Hyehwa bar where a 3,000-won rice bowl cools spicy octopus: Hyehwahwa
In short
Hyehwahwa is a straw-fire Korean pub in Jongno, Seoul, about 150m from Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station and up on the 2nd floor. A couple in Daehangno for a play ordered a half plate of premium Korean beef tartare for 18,000 won, the signature straw-fire seared cauldron knife-cut octopus for 24,000 won and a seaweed-flake rice bowl for 3,000 won with soju-beer; the octopus was spicier than expected, but eating it with the rice bowl balanced it perfectly. For smoky grilled snacks and spicy Korean dishes in Daehangno, Hyehwahwa is a good fit.
Good to know
- Location
- About 150m from Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station, 2nd floor of the building
- Premium Korean beef tartare, half plate
- 18,000 won
- Straw-fire seared cauldron knife-cut octopus
- 24,000 won
- Seaweed-flake rice bowl
- 3,000 won
- Complimentary starter
- Tofu
- Ordering
- QR code mobile ordering
- Corkage
- Allowed for a fee
- Seating
- Tables, bar seats, side-by-side couple seats
- Restroom
- Inside the venue, shared by men and women
as written by the visitor on Sep 18, 2026
A while back my husband and I went to Daehangno to see a play, and since we hadn't been out on a Seoul date in a while, we were trying to figure out what to eat. My husband usually loves food with that smoky charred flavor, so when I heard there was a Korean pub with a rich straw-fire smell, we headed over. Here's my post on Hyehwahwa, a Daehangno pub.
Hyehwahwa
From Hyehwa Station to Hyehwahwa, straw fire right at the door
Hyehwahwa, a Daehangno favorite, is about 150m from Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station if you're coming by subway. It's on the 2nd floor of its building, and when I walked up, there was straw fire right at the entrance — it already had me excited.
The seating was pretty generous, from tables to bar seats. A lot of couples sat side by side, but we picked a more comfortable table. Also — even though it's shared — the restroom is inside the pub! It was kept clean, and honestly, not many bars in Seoul have restrooms inside the venue, so that was a nice plus.
The complimentary starter is tofu, and you order by QR code
Hyehwahwa's complimentary starter is, of all things, tofu!!! It goes perfectly with the sauce, and it was great for lining your stomach before drinking.
You order by scanning a QR code with your phone — we went with a nice cold soju-beer that day! If you have a specific drink you want to bring, corkage is available for a fee. The menu is fairly varied, so it's good as a first stop like we did, but with plenty of simple snacks too, it'd work well for a second or third round as well.
Watching the straw-fire searing from the open kitchen
Hyehwahwa, a Hyehwa Station favorite, has a trustworthy open kitchen. Suddenly there were flashes of light, so I went to look and saw them searing food over straw fire. With that much heat, there's no way it wouldn't get that smoky flavor. It added the fun of watching on top of the fun of eating.
Our order came out, and it looked amazing at a glance. Let me walk you through each dish.
Premium Korean beef tartare, half plate for 18,000 won — not a small portion
The first dish to arrive was the premium Korean beef tartare, half plate! I worried a half plate might be small, but it really wasn't!!
Maybe because it was chilled rather than frozen beef tartare, the freshness really came through. We ordered it because we like trying a variety of dishes, but if you want something lighter, this would be great to order on its own too!
The tartare looked fresh even up close! We dipped it in the sesame oil sauce that came with it, and the more I chewed, the more that clean, nutty flavor spread. It tasted like it could pass for a dedicated beef tartare restaurant.
Signature straw-fire cauldron knife-cut octopus, 24,000 won — how spicy is it?
Next up, today's main dish! One of the signature menu items at this Hyehwa favorite, the straw-fire cauldron knife-cut octopus. When we opened the cauldron, smoke rose up along with a rich straw-fire aroma.
The spicy smell mixed with the straw-fire aroma hit my nose and my mouth was watering instantly...!! The straw-fire cauldron knife-cut octopus had a whole octopus in it, along with plenty of cabbage and knife-cut noodles.
A big whole octopus was cut into bite-sized pieces for us. The octopus was chewy and firm.
The noodles inside were also cooked just right. The spice level of this Hyehwa pub's signature cauldron octopus was spicier than I expected! Not the burning-stomach kind of capsaicin heat, but the kind of spicy where you keep reaching for more — a delicious spicy.
Chewy octopus and crunchy cabbage were a perfect match! It's exactly the kind of spicy dish to eat when you have no appetite. All the food here has such good quality as Korean cuisine that some people seemed to come just for a meal, not just drinks.
Seaweed-flake rice bowl for 3,000 won tamed the spice
We ordered a seaweed-flake rice bowl on the side since the octopus was spicier than expected! It's rice piled high with seaweed flakes, topped with sesame oil, and the nutty flavor was outstanding.
Eating the nutty seaweed-flake rice bowl calmed the spiciness down. The combination of the rice bowl and cauldron octopus was so good that I'd recommend ordering them together.
Who should visit Hyehwahwa
- Anyone looking for a great fusion Korean pub in Daehangno
- Anyone looking for a Hyehwa Station bar with a good atmosphere
- Anyone looking for a spicy food spot near Hyehwa Station
I'd recommend a visit to Hyehwahwa, a Korean pub in Hyehwa.
Where it is
29-3 Daemyeong-gil, 2nd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea서울특별시 종로구 대명길 29-3 2층
