Hyehwa izakaya with wagyu tataki and in-store Kitty goods: Hanamato

As the hot weather starts to cool down a little, it's becoming perfect drinking-at-an-outdoor-table season! Today I'm introducing Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa, which is close to Hyehwa Station and has outdoor seating to enjoy too!

Hanamato near Hyehwa Station is an izakaya where you can enjoy various Japanese-style drinking snacks like charcoal yakitori and oden, and the seating options are pretty varied too~ It's open until late, so it's great for a first round straight through to a second and third round, and I saw everyone from solo drinkers to couples on dates to group gatherings!

Where is Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa? 2 minutes from Hyehwa Station Exit 4, with outdoor tables

Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa is about a 2-minute walk from Hyehwa Station Exit 4, so it was easy to find, and the sign was visible from far away. I visited on a weekday evening, and the outdoor table seats were clearly popular, as expected~

Doesn't it give off Japanese vibes from the outside? Haha. I was looking for a place near Hyehwa or Daehangno to grab dinner and drink late into the night, and since Hanamato stays open late, it seemed perfect for sitting at the outdoor tables now that the weather's turned cool and enjoying a refreshing drink!

Bar seats on the 1st floor and the Japanese snacks and Kitty goods sold inside Hanamato

On Hanamato's 1st floor there are long bar-style seats, and I saw some people there drinking solo. There are also wide seats good for sitting with a friend, and near the counter they were selling Japanese snacks and cute key rings, of all things?!

The moment I saw it I blurted out to my friend, "I like this,, my birthday's coming up soon,," 🤣 and my friend ended up buying me the snack and even a Kitty mini bag lol. Suddenly I scored a birthday present at Hanamato of all places.. thank you, love you, friend 🧡

For those curious (actual purchase prices at Hyehwa Hanamato): Kitty mini bag – ₩30,000, Funwari Meijin kinako mochi snack – ₩6,000. So cute, right?! I originally planned to take it home and eat it later, but it was so good I ended up finishing it all at Hanamato lol.

Feeling good after neatly scoring a present, let's head up to the 2nd floor!

Hanamato's 2nd-floor group and window seats, plus tablet ordering

On Hanamato's 2nd floor there were seats set up nicely for group visits too. Sitting by the window, you can see the street view leading toward Hyehwa Station Exit 4, and the atmosphere was pretty nice when I visited in the evening!

For reference, the men's restroom is on the 1st floor and the women's restroom is on the 2nd floor!

You could order easily using the tablet on the table! Such a convenient ordering method for a hardcore introvert like me..🧡 And they're also running a review event. If you want to participate, check it before ordering!

5 charcoal yakitori skewers and 5 pieces of oden for 26,000 won, with free broth refills

What I ordered at Hanamato was the charcoal yakitori 5 kinds + oden 5 kinds set for ₩26,000 and the wagyu tataki for ₩15,000. At first I worried the portion might be small since it was called an "oden 5 kinds set," but there were plenty of varieties and it came with soup too, so my worry was unnecessary haha.

It was placed on top of something like a mini induction cooker, so the oden stayed hot the whole time I was eating. Taking a spoonful of soup between drinks, I kept going back for more. Best of all, the oden soup could be refilled endlessly! A drink, a spoonful of soup, another drink, more soup — at some point I was going harder on the soup than the oden lol 😅

I also tried all 5 yakitori skewers one by one, and personally, all 5 were delicious! My favorite among them was the fried chicken skin 🧡 Crispy on the outside with that distinctive savory chicken skin flavor, it made a great drinking snack~ Alternating between yakitori and oden, going from warm soup to a skewer, the combo worked really well as bar food!

Wagyu tataki for 15,000 won: the extra order to add at Hanamato

The moment the wagyu tataki arrived and I took my first bite, I almost gave it a three-clap standing ovation lol. The oden and yakitori were already a bite-a-drink kind of food, but the wagyu tataki was a bite-a-drink loop on repeat,, every piece of wagyu tataki made me want another drink.

While the yakitori and oden were easy to eat one at a time comfortably, the wagyu tataki was perfect to add on as an extra order midway through! Saying "I'm full.. I'm so full.." but somehow always finding room when something delicious shows up~ the magic of it all.

Is Hanamato a good second-round bar in Hyehwa?

Overall, Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa was a Hyehwa izakaya with a good variety of seating, from the outdoor tables and bar seats to the 2nd-floor seating! I visited with a friend for drinks, kept refilling the oden soup, tried each yakitori skewer, and finished off neatly with the wagyu tataki~

If you're looking for a place to head to for round two after dinner in Hyehwa, or want to enjoy a drink with some atmosphere at the outdoor tables, Hanamato Daehangno Hyehwa seems like a good choice! I liked that it's open until late, so it's worth keeping in mind when you're looking for somewhere to drink late in Hyehwa.