Straw-fire seared beef tartare and bar seats at Hyehwahwa, Daehangno

I went out to Daehangno for the first time in a while and found a place that won me over completely, from the atmosphere to the quality of the food.

I really love Korean-style drinking snacks, and this Hyehwahwa (혜화화) location had an unusual vibe from the entrance alone.

The interior felt so distinctive, like stepping into another world, that I already felt like I was on a trip before I even walked in, haha.

From the entrance to the interior, why does it feel so different?

As soon as I stepped inside, the moderately dim, stylish mood made me like Hyehwahwa even more. We'd booked a 7pm reservation on a Tuesday, and even though it was a weekday evening, there were already quite a few customers.

There was plenty of room at the 4-person tables inside, but we took the bar table by the kitchen where we could watch the cooking happen right in front of us.

Since it's an open kitchen, you can watch the whole cooking process up close, including how they use burning straw to infuse ingredients with a smoky char. It made the wait for food genuinely entertaining.

Watching the flames leap up as they did the initial direct-fire sear right in front of us really built up my anticipation for the food, haha.

Turns out this is a place where a chef born in 1996 with a three-Michelin-star background meets 30 years of recipes from their mother, born in 1966. Maybe that's why it feels so distinct from typical bar food — the straw-fire cooking and fusion Korean dishes really stand out.

Beef tartare and cheese-bomb fried rice — what's the secret to the flavor?

Honestly, this place felt less like a drinking spot and more like a proper Korean restaurant in Hyehwa — every single dish felt like real cooking.

With a cold glass of Kelly beer on the side, all the fatigue from the day just melted away.

Ttubbeul Hanwoo Yukhoe & Aged Kimchi Egg Sushi

The first dish that made me gasp was the Ttubbeul Hanwoo Yukhoe & Aged Kimchi Egg Sushi (뚜쁠한우육회&묵은지계란초밥)! Unusually, the beef tartare arrives arranged neatly on a mirror-like tray, and it looked so pretty I couldn't not take photos, lol.

"How could you possibly eat this, it's too pretty to ruin?" — that's the kind of comment the plating naturally drew out.

On the first bite, the quality of the beef really showed — it had an impressively smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The aged kimchi egg sushi served alongside added a savory depth to the clean flavor of the tartare — eating the two together was a great pairing.

Cheese-bomb beef belly kimchi fried rice and gim-flake ttukbap

Next up was the cheese-bomb beef belly kimchi fried rice, dramatic name and all.

They pour a whole cup of cheese straight over the fried rice, and the way it stretched endlessly was a real showstopper.

The savory beef belly, spicy kimchi, and soft cheese all came together beautifully — good as a drinking snack, but plenty filling as a full meal too.

The portion was generous too, so we ended up eating more of the food than actually drinking, haha. On the side, the gim-flake ttukbap (gim flakes and nutty sesame oil mixed into rice) paired really well with the other dishes and made for a satisfying finish.

Maybe because the Korean-style food was so good, I noticed quite a few people in the restaurant who seemed to be there mainly to eat, not just drink, hahaha.

With such a wide variety of Korean-style dishes, it's a good spot for a proper first meal, or a relaxed casual second stop.

Is it worth going back despite the sold-out dishes?

The beef jeon and parboiled octopus I really wanted to try were already sold out that day, so unfortunately I couldn't order them. Popular dishes can run out early, so keep that in mind if you're planning a visit. Still, everything else was satisfying enough that the disappointment faded quickly. At the end, I made sure to enjoy the matcha and chocolate ice cream we got from a Naver review event.

It even came dusted with cocoa powder, which felt surprisingly upscale for a complimentary dessert — that made me pretty happy, haha.

Overall, Hyehwahwa left an impression with dishes that playfully balance the smoky char of straw-fire cooking with familiar Korean flavors.

Next time, I'm planning to go back and properly tackle the dishes that were sold out this time. If you're looking for a stylish Korean restaurant and drinking spot in Daehangno, Hyehwa where you can enjoy really well-made food, this is worth a visit.

I went out for drinks and ended up won over by the food quality enough to have a full proper meal, haha.