Sinchon Chinese restaurant with church parking nearby: Cheonghwaweon

Real Taiwanese local food is hard to find, isn't it?

I visited Cheonghwaweon (청화원), a Sinchon favorite that even Chinese exchange students are said to approve of, specializing in authentic Taiwanese beef noodles and Hong Kong-style dim sum.

Where is Cheonghwaweon in Sinchon, and where do you park?

Cheonghwaweon is at 10 Myeongmul-gil, 1st floor, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Before the full review, here's a quick rundown of location and parking.

There's no parking lot at Cheonghwaweon. Can you still drive?

Yes, just use the parking lot of the church nearby. It's one I use often in Sinchon.

Parking tip: the restaurant itself doesn't offer parking support. Instead I parked at the church right nearby and drove out right after eating, and the fee came to ₩4,000!

• Sichuan-style knife-cut beef noodles ₩10,500
• Fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl ₩9,800
• Yuringi (crispy chicken) ₩19,800

Here's what I noticed on my own weekend-evening visit.

What's the atmosphere like, and are there seats for solo diners?

Inside, Cheonghwaweon doesn't feel like a dreary old Chinese restaurant. It feels like a hip café you stumbled into while traveling in Taiwan. Wood-toned tables and chairs, plus vintage stained-glass-style accent lights here and there, add a warm touch.

When you eat alone, don't you often feel awkward taking up a four-person table?

Here, though, two-person tables are set along the wall, so you can eat solo without worrying about anyone's looks.

Introverts, you're safe too! Every seat at Cheonghwaweon orders by tablet.

What we ordered on a weekend evening

We ordered yuringi, Sichuan-style knife-cut beef noodles and the fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl. I heard an experienced local chef cooks every dish himself, and that the batter goes on the moment you order, then it's fried in fresh oil.

Even eggplant haters will fall for it: crispy-outside, tender-inside fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl

"Eoyang" (魚香, fish-fragrant) originally comes from the name of a seasoning sauce used generously in Sichuan to cover fishy smells. There's not a speck of fish in the dish, but that signature spicy, tangy, sweet savoriness is amazing!

The fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl (₩9,800) I ordered this time had eggplant fried so crisp that the texture was like french fries. The sauce soaks into the properly crispy-outside, tender-inside eggplant, making it a total rice thief. Even if you normally hate mushy eggplant, you'll definitely love this one, so please give it a try.

How spicy are the Sichuan-style knife-cut beef noodles?

The Sichuan-style knife-cut beef noodles (₩10,500) are less spicy than Jin Ramen Spicy, so you can eat them without worry. Knife-cut noodles (dosakmyeon) are said to have started in the Yuan dynasty, when knife use was restricted to prevent Han rebellions. With no choice, people shaved the noodles off the dough with a special tool, which makes this a dish with a long history.

At Cheonghwaweon, I hear the flour dough is finished in four rounds and then aged for a day. Maybe that's why the chewiness of the noodles was really something else.

The broth is made by simmering fresh vegetables and beef leg bones together, giving it a clean, healthy flavor. They trim the fat off the shank and boil only the tasty cuts for four hours, so the meaty aroma is rich, I'm told. It's less spicy than Jin Ramen Spicy, so you can eat it without worry.

Yuringi

The yuringi (₩19,800) is the textbook crispy-outside, tender-inside, and I was surprised at how soft the chicken was.

How is the dim sum made at Cheonghwaweon?

I heard the dim sum at Cheonghwaweon is made by a specialist chef from Guangdong, who chops the shrimp and meat by hand and shapes each piece. The process is complicated and long, but they say they never use semi-prepared or ready-made food. Every ingredient is carefully trimmed and cooked, so you get an authentic flavor on a different level from ordinary Chinese restaurants. Cooking may take a while, but the wait is not a waste at all, so take it easy.

Is Cheonghwaweon in Sinchon worth going back to?

Cheonghwaweon is a truly great spot for real Taiwanese knife-cut beef noodles and Hong Kong-style dim sum, which even Chinese exchange students approve of. The crispy yuringi and fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl, fried the moment you order, have a wonderful texture. Since the dishes are made with so much care, they take a little time, but the quality is fully guaranteed. If you want a proper exotic food date in Sinchon, I strongly recommend Cheonghwaweon.