# Sinchon Chinese restaurant, all 3 dim sum compared: Cheonghwaweon

- By Kettle Caller (https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-brass-kettle/)
- Written Jun 16, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Seodaemun, Seoul
- Sponsored: This is a visit review written after the restaurant provided the meal.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-brass-kettle/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@seoul-brass-kettle/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/index.md) · [日本語](https://superchart.com/ja/@seoul-brass-kettle/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/index.md)

## In short

Cheonghwaweon (청화원) is a Chinese restaurant with a Taiwanese beef noodle sign on Myeongmul-gil near Sinchon Station in Seodaemun, Seoul. The writer visited around 3pm on a weekend, ordered all three dim sum (xiaolongbao, shumai and crystal dumplings) with beef knife-cut noodles, and ranked them shumai first, xiaolongbao second and crystal dumplings third. With most mains at ₩10,000 or less, Cheonghwaweon is an affordable Sinchon Chinese restaurant for trying several dim sum at once.

## Good to know

- **Dim sum**: Xiaolongbao, shumai, crystal dumplings
- **Noodles**: Beef knife-cut noodles, oil-splashed knife-cut noodles, stir-fried beef noodles
- **Price range**: Mostly ₩10,000 or less (mains under ₩10,000)
- **Xiaolongbao serving**: 6 pieces
- **Complimentary sides**: Cabbage zha cai (pickled mustard stem), stir-fried peanuts
- **Break time**: None (as of the writer's visit)
- **Price reference**: ₩10,000 ≈ $7.6 (2026-10-23)

*as written by the visitor on Jun 16, 2026*

## What is Cheonghwaweon near Sinchon Station like?

Cheonghwaweon (청화원) is a Chinese restaurant on Myeongmul-gil in Sinchon, right next to the busy busking street. I'd passed it in Sinchon many times, and I always thought the name was "Taiwanese Beef Noodles", but it's actually Cheonghwaweon, haha.

On weekends the busking in Sinchon never stops. A swing dance festival was going on that day, so I watched for a bit and then dropped into Cheonghwaweon for lunch.

![Exterior of Cheonghwaweon on Myeongmul-gil in Sinchon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-01-1sul6-966.webp)

You can't miss the big green Taiwanese beef noodle sign.

![Cheonghwaweon's green Taiwanese beef noodle sign](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-02-37qez-966.webp)

## Cheonghwaweon menu and prices

Cheonghwaweon has a wide menu of noodles, dim sum and main dishes, and most prices are ₩10,000 or less. There's a menu board outside too, so choosing was easy.

- Noodles: beef knife-cut noodles (udosakmyeon), yuballdosak noodles, stir-fried beef noodles
- Dim sum: xiaolongbao, shumai, crystal chive dumplings
- Dishes: mala tofu, tomato and egg stir-fry, cumin beef, cream shrimp, yuringi (fried chicken in sauce), guobaorou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork) and more

The prices are so easy on the wallet that I wanted to add a side dish too. I'm a dim sum lover, but dim sum has gotten so expensive lately that I hadn't been eating it much. These prices feel like a blessing!

![Menu board outside Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-03-193p8-966.webp)

Today I came to take down some dim sum. I ordered beef knife-cut noodles and all three kinds of dim sum.

![Ordering beef knife-cut noodles and three dim sum at Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-04-bwg3u-966.webp)

## Atmosphere and waiting at Cheonghwaweon

Cheonghwaweon looks like a good spot for eating solo in Sinchon, and I saw plenty of couples too.

![Exotic interior of Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-05-1gzcq-966.webp)

![Seating at Cheonghwaweon with a Hong Kong and Taiwan feel](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-06-18qg2-966.webp)

The interior has a Hong Kong? Taiwan? vibe, very exotic and pretty. Maybe that's why there were so many foreign guests too. It felt like a local favorite.

There's no break time, so I went at an awkward 3pm, and amazingly the seats filled up completely while I was eating. I bet there's always a wait at lunch.

![Complimentary zha cai and stir-fried peanuts at Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-07-wy95f-966.webp)

The free side dishes are zha cai (pickled mustard stem) and stir-fried peanuts. The cabbage zha cai isn't harsh and tastes good.

![Table spread of three dim sum and beef knife-cut noodles at Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-08-1yayd-1200.webp)

The three dim sum and the knife-cut noodles arrived. The table is totally packed. The noodles came out faster than the dim sum.

![A bowl of beef knife-cut noodles at Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-09-1o36g-966.webp)

The yuballdosak noodles are an unusual dish and I wanted to try them, but I love beef knife-cut noodles so much that I just went with those. Next time I'd like to try the yuballdosak noodles too :) For now, dim sum first while it's hot.

![Steamer of xiaolongbao dim sum at Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-10-by4ry-966.webp)

## Cheonghwaweon xiaolongbao

The xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) are packed with juice, not greasy, and with no off smell. It's exactly the taste you know, and it's good.

Put a dumpling on your spoon, poke it with chopsticks to let a little of the juice out, and slurp it all together. Delicious.

![Juicy xiaolongbao at Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-11-o1qt8-966.webp)

You get 6 xiaolongbao, so it's good for sharing. (I'd already eaten one!) Dim sum is so pricey these days, but Cheonghwaweon really feels like great value.

![Steamer of crystal dumplings at Cheonghwaweon](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-12-6enhl-966.webp)

## Are Cheonghwaweon's crystal dumplings just chive dumplings?

The crystal dumplings (susujeongdal-mandu) have a very thin, chewy, translucent wrapper packed with chives and meat. I almost skipped them, thinking they were just chive dumplings, but reviews said to order them, so I did.

![Crystal dumpling with chives and meat inside a translucent wrapper](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-13-ss0d9-966.webp)

It's like a deluxe version of a regular chive dumpling. The translucent wrapper is really chewy, so people who like rice paper and the like will probably enjoy it.

![Cheonghwaweon shumai topped with flying fish roe](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-14-1lshv-966.webp)

## Why Cheonghwaweon's shumai is my favorite

The shumai is packed with shrimp and meat, and the flying fish roe on top pops nicely and goes well with it.

![Cheonghwaweon shumai filled with shrimp and meat](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-15-1fjkd-966.webp)

There are three photos of just the shumai, and not only because it's my favorite. At first it was so good I kept eating, and only once I was a bit full did I have the room to take photos, hahaha.

![Cross-section of a shumai after one bite](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-16-1kb8e-966.webp)

Bite in and it's this full inside.

## Which of the three dim sum should you pick?

Here's how I'd recommend Cheonghwaweon's three dim sum.

- First-time dim sum eaters and meat lovers = xiaolongbao
- Fans of a springy bite who like shrimp and meat = shumai
- Steamed dumpling people = crystal dumplings

Personally, I liked them in the order shumai > xiaolongbao > crystal dumplings. It's purely personal taste, so take it as a reference only.

![Cheonghwaweon beef knife-cut noodles with thick noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-17-19qdb-966.webp)

## Cheonghwaweon beef knife-cut noodles: are they spicy?

The beef knife-cut noodles are a noodle soup with thick knife-cut noodles and lots of meat on top. They're not spicy, so even people who can't handle heat can eat them. I absolutely love thick knife-cut noodles. If you like sujebi (hand-torn dough soup) or thick noodles, you'll probably be satisfied.

Ever since I fell for them at another knife-cut noodle place, I order beef noodles fairly often.

![Beef knife-cut noodles topped with meat and dried cabbage greens](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-18-1gjy2-966.webp)

There's lots of meat, and an unusual topping that looks like dried cabbage greens (ugeoji?) is in there too. Scooping it up with the broth makes it feel much more refreshing.

![Lifting up thick knife-cut noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-19-1vr6n-966.webp)

Slurping the thick noodles is very decent and tasty. As a soup dish, it especially comes to mind in winter. It isn't spicy, so even spice-wimps can have it.

![Palate-cleansing peppermint candy by the Cheonghwaweon register](https://img.superchart.com/images/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison-20-9fio5-966.webp)

## Is Cheonghwaweon near Sinchon Station worth returning to?

The dim sum portions are generous and no main dish goes over ₩10,000, so I recommend Cheonghwaweon as a Sinchon spot with really great value. There were also palate-cleansing candies before paying, and I had a peppermint candy for the first time in ages. Next time I want to come back for the yuballdosak noodles and more dim sum.

## Where it is

- Cheonghwaweon (청화원)
- 10 Myeongmul-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea (1st floor)
- 서울특별시 서대문구 명물길 10 1층 청화원
- 37.5574695, 126.937515
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B2%AD%ED%99%94%EC%9B%90/@37.5574695,126.937515,17z

---

Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@seoul-brass-kettle/sinchon-dim-sum-trio-comparison/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt