Daehangno bar open till 1am with pine nut makgeolli: Hyehwahwa

My sibling and I ran some errands near Daehangno and dropped by this bar, Hyehwahwa, once we were done.

Hyehwahwa in Daehangno is a Korean pub where the son of a chef from a Michelin 3-star Korean restaurant and his mother, once the owner of a restaurant with lines out the door, combine recipes to create rich, aromatic fusion dishes cooked over straw fire.

The place is pretty spacious, so it seems great for group visits. Since it stays open until 1am, I'd recommend it as a second-round spot.

It was a weekday, so even without a reservation, there was no wait.

Where is Hyehwahwa, and is there parking?

Hyehwahwa is on the 2nd floor of 29-3 Daemyeong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. About a 2-minute walk from Hyehwa Station Exit 4.

No parking available. Use nearby public parking lots.

Hyehwahwa opening hours and last order

5:00 PM to 1:00 AM the next day, last order at midnight. Closed every Monday.

Inside Hyehwahwa: the room and group bookings

Soft lighting and interior styled like a classic Korean pub. The atmosphere was good enough that it looked like a nice Daehangno bar for a date, too.

The bar table looked perfect for drinking solo. The place has a good floor size and plenty of seating.

Group reservations for up to 20 people are possible through Naver. If you're planning to visit during weekend peak hours or coming as a group, I'd recommend booking ahead since there can be a wait.

What's on the Hyehwahwa menu?

• Gopdori-tang (spicy tripe and octopus stew), gopchang hot pot
• Yukhoe egg sushi, garlic pork jowl suyuk (boiled pork)
• Shrimp gangjeong, fried peppers, half plate of yukhoe
• Yukhoe bibimbap, beef belly kimchi fried rice
• Yuk-jeon (beef pancake), seaweed flake rice pot, mentaiko rice pot
• Potato gratin, choco matcha ice cream
• Cauldron knife-cut octopus, scallop clam stew, and more

They also serve various alcohols, highballs, distilled spirits, makgeolli and more. *Corkage ₩15,000 per bottle

Overall the dishes leaned heavily on straw-fire cooking for that smoky flavor. Order by scanning the QR code attached to the table.

White kimchi and tofu are provided as basic side dishes (free refills).

For drinks, it had been a while, so we ordered Gapyeong pine nut makgeolli and Cass. We figured the fusion Korean bar snacks would pair well with makgeolli, and as expected, it was a perfect match. They set it up to drink from earthenware cups, which made me even more in the mood to drink.

1++ beef yukhoe 18,000 won and straw-fire minari octopus sukhoe 17,900 won

Neither of us was very hungry, so we ordered light bar snacks rather than heavy dishes. The plating and presentation were neat and matched Hyehwahwa's bar atmosphere well.

The flavor leaned strongly savory, with almost no toughness — soft and chewy in texture. The deep meaty flavor and special sauce were well balanced. Recommended when you're looking for something light but tasty for a second round.

Special vinegar-gochujang sauce, fragrant minari (water celery) salad, fresh straw-fire-scented octopus hoe. The clean, gentle sweetness layered with the straw-fire aroma gave it excellent flavor. Chewy and springy texture.

Dipping it in the special vinegar-gochujang sauce and eating it with minari brings out a tangy-sweet umami and fragrance. I didn't expect much since these are bar snacks, but the quality was quite impressive — maybe because there's a chef from a Michelin 3-star Korean restaurant in the kitchen.

A weekday evening at Hyehwahwa for two: any wait?

It had been a while since my sibling and I hung out just the two of us outside, so we had a lot to catch up on and talked away happily. Being a weekday, it was quiet enough that it was just right for chatting.

Since it was a weekday, the place started out quiet, but midway through, a group of customers came in and it got lively.

Around Jongno and Daehangno, I'd recommend Hyehwahwa as a bar for dates, group gatherings, or work dinners with colleagues ♡