Hanam Misa Chinese restaurant for family gatherings: brass-bowl sides

Why we picked O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang in Hanam Misa

O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch is a nurungjitang (scorched rice soup) specialist on Misa-daero, right on the way to Starfield Hanam. My husband had a weekday off, and after we finished up nearby I searched for good places to eat around Hanam Misa — turns out the O Hyeongje brand, well known for jjajang and other Chinese dishes, had opened a new restaurant here. We went, loved it, and I wanted to share.

We had plenty of room to park right in front and headed inside.

There are so many big restaurants near Starfield Hanam, but the menus all felt a bit predictable and it was a letdown. Now if you're looking for good food near Starfield, healthy and delicious O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang is the answer.

Partitioned hall: what are the family-gathering tables like?

O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch has a spacious hall divided by partitions, with plenty of room between tables so it feels comfortable. There are lots of big tables too, great for group meals like family gatherings. The clean interior won me over the moment we walked in.

The window-side seats in particular feel cozy, with a pretty green view outside.

My husband and I were seated in the main hall. There were a lot of company dinner groups, families, and older folks dining together.

What is on the O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang menu?

The menu centers on nurungjitang (scorched rice soup): seafood, seafood abalone, mung bean abalone, maesaengi (seaweed) abalone, and imperial jeon-gabok nurungjitang.

There's also a wide range of Chinese dishes and set menus — fresh tenderloin tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), chili shrimp, yurinki, palbochae, jeon-gabok, flat fried dumplings, and more.

There's a full drink list too — soju, beer, makgeolli, even gaoliang liquor — so pairing a drink with the meal would be even better. With healthy nourishing dishes alongside great Chinese food, I can see why it's popular with older diners.

Side dishes served in brass bowls

We ordered the basic seafood nurungjitang and the fresh tenderloin tangsuyuk. The side dishes came out first, and each one served in a fancy brass bowl looked neat and tasted great.

Seafood nurungjitang: the pour into the hot stone pot

At last, the seafood nurungjitang we'd been waiting for arrived.

They pour the scorched rice into a piping-hot stone pot, then ladle the seafood nurungjitang broth over it — it sizzles and crackles with a sound that's honestly wild.

Since the rice-and-seafood soup can stick to the bottom, you have to stir it quickly with the ladle.

It's packed with fresh vegetables and seafood — just looking at it makes you feel healthier.

Shrimp, squid, octopus — it's loaded with seafood. Honestly, across all the restaurants in Hanam Misa and Gangdong, I don't think I've seen a dish quite like this.

There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Hanam Gangdong, but dishes like jjajangmyeon or jjamppong can be greasy and leave your stomach feeling heavy. Nurungjitang is light and packed with seafood — perfect for eating well and staying healthy.

The crunchy texture of the scorched rice paired with the light broth is such a great combo. The side dishes were neat and delicious too.

Self-serve bar with unlimited side dish refills

At this Hanam Misa favorite, you can refill side dishes endlessly at the self-serve bar, so there's no need to hold back.

Enjoying the crunch of the scorched rice alongside the flavor and texture of all the seafood keeps what could be a plain, light soup interesting and varied.

How does the fresh tenderloin tangsuyuk taste?

Next, the tangsuyuk arrived.

You could tell at a glance it was fried in clean oil using quality meat. True to O Hyeongje's reputation for Chinese cooking, the tangsuyuk looked neatly shaped and tasted great too.

It's fried to a beautiful golden crisp, and since it's made from fresh pork tenderloin, the meat inside stays wonderfully tender under that crunchy exterior.

Pouring the sauce over it makes it even more delicious!

It paired really well with the nurungjitang.

Kimchi sold separately and orange for dessert

They sell green onion kimchi, baek kimchi, and dried radish strips separately, which makes me think they're made in-house!

There's also orange at the self-serve bar, so dessert is taken care of too.

Why O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang works for family meals and company dinners

This was my first time having such a light, seafood-packed nurungjitang as a restaurant meal, and after trying it I could see exactly why it's popular with older diners. The portions are generous too — plenty of people order one bowl each and still take leftovers home.

Order a variety across mung bean, maesaengi, jeon-gabok and the rest, add a few cooked dishes, and it's perfect for a family gathering or company dinner. If you're looking for something special and delicious in Hanam Misa or Gangdong, give O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang a try!