Jonggak Station noodle shop, window-seat dinner for ₩25,800: Cheonghwa

The Jonggak Station and Gwanghwamun area has all kinds of restaurants, from office-worker lunches to dinner meetups. Familiar Korean or Japanese food is great, but sometimes you get curious about a different kind of noodle dish or some Chinese food, right?

Today's place is the Jonggak Station branch of Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon (청화 우육도삭면). As the name suggests, it isn't just a general Chinese restaurant: it centers on dosakmyeon (knife-cut noodles, shaved off the dough with a blade) and also serves several kinds of dim sum and other dishes. For anyone looking for a beef noodle spot near Gwanghwamun or a Chinese restaurant around Jonggak Station, I'll go through the location, menu, prices and practical info step by step.

Where is Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon Jonggak Station branch, and what about parking?

The restaurant is at 19 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the ground floor of Le Meilleur Jongno Town, Unit 118-1. It's about 235 m from Exit 1 of Jonggak Station on Line 1, roughly a 4-minute walk, so it's easy to reach by public transport. It's also a handy one to keep in mind when you're picking a place to eat around Gwanghwamun and Jongno.

The posted hours are daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with last order at 9:40 p.m. It's best to check before you go in case anything has changed.

If you're driving, the underground parking of the Le Meilleur building is said to be available. Reviews mention the first 2 hours free and ₩6,000 per 60 minutes after that, but the actual parking support terms are best confirmed with the restaurant before you visit.

The atmosphere at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon in the evening

I visited in the evening. The softly glowing signboard made the restaurant easy to find.

The orange Uyuk Dosakmyeon sign at the entrance stood out. Through the big glass windows you could see the dining area, and there were other diners eating when I visited.

Second-floor window seats and wood-tone interior

I was shown to a table by the window on the second floor. The table was roomy enough for several people, so it was nice for a relaxed meal.

The inside is furnished with wood-tone tables and chairs, giving it a warm, tidy feel overall. The tables are spaced a comfortable distance apart, so it was an easy place to eat.

Menu and prices ordered on the tablet

Once I sat at the second-floor window seat, I found a tablet ordering device at each table. You can see the menu photos and prices at a glance and pick what you want right away, which was convenient. You can also see the Jongno street outside the window, so it was fun to look out while choosing.

• Sichuan-style beef noodles — ₩11,000
• Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) — ₩9,800
• Chum Churum (soju) — ₩5,000

These are the side dishes set out on the table after ordering. Nutty peanuts and crunchy vegetable banchan (side dishes) came out, and they'd be nice to nibble on between bites of beef noodles.

What do the Sichuan-style beef noodles (₩11,000) taste like?

The Sichuan-style beef noodles came with big pieces of beef, minced meat and chopped scallions generously piled on a bright red broth. The wide knife-cut noodles stood out in particular. Just looking at it, you could imagine a rich, spicy flavor. It also seemed like a good match for the side dishes.

The Sichuan-style beef noodles had big chunks of beef, minced meat and chopped scallions piled on a deep red broth. Red chili oil spread over the surface, so the look promised the spicy, rich flavor Sichuan food is known for.

Wide noodles with uneven thickness

When I lifted the noodles with my chopsticks, they were wide and varied in thickness, unlike ordinary noodles. The broth clinging moistly to the strands looked appetizing too. The beef mixed in was big as well, so it was easy to alternate between noodles and meat.

A dinner with a bottle of soju alongside the noodles

To go with the spicy Sichuan beef noodles, I also ordered a bottle of soju. Red-broth noodles with cold soju seemed like a good combo for a dinner that doubles as a light drink. It's a handy menu setup if you want some Chinese food with a drink near Jonggak Station.

How many xiaolongbao (₩9,800) do you get?

The xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) came as 6 round dumplings in a bamboo steamer. The thin wrappers, pleated closely, looked appetizing. You eat them with the soy sauce that comes alongside, and since they're filled with juicy broth, you'll want to be careful when they're hot.

When I set a xiaolongbao on a spoon, the thin, moist wrapper stood out. The tightly folded pleats and plump shape looked appetizing. Since it's a soup dumpling, it's best to rest it on the spoon and eat it carefully. It was a good side to order with the spicy Sichuan beef noodles.

Beef noodles and dim sum together on one table

Finally, here's everything I ordered in one shot. The Sichuan-style beef noodles, with wide knife-cut noodles in red broth, and the xiaolongbao in a bamboo steamer made for a pretty hearty spread. The thick noodles and big chunks of beef stood out, and adding dim sum meant I could enjoy both noodles and dumplings. It's a good combo to keep in mind when you want beef noodles and dim sum together near Jonggak Station.

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon Jonggak Station branch at a glance

• Taste: The Sichuan-style beef noodles with rich red broth and wide knife-cut noodles were memorable. Adding xiaolongbao gave a nice variety of textures.
• Price: Sichuan-style beef noodles ₩11,000 and xiaolongbao ₩9,800 add up to ₩20,800 for the two dishes. With ₩5,000 soju, the total was ₩25,800.
• Atmosphere: Wood-tone interior with a tidy, comfortable feel. From the second-floor window seat you can see the Jongno street.
• Service: Each table has a tablet ordering device, so you can check menu photos and prices and order conveniently.
• Would I go back: A candidate to return to on a day when I want knife-cut noodles and dim sum together.
• Recommended for: People looking for beef noodles or dim sum near Jonggak Station, and anyone who wants a different kind of Chinese dish.