Jongno Chinese takeout with mala tofu and yuxiang eggplant: Cheonghwa

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon takeout that makes a bowl of rice vanish

I was looking for somewhere to grab Chinese takeout near Gwanghwamun and ended up at the Gwanghwamun branch of Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon! From the name alone you'd think beef knife-cut noodles (dosakmyeon) is the main event, but the menu actually covers everything from noodles to rice bowls, dim sum, and dish-style dishes.

This time, instead of noodles, I picked up mala tofu, eggplant fry, and shumai to go. Bottom line first — the combo of three was really good, and the mala tofu in particular was insanely good over rice... I'm definitely ordering that again next time.

Where is Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon? Between Gwanghwamun and Jongak stations

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is on the first floor of Lemeilleur Jongno Town, 19 Jongno.

It's right between Gwanghwamun and Jongak stations, so it's a solid pick for office workers nearby heading over for lunch or dinner.

The current menu goes well beyond the signature uyuk dosakmyeon (beef knife-cut noodles) — there's yubal dosakmyeon, Sichuan-style uyuk dosakmyeon, and other noodle dishes, plus mala tofu, yuxiang eggplant rice bowl, gungbao chicken rice bowl, kkwabaorou, yulinji, and assorted dim sum. There's more choice than you'd expect. You can eat in, but this time I went with takeout.

• 📍 1F, Lemeilleur Jongno Town, 19 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• ⏰ Currently daily 10:30–22:00
• ✨ No break time
• ✔️ Takeout available

Mala tofu: spicy, nutty and salty, the best of the three dishes

Of the three dishes, my hands-down favorite was the mala tofu ♥️

It's called mala tofu, but it's a rich, spicy tofu dish that's basically built for spooning over rice — one bite in and I thought, "oh, this is rice food."

Soft tofu loaded with a rich sauce — mix it into a bowl of white rice and the savoriness really comes alive.

Since rice comes included, the mala tofu alone was enough to make a pretty satisfying meal.

If you go to Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon, the beef noodles are probably great too, but definitely order the mala tofu alongside it.

Yuxiang eggplant fry: sweet, soft and a generous portion

Next up, eggplant fry 🍆 Where the mala tofu is salty and spicy, the yuxiang eggplant leans sweet and soft — the two paired really well together.

The eggplant was cooked really soft, melting in your mouth, and coated generously in sauce, so it goes surprisingly well with rice too. And the moment I opened the takeout container I thought, "whoa, that's a lot."

Plenty for two people sharing a few dishes, or for ordering as a side dish among a bigger group.

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon also sells eggplant dishes separately, like eggplant fry and yuxiang eggplant rice bowl, so if you like eggplant there are quite a few options.

Shumai with shrimp and pork as a side at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

Felt like the meal needed at least one dim sum, so I added shumai too.

Both other dishes are heavy on rich sauce, so shumai was a nice bite to pick at in between. If you're after Gwanghwamun dim sum and want noodles or Chinese dishes in the same order, this looks like a good spot.

Besides shumai, they also sell xiaolongbao and crystal dumplings, so worth keeping in mind.

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon takeout verdict: order the dishes, not just the noodles

Given the name is literally Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon, you'd think the noodles are the obvious first order, haha, but this time I went dish-heavy instead. Turned out great! Mala tofu was pure rice-stealer, the yuxiang eggplant was sweet, soft, and generously portioned, and the shumai fit comfortably between the two. Getting rice included at no extra charge also made it a solid full meal for takeout.

• ✔️ My top pick: mala tofu
• ✔️ Sweet and soft option: yuxiang eggplant
• ✔️ Good as a side: shumai

Next time I'd like to try the uyuk dosakmyeon to live up to the name, but I'll probably order the mala tofu alongside it again regardless. If you're looking for a Jongno Chinese restaurant near Gwanghwamun or Jongak that does takeout, this is worth a stop for the sheer variety on the menu. I've already been back more than once, and I'd happily go again 😍