Extra noodles in special seolleongtang, Gyodong Daegu: Hanwoojang

With cool mornings and evenings these days, don't you just crave a hot bowl of gukbap (Korean soup with rice)? While out in Dongseong-ro, I stopped by for lunch at Hanwoojang, a gukbap spot in Gyodong known for being generous with portions. I took my two kids along and the staff were so attentive and kind to them, which made the meal even better. Let me tell you about our meal at Hanwoojang.

Where is Hanwoojang, and when is it open?

• Hanwoojang
• 📍555 Gukchaebosang-ro, 1st floor, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea (6-3 Jongno 1(il)-ga, Jung-gu, Daegu)
• ⏰ Open every day of the year, 00:00 - 24:00
• 🅿️ No dedicated parking lot

There's a seolleongtang (ox bone soup) specialist in Daegu that has been named a Blue Ribbon restaurant for 12 years running — that's Hanwoojang, a well-known gukbap restaurant on Jongno in Daegu.

Walking to Hanwoojang from Jungangno Station

Hanwoojang, known for its suyuk (boiled sliced pork/beef), is near Jungangno Station on Line 1. From the station, walk toward Megabox Premium Manggyeongwan, pass the Daegu Jungbu Police Station, and you'll find it on the right just before Ediya Coffee. Since it's open 24 hours, you can spot it easily by its Hanwoojang gukbap signboard.

Open since 1968 and now in its second generation

Since 1968 — imagine that, it opened all the way back then — this Daegu seolleongtang specialist is now run by the son as the second generation, making it a real fixture of Jung-gu, Daegu. They simmer the broth for over 12 hours every single day and make fresh kimchi, kkakdugi (radish kimchi), and stir-fried anchovies each time too. That kind of dedication is really something 👏 👏

Hanwoojang has a cozy, old-school Korean restaurant feel where you can really focus on your meal.

What we ordered at Hanwoojang with two kids

As befits a well-known gukbap restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu, Hanwoojang has a lineup of hearty soups and suyuk perfect for a satisfying one-bowl meal. Since I came with my kids, I ordered one special seolleongtang with extra noodles for them to share, plus a ttaro-gukbap (beef and radish soup with rice served separately) for myself.

• Special seolleongtang + extra noodles
• Ttaro-gukbap x1
• Drinks x2

The side dishes: chunky stir-fried anchovies

Among the side dishes, there were chunky stir-fried anchovies with the innards (often called 'anchovy poop') removed. It looks rustic, but you keep reaching for it. This basic side comes out along with the seolleongtang and ttaro-gukbap, and it has a flavor that keeps pulling you back in, haha.

Special seolleongtang with beef and extra noodles

At Hanwoojang, a must-order seolleongtang restaurant in Daegu, this seolleongtang is the essential dish to try.

Since my two kids were going to share it, I ordered the special (large) size, which comes with both meat and noodles, making it even more generous than the regular seolleongtang.

And since my kids love noodles, I added extra noodles too ^^v

The seolleongtang broth is milky white and mild-tasting — it's filling enough on its own, but adding the meat and noodles makes it even more satisfying. When it first arrived, the broth tasted a bit plain, so we added a little table salt.

Since the kids happily mixed rice into the broth and ate well, we ended up adding an extra bowl of rice too, haha.

Ttaro-gukbap: beef blood and green onion flavor

At Hanwoojang, a gukbap spot in Dongseong-ro I always love, the dish I keep coming back for is the ttaro-gukbap!

It's a beef and radish soup with beef blood added, tasting just like something Mom would make at home — every time I have it, it's mildly spicy with the rich flavor of well-cooked green onion, and it's just so delicious ^~^

I usually can't handle anything fishy or strong-smelling, but the beef blood in Hanwoojang's ttaro-gukbap had a distinct firm, springy texture with no fishy taste at all, so I finished every last bit.

Besides the beef blood, there was plenty of other stuff in the bowl too, so I got full and only left a little broth behind 😆 lol.

Hanwoojang, a gukbap spot in Gyodong that I keep coming back to regularly whenever I want a no-fuss but filling meal that anyone, any age, can enjoy without any trouble. I'm planning to bring my parents along next time too, haha.