Wonju udon restaurant open till 4:30am: Haengbokhan Udong Gage

This time I got a rare date night with my husband thanks to my parents watching the kids :) Once we were out the door, just the two of us, the happy dilemma of what to eat began hahaha. That day I was really craving something hot and soupy, so we went to "Haengbokhan Udong Gage Dangwan Branch," a place famous for udon and tonkatsu in the neighborhood where my parents live and where I used to live myself! I've been going there for years, so today I want to introduce our real go-to spot for whenever we're craving Wonju udon 😊

Where is Haengbokhan Udong Gage Dangwan Branch, and what are its hours?

• 📍 Location: 364 Dangu-ro, 1st floor, Wonju, Gangwon, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: 10:00am – 4:30am the next day (last order 4:00am)
• 🍜 Good for solo dining, family meals, and drinking with friends

Why the Dangwan branch out of all the Haengbokhan Udong Gage locations?

Haengbokhan Udong Gage runs as a chain. Besides the Dangwan branch, you can find it in several other areas of Wonju too, like Musil and Taejang. Honestly, even with the same chain, the taste can feel a little different from branch to branch, right? I've tried a few other locations myself, but for my taste, Dangwan branch is truly, truly the best one ㅠ_ㅠ Lots of people also come alone just to have tonkatsu or udon by themselves, so it really felt like a comfortable neighborhood spot for locals looking for Dangu-dong food.

What time is Haengbokhan Udong Gage least crowded?

Haengbokhan Udong Gage Dangwan Branch gets noticeably busier after 9pm, so if you want to eat comfortably, an early evening visit is better. We've often come here as our second stop after a first round of drinks elsewhere haha. This time we arrived around 5pm, and I saw more people there for dinner than people drinking :) The crowd was more varied by age than I expected too, from solo diners to families. From my experience visiting over the years, a lot of people show up as their second stop after a drink, so there have been times we had to wait — if you want a more relaxed meal, I'd recommend going early in the evening like we did! Worth keeping in mind if you're looking for a Dangwan-taekji restaurant where you can both eat and drink.

The restroom is located outside the building rather than inside the restaurant. You need to enter a password to get in, so even though it's an outdoor restroom, it felt a bit more secure to use!

What we ordered: gakgi udon, boiled squid and hand-made tonkatsu

You can order easily through the kiosk! What we ordered first was

• ✔️ 1 gakgi udon (cut-noodle udon)
• ✔️ 1 boiled squid
• ✔️ 1 bottle soju (review event)
• ✔️ 1 bottle beer

I was really craving the gakgi udon and tonkatsu I always get, but my husband wanted boiled squid, so I let him have it this time haha. Spoiler: we ended up adding tonkatsu later anyway,,,,ㅋㅋ

No matter what you order, the basic side dishes are simply kimchi and pickled radish! It might seem a little sparse at first glance, but the main dishes are so generous and delicious that the side dishes really are just a supporting act haha.

How spicy is regular-spice gakgi udon if you can't eat spicy food?

I ordered the gakgi udon in regular spice level, and even for me, who can't handle spicy food well, it was only slightly spicy, so I could eat it without any worry. If you want it a bit more fiery, bumping up the spice level by one step would work well! The gakgi udon I'd been craving so badly finally arrived 🥹🥹🥹 Is it really this hard for a working mom to get out and eat this udon when I cook every single day at home,,,,? Working moms, I swear😭😭 It tasted exactly the way I remembered, and I was so moved from the very first bite, everyone,,,♥️ Eating the hot broth together with the thin noodles reminded me all over again why people seek this place out as their go-to Dangu-dong udon spot haha.

Boiled squid: easy to eat even with braces

Next came the boiled squid my husband ordered~~~~~ I've had braces for about two and a half years now, and I still struggle with anything hard or chewy. But the boiled squid here was softer than I expected, so even with braces, I could eat it without much trouble! It was nice to enjoy squid comfortably again after a while, and the generous portion made it even more satisfying 😊 What more is there to say????? JMT (really, madly tasty)!!!!!!

With all the side dishes out, of course drinks had to follow, right? haha I had beer, my husband had soju. Being out together without the kids for once, we got to talk about things we hadn't had a chance to say, and it was really fun ㅋㅋㅋㅋ My husband, who's probably felt a bit neglected with the kids always coming first while we're both busy raising them……..^^…….. But just sitting there sharing good food and conversation like that — that moment itself felt like happiness ~🍻

The hand-made tonkatsu we added mid-meal

I don't look like a pig, right…..?ㅋ……. But hey, we came here after a long time away from our busy lives, so we had to have at least one dish we'd been missing! As we ate, I started thinking that if we left without tonkatsu, I'd keep thinking about it once we got home????? So my husband and I ended up ordering the hand-cut tonkatsu too haha. We were supposed to share it, but it was so good I ended up eating most of it ㅠ_ㅠ The breading was crispy, the inside was thick and full, and it paired perfectly with the familiar sauce. Every time I eat here, I understand all over again why Haengbokhan Udong Gage is famous not just for Wonju udon but for its tonkatsu too 🥹

My husband, drinking down even the gakgi udon broth ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Honestly, he's a more frequent regular here than I am. He said this is the place he and his friends often stop by last after drinking around Dangwan-taekji! Being able to enjoy both a meal and drinks late into the night is probably why people keep coming back to this Dangwan-taekji restaurant.

Out with my husband after so long, I obviously wasn't leaving without a photo of myself, right?????? The lighting here is surprisingly photogenic ㅋㅋ💕 Good food and photos to remember it by — it really felt like a proper date.

Who should visit Haengbokhan Udong Gage Dangwan Branch?

Haengbokhan Udong Gage Dangwan Branch worked well whether we wanted a quick solo meal, dinner with family, or a late-night drink. If you're craving hot broth and looking for a Dangu-dong udon restaurant, or searching for a Wonju udon place where you can also get tonkatsu, I'd recommend it! Just note that after 9pm, a lot of second-round customers show up, so if you want a quiet meal, go a bit earlier. Those who already know the gakgi udon and tonkatsu here know — it's genuinely the same taste it's always been, and that's what made it even better 🫶🏻 Thanks to Haengbokhan Udong Gage for a meal that made both my mouth and my heart happy!