Jonggak Taiwanese restaurant: Chinese-drama beef noodle fix, Cheonghwa

Craving Gwanghwamun beef noodles? Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon (청화 우육도삭면) is a beef noodle and dim sum restaurant between Gwanghwamun Station and Jonggak Station. I was watching a Chinese drama, Zhu Yu (Joy of Life-style craving, haha), and suddenly wanted beef noodles, so I finally visited this Gwanghwamun beef noodle spot I'd had my eye on. Sitting between the two stations, it's easy to drop into on the way home from work or during a weekend outing.

Location, hours and parking at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is at 19 Jongno, 118-1, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Take Exit 4 of Gwanghwamun Station or Exit 1 of Jonggak Station. It's open daily 10:30–22:00, and paid parking is available in the Lemier Building basement.

• Address: 19 Jongno, 118-1, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Subway: Gwanghwamun Station Exit 4, Jonggak Station Exit 1
• Hours: daily 10:30–22:00
• Parking: paid parking in the Lemier Building basement, first 2 hours free, then ₩6,000 per 60 minutes / max ₩100,000
• Groups welcome (up to 8 people)

Is Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon crowded at 5pm?

Even at an in-between time like 5pm, both the first and second floors were full of customers. I'd always seen crowds when passing by, so I deliberately avoided mealtime... and yet, wow. Still, there was a seat for me, so I could sit down and order right away.

The tables are laid out efficiently, so it's good for eating alone, and I think it works for all kinds of Gwanghwamun lunch or dinner gatherings too. The atmosphere is clean and suits all ages, which makes Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon a great Gwanghwamun Chinese restaurant!

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon menu

The restaurant specializes in authentic Chinese and Taiwanese dishes, so the menu looks simple but is really solid! Besides dim sum, there are beef noodles, guobaorou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork), fried rice and more. Everything you'd want is here.

What I ordered at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon

I ordered the signature dishes: beef dosakmyeon (knife-cut beef noodles) and xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

How is the beef dosakmyeon? Rich spiced broth and chewy noodles

The beef dosakmyeon here is the main dish: a deeply simmered, rich broth with lively spice aroma. I took one spoonful of the broth first and it warmed me down to my belly. I missed this spice smell! Ahh, I want to travel to Taiwan.

The noodles are shaved off with a knife, and they have that signature chewiness, so they were satisfying to eat. The beef topping was also so tender... The chunks are fairly big, so I worried they'd be tough, but they weren't dry at all and were soft to eat.

How juicy are the xiaolongbao?

I ordered the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) as a side because I thought the noodles alone wouldn't be enough, and the juice was amazing. When I tore the wrapper slightly, rich meat broth flowed onto the spoon, and it was so delicious. The wrapper is thin and chewy, and the inside is packed with meat, so it was tasty.

Can you see the juice flowing? I love the first bite of a dumpling. Bite it a little and slurp the broth, and it's really savory and delicious.

A bite of beef noodles, a bite of xiaolongbao, and you could go on endlessly. A dream combination. The staff seemed to be locals, so the moment I ate, I felt like I was on a trip in Taiwan.

Why is Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon always crowded?

After eating at Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon near Gwanghwamun and Jonggak stations, I understood why office workers nearby and people out for the day come so often. Both floors fill up from early evening, and the taste and the cleanliness were both good!

Cheonghwa Uyuk Dosakmyeon is a great Gwanghwamun Chinese restaurant for lunch or a dinner gathering. If you're craving beef noodles, come try it! The moment you eat, you'll feel like you're traveling to Taiwan!