Hyehwa pub with shrimp gangjeong and gopdori-tang: Hyehwahwa

I was looking for a good spot in Hyehwa to have dinner and a drink, and ended up at Hyehwahwa. Hyehwa is near Daehangno, so there are tons of good restaurants and bars around — this time I wanted somewhere with a nice atmosphere AND good food, so I gave this place a try.

Cutting to the chase — of everything we ordered that day, the straw-fire seared spicy gopdori-tang (gopchang and chicken hot pot) was the one that really stuck with me.

It came loaded with gopchang (beef intestines), plus chicken, rice cake, glass noodles, and potato, so it worked great as a drinking snack but was also hearty enough to double as dinner.

Weekday evening at Hyehwahwa: arrive after 6pm, full within an hour

We got to Hyehwahwa a little after 6pm on a weekday. I figured it'd still be early enough to find plenty of seats, but walking in, there were already quite a few customers. About an hour later, the place was almost completely full.

Seeing customers keep streaming in even on a weekday evening, it was clear a lot of people come here looking for a good Hyehwa restaurant and bar. It seemed like a popular time slot for anyone wanting dinner and drinks in Hyehwa, and the vibe was pretty lively too.

Hyehwahwa's open window seats on a cool evening

Beyond the food, I really liked the atmosphere at Hyehwahwa too. There's a section by the window that's actually open, and visiting on a cool evening like this, the mood there was really nice. Sitting inside, you could still catch a bit of the outside air, so it didn't feel stuffy at all — a great fit for having a drink in the evening. Hyehwa has that lively Daehangno energy at night, and sitting by the window let that atmosphere drift right in.

It seemed like a great spot to grab a casual drink with friends, or even for a date. So if you're looking for a Hyehwa bar or a bar near Hyehwa Station that also nails the atmosphere, this place fits the bill.

What we ordered at Hyehwahwa and what it cost

• Straw-fire seared spicy gopdori-tang — ₩26,000
• Crispy shrimp (tangeul-saeu gangjeong) — ₩15,000

We ordered two dishes that day: the straw-fire seared spicy gopdori-tang and the crispy shrimp. Both were great as drinking snacks, but personally, the gopdori-tang really won me over.

How is Hyehwahwa's signature straw-fired spicy gopdori-tang?

First up, the straw-fire seared spicy gopdori-tang. I ordered it because it's supposedly the signature dish, and the second it arrived, the look of it alone was seriously appetizing. The gopchang in particular was piled in so generously — I loved that.

Gopdori-tang is a dish where you eat gopchang and chicken together, and here, the portion of gopchang was truly generous. Anyone who loves gopchang would be satisfied.

But it wasn't just the gopchang that was generous — there was chicken in there too, which made it even more filling. We ordered it as a drinking snack, but the portion was hearty enough that it basically doubled as dinner.

Personally, what I liked most was that there was absolutely no gamey smell that gopchang can sometimes have. Even people who like gopchang can be put off by that particular smell, but the gopdori-tang here was totally clean, without any of that.

The gopchang paired really well with the savory, spicy broth too. Honestly, this was the dish I enjoyed the most that day.

Rice cakes, glass noodles and potato in the gopdori-tang

The gopdori-tang wasn't just gopchang and chicken. It came loaded with toppings — rice cake, glass noodles, and potato — so there was fun in picking through and trying a bit of everything.

The spicy broth soaked well into everything, so the glass noodles were delicious, and the potato was cooked soft, going nicely with the broth. The rice cake was chewy and the glass noodles held onto the broth so well that I kept fishing for more while drinking. Above all, the sheer amount of gopchang made it feel like good value too.

Being able to eat gopchang and chicken together, plus all those generous toppings, made it more than enough as a drinking snack for two. If you're after gopdori-tang in Hyehwa, this dish is a must-try.

Hyehwahwa's shrimp gangjeong is really fried shrimp

The second dish we ordered was the tangeul-saeu gangjeong (crispy shrimp). Honestly, from the name alone, I assumed it'd be shrimp tossed in sauce like Korean fried chicken (dak-gangjeong). But when it came out, it was actually just fried shrimp, haha. Looking at the photo again, yep, definitely fried. Still, the shrimp was crispy and fun to pick at one by one, and the portion was pretty generous.

Pairing it with a spicy, brothy dish like the gopdori-tang worked really well. If you're visiting with a group, this is a great one to pick at together over drinks.

Looking for a Hyehwa restaurant and bar? Order the gopdori-tang at Hyehwahwa

Overall, Hyehwahwa delivered on both food and atmosphere. We arrived just after 6pm on a weekday and it was already busy, and within about an hour it was nearly full. The dish I enjoyed most by far was the straw-fire seared spicy gopdori-tang.

It was loaded with gopchang and chicken, filling and satisfying, plus rice cake, glass noodles, and potato rounding it all out. Best of all, it was completely free of that gamey gopchang smell. The spicy broth made it a great match for drinks too.

On a cool evening like this, sitting at the open window seats would make the mood even better. It's a great spot for drinks with friends or a dinner-and-drinks date. If you're after a Hyehwa restaurant and bar with delicious snacks to match, I'd recommend Hyehwahwa. Especially if you're a gopchang lover — the straw-fire seared spicy gopdori-tang is a definite must-order.

• Busy even on weekday evenings
• Great open window seats for cool weather
• A Hyehwa bar with a good atmosphere
• Straw-fire seared gopdori-tang loaded with gopchang
• Hearty mix of chicken, rice cake, glass noodles, and potato
• Clean flavor, no gamey gopchang smell

Next time I visit, I think I'll order the signature straw-fire seared spicy gopdori-tang again. If you want good food, drinks, and a nice atmosphere in Hyehwa, I'd recommend Hyehwahwa :)

📍 29-3 Daemyeong-gil, 2nd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Hyehwahwa) / ⏰ 17:00–01:00 (next day) / Closed every Monday