Gwanghwamun Chinese restaurant, mala tofu lunch for two: Cheonghwa

Hi, this is Soongyoi~! Today I was craving Chinese food for lunch, so here's my review of 'Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon,' a beef knife-cut noodle spot in Gwanghwamun (●'◡'●) It had been a while since I had real uyuk myeon (beef noodles), and it was so good — let me tell you all about it!!

Location, hours, and parking at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

• 🕖 Hours: Daily 10:30 ~ 22:00 (last order 21:40)
• 🅿️ Parking available: in the basement of the Le Meilleur building, 2 hours free

It's located between Gwanghwamun Station and Jonggak Station, so it wasn't hard to find at all. The wood-toned exterior is so clean and nice looking q(≧▽≦q) They use the 2nd floor too, so even when it gets crowded at lunchtime, we got in without waiting!!

Seating on a Saturday at 1pm and the vibe upstairs

When we visited on Saturday at 1pm, the 1st floor was completely full, so we were guided upstairs! A lot of people seemed to be eating solo too (☆▽☆) You know a restaurant is legit when people come alone to eat, right??

The 2nd floor was cool and pleasant too. It was super hot outside, so having a cool interior was so nice. It made sense why they confidently wrote S T R O N G A I R C O N D I T I O N I N G on the Naver menu haha ㅋㅋㅋ ლ(╹◡╹ლ)

30,000 won for two: what we ordered

Here's the menu info. You order and even pay through a tablet at the table! That's my favorite way to do it. So convenient . . . Everywhere in Gwanghwamun tends to be a bit pricey, so this price range is actually really good, right?! It'd be great for lunch, of course, but also perfect for a casual beer in the evening. . .>_<

• Uyuk dosakmyeon / beef knife-cut noodles (11,000 won)
• Xiaolongbao (9,800 won)
• Mala tofu (10,800 won)

It was just the right amount to fill up two people. . . (Actually I was comfortably full, but my boyfriend said he felt like he was going to burst. What's up with that?) For 30,000 won in Gwanghwamun, that's really not bad, right?!

Uyuk dosakmyeon 11,000 won, broth with a hint of tomato

Uyuk dosakmyeon / beef knife-cut noodles (11,000 won) The dish came out really fast. The uyuk dosakmyeon had four big chunks of meat in it.

The noodles are dosakmyeon (hand-shaved knife-cut noodles), and that's the real charm here. . . The broth seasoning was perfect, with a fragrant hint of tomato ㅜㅜ The balance was just right!! (★‿★) One bite in and I thought, 'Yes, this is what uyuk myeon should taste like. . .'

The color was deep, but surprisingly the spice smell wasn't too strong, so even people who are hesitant about beef noodles could enjoy this flavor!

Mala tofu 10,800 won, real mala instead of mapo

Mala tofu (10,800 won) I ordered this expecting something like mapo tofu. . . but it was more like genuine mala than mapo!!! The mala flavor really came through, so if you don't like mala, definitely stay away Of course, I loved it haha

It had a nice subtle spiciness, so it was great mixed with rice. The tofu was soft and delicious too. And they gave a generous mound of rice — such thoughtfulness 💕 Actually, both the mala tofu and the uyuk myeon broth were so good with rice that I kept spooning a little into both haha

Xiaolongbao 9,800 won, best enjoyed while the broth is warm

Xiaolongbao (9,800 won) The charm of xiaolongbao is the broth that flows out when you tear the dumpling skin!! So plump and springy, looks so delicious ✨🎶

Putting a bit of the ginger from the soy sauce on top makes it even more delicious. I heard some people don't like ginger, but trust me and try it with the soy sauce ginger, just five times.

But since I was eating other dishes too and it cooled down a bit, when I picked it up with chopsticks, the dumpling skin tore and the broth leaked out, which was a bit of a letdown ㅜㅜ The broth is the whole point /(ㄒoㄒ)/~ So please enjoy the dumplings warm, right when they come out. The flavor itself is of course excellent. Not a hint of gamey meat smell either!

Who we'd recommend Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon to

Near Gwanghwamun and Jonggak, for those looking for 1️⃣ can't-go-wrong dishes like uyuk dosakmyeon and dim sum, 2️⃣ the convenience of 2 hours of free parking at the Le Meilleur building, and 3️⃣ delicious Chinese food at a low-stress price of around 30,000 won for two, we'd recommend Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon~!!