Jongno chicken hot pot lunch with octopus and makgeolli: Sunhuine

When you visit Dongdaemun, shopping is great, but the food is just as unmissable. Especially dak hanmari (chicken hot pot) — a hearty dish of warm broth and soft chicken — one of Dongdaemun's signature menus.

This time, while deciding on lunch, I headed to Sunhuine Bindaetteok for a filling Dongdaemun dak hanmari lunch. The name might make you think of bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) first, but they also serve dak hanmari, nakji tangtangi, and makgeolli — a solid spot if you want to try a few different things.

We ordered dak hanmari, nakji tangtangi, and Sunhuine makgeolli. It started out as lunch, but the menu combo was so good that a glass of makgeolli naturally joined in.

A filling lunch in the Dongdaemun dak hanmari alley

Dongdaemun has so much to see and shop for that you get hungry fast just from walking around. So I wanted lunch to be extra filling.

Looking for something good to share with a group, I landed on dak hanmari.

It's a dish where chicken and various ingredients simmer together in a big pot, which makes it especially appealing now that the weather's getting a bit cooler.

If you're looking for a Dongdaemun dak hanmari lunch, it's worth checking whether you like warm soupy dishes and whether there are plenty of side dishes to pair with it. I liked that Sunhuine Bindaetteok lets you order several menu items alongside the dak hanmari.

Sunhuine Bindaetteok's dak hanmari, simmered at the table

Finally, the main dish, dak hanmari, arrived. Once it started bubbling on the table, a savory aroma rose up even before we took a bite, whetting our appetite.

We waited until the broth had fully boiled and the chicken was cooked just right, then tasted it piece by piece. The well-cooked chicken was moist and tender, easy to eat, and eating it with the warm broth made me feel full and satisfied all the way through.

The appeal of dak hanmari is that it's not about strong seasoning, but about enjoying the plain taste of the chicken and broth themselves. Adding sauce to taste gives it yet another flavor. Sitting around one pot with several people made the meal feel more relaxed too. If you're looking for a Dongdaemun dak hanmari lunch and enjoy a warm, hearty broth, this is a dish worth trying at least once.

Nakji tangtangi: fresh, chewy chopped octopus

Ordering just dak hanmari felt a little lacking, so we also got nakji tangtangi (chopped live octopus). While dak hanmari is warm and plain, nakji tangtangi's appeal is its chewy texture, so it was nice to alternate between the two different flavors.

I loved the springy texture in my mouth — one bite and my chopsticks naturally reached for the next piece.

Especially taking a spoonful of dak hanmari broth and then following it with nakji tangtangi — the combination worked really well together.

If you're visiting with a group, I'd recommend adding another dish like this to share instead of just ordering the dak hanmari alone.

Sunhuine makgeolli, the drink that matched the chicken hot pot

With good food in front of us, makgeolli was a must.

This time we also ordered Sunhuine makgeolli, whose name itself made me curious.

Pouring a cool glass of makgeolli alongside the dak hanmari made lunchtime feel much more relaxed. A sip of hot dak hanmari broth, a piece of tender chicken, then a cool sip of makgeolli. Adding in the chewy nakji tangtangi made the whole spread feel quite substantial.

Personally, if it's a day when I can enjoy a relaxed drink while eating a Dongdaemun dak hanmari lunch, I think adding makgeolli is a good move. The bindaetteok restaurant atmosphere really does pair well with makgeolli.

Why these three dishes work better together

Looking back at what we ate, it was dak hanmari + nakji tangtangi + Sunhuine makgeolli. The warm, plain flavor of dak hanmari, the chewy texture of nakji tangtangi, and the coolness of makgeolli each had their own charm, so the meal felt much more abundant than if we'd stuck to just one dish. Dak hanmari especially, since one pot can be shared among several people, seemed like a great menu for visiting with family, friends, or acquaintances.

It felt suited to people who prefer a slow meal with conversation over a quick solo lunch.

Is Sunhuine Bindaetteok worth it for a Dongdaemun lunch?

Dongdaemun really does have a huge range of food, but it can still be hard to decide on lunch. From meat to noodles to market snacks, there are so many options. If you're looking for something hearty and warm, a Dongdaemun dak hanmari lunch is one great choice.

Especially in a season like now, when mornings and evenings are getting a bit cooler, warm broth feels even more welcome.

Sitting in front of a simmering dak hanmari and eating tender chicken gives you a real sense of having had a proper meal. Adding a good-textured dish like nakji tangtangi on top makes it a rich combination of both drinking snack and meal.

Final verdict on Sunhuine Bindaetteok

On this Dongdaemun outing, the dak hanmari, nakji tangtangi, and Sunhuine makgeolli at Sunhuine Bindaetteok made for a quite satisfying lunch — warm, plain dak hanmari at the center, joined by chewy nakji tangtangi and cool makgeolli. Visiting with a group and ordering a variety of dishes to share would make it even more abundant.

If you're looking for a Dongdaemun dak hanmari lunch spot, or craving a warm broth dish in Dongdaemun, try the dak hanmari with nakji tangtangi and makgeolli together. It's the kind of meal that comes to mind when you want to fill up after shopping or wandering around Dongdaemun.

Three-line summary

• A great menu combo for enjoying warm, hearty dak hanmari in Dongdaemun
• Dak hanmari + nakji tangtangi pairs plain broth with chewy texture at once
• Add Sunhuine makgeolli for a lunch that goes from Dongdaemun broth to a light drink