Korean restaurant in Seo, Daejeon for three hearty soups: Hanppong

Craving a hot bowl of soup, I went to Hanppong (한뽕) in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon, with my family. It is directly opposite Dunsan Elementary School, and we visited a little before lunchtime to try three soup dishes.

Are there seats suitable for a family meal?

The restaurant had tables in several sizes, from four-person to eight-person tables. It looked suitable for a family meal or lunch with coworkers.

High chairs were available, too.

What did we order?

Photos of the signature sandeomi galbitang (mountain-style beef short rib soup) and Hanppong bak kut teh were displayed on the wall. We planned to order both, but the bak kut teh was not ready during our visit, so we could not try it. We ordered the sandeomi galbitang, Hanppong countryside dwaeji-gukbap (pork soup with rice), and Hanppong yangseonji haejangguk (beef tripe and blood soup).

Disposable aprons were available, along with instructions on how to enjoy the spicy silbi kimchi served with the soups, which made it easy to follow along.

Silbi kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) arrived before the food. Both side dishes went well with the soups.

How were the meat and broth in the sandeomi galbitang?

The sandeomi galbitang arrived with beef rib bones piled up, and its broth was clear yet rich. The meat came off the bones easily, so it was comfortable to eat.

The broth had light aromas of green onion and garlic, and it was clean and mild rather than overly oily. Since the meat was tender, I thought it would be fine to share with parents or children who have difficulty with chewy food.

What did the countryside dwaeji-gukbap taste like?

The countryside dwaeji-gukbap had plenty of thinly sliced pork in a rich, milky beef-bone broth. When I stirred it with a spoon, tender meat surfaced; it was mild without any unpleasant pork smell.

The base seasoning was light, so it paired well with the spicy silbi kimchi. I also liked mixing rice into the soup and topping it with a piece of well-fermented kkakdugi.

How is the yangseonji haejangguk if you want a spicy soup?

The yangseonji haejangguk had a spicy yet refreshing broth based on chili oil. It contained plenty of beef tripe and seonji (coagulated beef blood); the seonji was springy like pudding rather than dry, while the tripe had a chewy texture.

There was also plenty of ugeoji (dried cabbage greens), giving the broth a refreshing, lightly spicy finish. To my taste, the flavors of the ingredients came together well instead of tasting strongly of seasoning.

Can you get more side dishes or have coffee after the meal?

You could get more silbi kimchi and kkakdugi from the self bar. I was glad it was easy to have more while alternating them with the soups.

There was also a coffee machine for after the meal. After the hot soups, I finished the meal with coffee.

What about the location, hours, and parking?

Hanppong's address is 27 Dunsan-ro 74beon-gil, Seo-gu, Daejeon, South Korea, on the first floor. The hours listed in the original post are 10:50–20:30, with a break from 15:00 to 17:00 and last orders at 20:10.

Parking was the disappointing part. If you bring a car, it may be worth considering a paid public parking lot. My family enjoyed choosing different hearty soup dishes, but the inconvenient parking and missing out on the bak kut teh stayed with us.