Suwon chicken restaurant near Hwaseong Haenggung: draft beer outing

I went out with my kid for a walk around Hwaseong Haenggung in Suwon and got completely won over by the deep oak wood smell drifting from a famous Suwon-haenggung restaurant nearby, so I ended up dropping in^^ Here's my review of this old-style whole roast chicken (tongdak) restaurant in Suwon, where the whole family had a lovely meal thanks to the moist chicken roasted with care over oak firewood and the savory corn cheese that came with it!

Where is Haenggung Jangjak Hanbang Tongdak, and where do you park?

For our family outing, we headed to Haenggung Jangjak Hanbang Tongdak at 28 Haenggung-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do^^ It sits right in the heart of Haenggung-dong, so it's an easy walk from Hwaseong Haenggung and the pretty café street nearby~

If you're taking public transit, it's about a 10-minute taxi ride from Suwon Station, or you can take a bus to the Paldalmun stop and walk the rest of the way^^ If you're driving, the Hwaseong Haenggung on-street public parking lot is about a 3-minute walk from the restaurant, so parking is easy!

With the Suwon Ipark Museum of Art, the Haenggung-dong craft workshop street, and Namsi Market all nearby, this is a great spot for a date or a family meal in Suwon^^

12 hours of herbal aging and 2 hours over an oak fire

The moment I stepped inside, the gentle smoky scent of burning oak firewood hit my nose and got me really excited^^ Instead of relying on strong artificial seasoning, this place clearly puts a lot of care into bringing out the clean, deep natural flavor of the ingredients~

The carefully aged chicken slowly rotates inside the oak firewood oven for about 2 hours~ The strong heat and deep smoky aroma of the oak crisp up the skin while sealing in the juices of the meat inside, showing exactly why this place is known as a top old-style chicken spot in Suwon!

There were chicken drawings all over the restaurant, which I found pretty funny haha

Corn cheese gratin oak-fired chicken with 2 draft beers

After happily agonizing over the menu, we went with the corn cheese gratin seasoned oak-fired chicken, which is great for eating with kids, along with two cold glasses of draft beer^^

They brought out two types of sauce, salt, chive kimchi, and radish kimchi.

Taking a sip of the freshly poured, refreshingly crisp draft beer first, all my built-up fatigue melted away!

When the main dish arrived at the table shortly after, it looked so gorgeous and appetizing that we couldn't help but gasp!

Golden, melted corn cheese on a hot griddle wrapped around the seasoned oak-fired chicken like a cozy blanket^^

How moist was the chicken, and what about the sticky rice inside?

Since the chicken was slowly roasted for 2 hours over oak firewood, the meat came off easily with just a light touch of the chopsticks^^ Even the breast meat wasn't dry at all — it practically melted in the mouth, with really outstanding juicy flavor!

Wrapping the crispy, savory skin and moist meat in the sweet corn cheese and taking a bite, my mouth filled with rich savoriness and smoky aroma^^

Inside the chicken there was a generous amount of soft, nutty sticky rice, which was perfect to eat alongside the meat! With a little sauce drizzled on, eating the rice together with the moist meat made for a satisfying full meal, and I was really glad I stopped by this old-style Suwon chicken restaurant^^

A walk through Hwaseong Haenggung after dinner: final verdict

After finishing our meal, we walked over to nearby Hwaseong Haenggung and enjoyed a quiet stroll^^ Taking in the serene palace scenery, walking around Paldalmun, digesting our meal, and taking lots of pretty photos with my kid made it a perfect outing course~

The careful 12-hour aging, the deep flavor of the oak firewood roasting, and the harmony of savory corn cheese with the chewy sticky rice — every element of this place really won me over! It's not overpowering at all, leaves your stomach feeling comfortable, and left a clean, lingering aftertaste I'll remember for a long time^^

If you're planning an outing around Hwaseong Haenggung in Suwon, I really recommend stopping by this restaurant, which delivers on taste, atmosphere, and a satisfying menu all at once!