24-hour Daegu soup restaurant for a family meal: Hanwoojang

Ttaro-gukbap (rice served separately from soup) is something people say you have to try at least once when you visit Daegu! This time, I went to Hanwoojang in Jung-gu, Daegu, with my parents for a warm, filling meal.

A 24-hour Korean soup restaurant in Jung-gu, Daegu, with my parents

With a long tradition behind it, this is a place where you can try a range of Korean beef soup dishes, including ttaro-gukbap, yangtang (beef tripe soup), and dogani-tang (ox knee cartilage soup), so it felt like a good place to visit with my parents. Above all, I loved that it is open 24 hours, meaning we could eat here early in the morning or late at night. Hanwoojang is indeed known as a 24-hour spot, making it easy to visit without worrying too much about the time.

As soon as we stepped inside, we could feel that hearty, comforting atmosphere unique to Korean soup restaurants. The menu ran from ttaro-gukbap to seolleongtang (milky ox-bone soup) and dogani-tang, so I paused for a moment over what to order. But with my parents there, hot soup was obviously the best choice!

What was the ttaro-gukbap broth like?

Ttaro-gukbap

First, I tried ttaro-gukbap, one of Daegu's signature dishes. As the name suggests, the rice and soup arrive separately, so you can enjoy them apart or add the rice to the broth, however you like. From the first taste, the broth was savory and deep. Rather than being aggressively spicy or salty, it had an appealing, concentrated umami that tasted as though it had simmered for a long time. One spoonful of warm broth made my stomach feel at ease! The spicy yet savory character distinctive to Daegu-style gukbap went wonderfully with the rice. A spoonful of rice with broth and meat was properly satisfying.

Yangtang

We also ordered yangtang because I thought my parents would like it, and its pale broth had a mild, nutty flavor that I really enjoyed. It was clean-tasting without strong seasonings, so I thought it was especially well suited to a meal with older family members. With rice, one bowl alone felt like a complete, filling meal! Add kimchi and kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and their tangy crunch complements the mild broth so well that I kept reaching for another spoonful.

Dogani-tang

And then there was the dogani-tang that especially caught my eye! Chewy dogani in the hot broth became more savory and mild the more I chewed. Its characteristic bouncy texture was still there too, making it a real treat with the broth.

A table of gukbap and family stories

As we ate together, we naturally moved from old stories into all sorts of other conversations. Delicious food is lovely, of course, but it was especially nice to have a full table laid out and take our time eating as a family.

These days, I often seek out pretty cafés and restaurants with a nice atmosphere, but sometimes it is just as wonderful to have a bowl of hot broth at a traditional gukbap restaurant that has held its place for a long time. If you crave warm gukbap while traveling in Daegu, or want a filling meal with your parents, Hanwoojang seems like a good choice. Being open 24 hours also makes it great for breakfast or a late-night meal. Another plus is being able to choose from Daegu's signature ttaro-gukbap, seolleongtang, dogani-tang, and more according to your taste!

This meal with my parents was filling, but I think it will stay with me even more warmly because we were able to sit facing each other and talk for the first time in a while. If you are looking for a long-established gukbap spot in Daegu, how about a bowl of hot broth? I will remember Hanwoojang as somewhere I would like to revisit the next time I am in Daegu. 😊