Gwacheon Korean restaurant near Seoul Grand Park: 500g bulgogi, Haenon

This is Shushubi! Hope you're having a nice weekend. After enjoying an outing at Seoul Grand Park, I was looking for a dinner spot and found Haenon Miyeok in Munwon-dong, Gwacheon. It's close to Seoul Grand Park, so it was convenient for a meal after our outing — and best of all, it's a place where you can enjoy a proper seaweed soup (miyeokguk) set meal made with fresh ingredients, so it seemed like a good spot for a family meal too. That's why I visited.

What is Haenon Miyeok, the Korean restaurant in Gwacheon?

Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch is a Korean restaurant specializing in seaweed soup set meals, located at 67 Araetbaeraengi-ro, 1st floor, in Munwon-dong, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi. It's close to Seoul Grand Park, making it a good spot for dinner after an outing.

If you're looking for a good Korean restaurant in Gwacheon, or a place in Munwon-dong, Gwacheon for a family gathering, this might be worth keeping in mind. Parking was convenient too, which made it even nicer to visit with a child.

Birthday service at Haenon Miyeok

They said they offer abalone as a complimentary service to pregnant guests and birthday guests, so that's worth remembering too.

Inside Haenon Miyeok: seating and kid-friendly setup

The first thing I noticed as soon as I walked into Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch was how clean it was. The interior, decorated mainly in gray tones, had a calm yet stylish atmosphere overall, and the tables were spaced generously, making it a good spot for family visits, birthdays, or gatherings.

A baby chair and disposable apron were also on hand, so we could eat comfortably without worrying about a mess.

The self-serve banchan refill bar

Haenon Miyeok, a seaweed soup restaurant in Gwacheon, runs a self-serve bar. If any of the basic banchan (side dishes) runs low, you can go help yourself to more. Looking at the generous, varied self-serve bar, I was already excited.

One dish per person, with unlimited rice refills

Ordering was simple through the table-order system. There were various seaweed soup menus made with beef, scallops, mussels and more. One menu per person is required for ages 8 and up, and rice is free refill, though for ages 7 and under there's a 2,000 won charge for the first bowl, after which refills are free. They also said that if you have leftover seaweed soup, you can take it home.

What we ordered at Haenon Miyeok

• Beef bulgogi ₩32,000
• Beef seaweed soup ₩20,000
• Total ₩52,000

Banchan as generous as a full Korean set meal

The basic banchan were served first, and since it's a seaweed soup specialty restaurant, I expected just a few side dishes — so I was a bit surprised. The neatly and generously arranged banchan felt more like a proper Korean set-meal restaurant than a seaweed soup place.

There was quite a variety — fried flounder, sweet pumpkin salad, seasoned scallops, seasonal namul (seasoned vegetables), kimchi, konjac, japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and more. The fried flounder especially had well-seasoned sauce soaked in, which went great with rice. Out of all the banchan, our child picked out the konjac and ate it happily.

500g of beef bulgogi for 32,000 won

The beef bulgogi at Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch comes out at 500g for 32,000 won. When it arrived, the sheer 500g portion looked quite generous. The glossy bulgogi was piled on generously, and just looking at it made my mouth water.

The sweet-and-savory sauce was soaked moistly into the meat, giving it an appetizing flavor. I could taste the deep flavor coming from the meat and the savory juices with each chew.

Putting a piece of bulgogi over warm rice along with a side dish made for an irresistible bite. The portion was generous enough for the whole family to share without running short.

Beef seaweed soup for 20,000 won: deep, rich broth

The beef seaweed soup is 20,000 won. Just looking at it, the broth's deep color and the generous amount of seaweed and beef gave the impression of a healthy, hearty bowl.

When I took a spoonful, the broth was rich but not heavy, and clean-tasting. The deep flavor drawn out from the beef and the light, savory taste of the seaweed blended together naturally, leaving my stomach feeling comfortable.

I liked that while eating it, I couldn't detect any MSG-like taste — the natural flavor of the ingredients really came through. The seaweed was softly cooked down and the beef was generously portioned, making every spoonful with the broth enjoyable.

Verdict and how to get to Haenon Miyeok in Gwacheon

Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch is located at 67 Araetbaeraengi-ro, 1st floor, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi. On a day when you're craving a light yet filling Korean meal, this Gwacheon Korean restaurant is a comfortable place to eat with family. If you're looking for a good restaurant in Gwacheon, a seaweed soup restaurant in Gwacheon, or a family gathering spot in Munwon-dong, Gwacheon, it's worth keeping in mind.