey. You can spot that blue from far away… its name is literally Blue Ribbon!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a soft spot for the vibe of old, worn-in restaurants, so I was already a little excited before even walking in.

Yep, that's right — this isn't just any restaurant, it's a Blue Ribbon-certified spot… The big sign at the entrance saying it's been selected 12 years in a row really caught my eye. It's already impressive to stay in business this long, but keeping that title year after year is even more remarkable!

The inside isn't sleek and polished like the newer gukbap places popping up these days — it feels more like the years have naturally settled into the place.

Hanwoojang menu and prices in Jung-gu, Daegu

Hanwoojang's menu includes seolleongtang for ₩11,000, ttaro-gukbap for ₩11,000, special seolleongtang for ₩13,000, and special ttaro-gukbap for ₩12,000, plus oxtail soup, doganitang, and yangtang. The menu was more varied than I expected!

We ordered two seolleongtang and one yangtang! There are also boiled meat platters on the side, so if you come with a group, you could order one of those to share while everyone eats their own soup.

Definitely a Blue Ribbon spot… there were autographs from famous people on the wall too. Looking at all of those one by one was fun in itself.

So many, so many.

On one side of the wall was the story of Hanwoojang — the father first opened the doors in 1968, and it's been running ever since.

How was the seolleongtang and yangtang at Hanwoojang?

Hanwoojang's seolleongtang comes with finely chopped green onion scattered over a milky broth, with beef and thin wheat noodles inside. It wasn't a heavily seasoned, punchy style, but it wasn't bland either.

Finally, the seolleongtang arrives! A clean spread with milky-white broth!

Packed with meat inside! Finely chopped green onion on top of the milky broth, and beef and noodles inside! Took a sip of the broth first — it wasn't sharply seasoned or salty, but not bland either.

And then the yangtang (tripe soup)! Personally, I feel like this kind of tripe soup grows on you more the more you eat, rather than hitting you on the first spoonful. A sip of broth, a bite of kimchi, then fishing out some noodles again — before I knew it, I'd eaten quite a lot haha.

Especially for seolleongtang places, I personally think the kimchi matters a lot — and this one just looked delicious at a glance. Rather than hitting you with strong salt or MSG flavor right away, the broth was mild and easy to eat, so a piece of kimchi on top made the combo click perfectly! Mouth-watering just thinking about it lol.

Self-serve banchan, with extra-large kkakdugi

At Hanwoojang, you can help yourself to as much banchan as you need from the self-serve bar. Kimchi and kkakdugi are the basics, and there's also peppers, garlic, doenjang, and anchovies — great to pair with the soup.

Even the basic kkakdugi they give you is extra-large!!!!!!!!

Takeout conditions and high chairs

Hanwoojang offers takeout for the entire menu, with a minimum order of 2 servings, and rice is not included. Origin labeling was also clearly displayed — great!

If it's hard to eat in the restaurant, taking it home to eat might be a good option too!

They also have high chairs available 👶🏻. Gukbap places and old restaurants often don't have them, but this one keeps them on hand — good to know if you're visiting with a kid!

Looking for a hot meal in Daegu?

Hanwoojang, this gukbap restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu, felt less like a flashy trendy spot and more like a place that's kept doing things its own way in the same location for a long time! With 12 years of Blue Ribbon recognition, it's worth a visit even if you don't call it a 'hot spot,' right?

The fact that it's been running since 1968 was impressive in itself, and the old photos and stories scattered around the restaurant let you soak up the atmosphere of an old-school Daegu eatery. The seolleongtang wasn't overwhelmingly rich or intense, so it was good to eat whenever I wanted something hot and mild. If you're looking for a good seolleongtang or gukbap spot in Jung-gu, Daegu, this one's worth a stop.