City Hall Station Chinese restaurant for mala hot pot: Huhugwan

Huhugwan, a newly opened Chinese restaurant near City Hall Station

This is the entrance to Huhugwan, and the restaurant is on the second floor of the building.

It has not been open for long, so the entrance even says “GRAND OPEN”~

Such a Chinese-style atmosphere~ There may be a wait at lunch! You can register for the wait in front of the restaurant, too.

When I visited in the evening, there were quite a few customers, but it was not busy enough for a wait! It seems lunch has a substantial wait because many City Hall office workers visit then. Naver reservations are available from 1:30 p.m. through dinner, while the lunchtime peak seems to be walk-in waiting only, without separate reservations! If you are coming for a dinner appointment, it might be nice to reserve on Naver beforehand :)

A distinctly Chinese atmosphere and bar seating

The completely Chinese-style atmosphere hit me as soon as I walked in!! With red and green interiors and Chinese-style decorations, it really had that Chinese feel~ Perhaps because it has only just opened, the whole place was very clean!

We sat at a bar table like this! Along with regular tables, there are bar seats, so it seems fine for dining alone, too! There was a restroom near the entrance and outlets near our seats. Aprons were also provided, so I made sure to put one on for the mala hot pot, haha.

How to order at Huhugwan and the free events

At Huhugwan, you order through the QR code on the table!

There is a wide range of dishes, bar snacks, sides, and lots of different alcoholic drinks!

That day, we ordered Huhuchuan mala hot pot (ma la jeongol) for ₩32,000 and mala chao fan for ₩11,000! We also made the most of draft beer, the review event, and free coupons, haha. Definitely make sure to get the free coupons and review-event perks!

There was also a free-coupon event running when I visited! Thanks to it, we had spring rolls and fried dumplings for free, haha. If you choose to participate in the event when ordering, a staff member comes over to explain how it works, so just tick participation when you order first! Eating them piping hot right away, they were delicious even as sides~

There was a review event running, too! We joined it and even got draft beer🍺 If you are visiting, I recommend checking what events are available before ordering!

And the danmuji (pickled yellow radish) that I kept diligently picking at in between, haha. I ate a whole lot of it.

The draft beer on the left came from the review event, while the one on the right was ordered separately!

The generous, spicy Huhuchuan mala hot pot

Huhuchuan mala hot pot (ma la jeongol) ₩32,000

Huhugwan’s mala hot pot finally arrived! From the very first look, it was packed with ingredients!

The dried tofu and vegetables were easy to eat in one bite, and they tasted great together!

Personally, the flavor slightly reminded me of Yongyongseonsaeng’s Volcano Mala Hot Pot. If you usually enjoy Yongyongseonsaeng’s mala hot pot, I think you would enjoy Huhugwan’s, too! The mala aroma came through just right, while the broth had a warming spice that kept me reaching for more. Above all, there was such a varied, generous amount of ingredients that it was quite filling for my coworker and me to share, haha.

It was perfect with a glass of draft beer in the evening as it bubbled away🍺 We both enjoyed it, so I would recommend the mala hot pot if you are wondering what to have for dinner at Huhugwan!

And the ladle rest was interesting! Haha, it was surprisingly handy and kept the table neat! We thoroughly cleaned out the mala hot pot, haha. It was so delicious and filling😋

How is mala chao fan alongside the hot pot?

Mala chao fan ₩11,000

We ordered mala chao fan with the mala hot pot! It is fried rice with a subtle mala aroma, so I think mala lovers would enjoy it, haha. I enjoyed the mala chao fan itself, but the mala hot pot also has a pronounced aroma and seasoning, so having both together felt a little intense to me personally!

So if you are having it with the mala hot pot, I personally think a bowl of plain rice or a milder dish would make a better pairing than mala chao fan, haha. If you truly love mala, the mala hot pot plus mala chao fan combination is great, but next time I visit, I think I would have plain rice with the mala hot pot~!

Lastly, mint candies were available as a palate cleanser, which made for a nice, fresh finish after the meal~ haha.

Final thoughts

Huhugwan was a new place near my office that I had been curious about! The mala hot pot was generous and delicious, so both my coworker and I left satisfied, haha. I especially recommend it to anyone who enjoys the atmosphere of having a drink with mala hot pot! The dishes we had this time were good, so I would like to try the eggplant rice bowl or other menu items next time~ Since it is near my office, I think I will visit often, both at lunchtime and for dinner after work😊