Date lunch after a Daehangno play: beef noodles at Cheonghwawon

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch (청화원 대학로점), a Daehangno favorite — my boyfriend and I enjoyed a proper Daehangno lunch after catching a play! We went all in, from beef daoxiaomian noodles to dim sum.

After watching a play together in Daehangno, we were like, "okay, what should we eat now?"

So we headed to Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch, a real Daehangno gem!! Somehow you get even hungrier after a play, haha. We were in a great mood from the fun performance, so we figured — let's eat something really good this time — and made our way to Cheonghwawon.

Location and hours of Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch

• 36 Daemyeong-gil, 1st & 2nd floors, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hours: daily 11:00–22:20 (last order 21:50)
• No parking
• Takeout and group bookings available
• A spacious, comfortable space across 1st and 2nd floors

A spacious two-floor restaurant right in the heart of Daehangno, and yet unhurried

What I liked from the moment we walked in was how spacious and pleasant the place felt! You'd expect a restaurant smack in the middle of Daehangno to be packed with tables squeezed close together,

but Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch spreads across two floors, so we ended up dining more comfortably than expected.

It seemed like a great fit for all kinds of visits — couples on a date after a play, office workers on lunch break, college students eating solo, or groups of friends.

What we ordered for two: beef daoxiaomian, cream shrimp, xiaolongbao

This time we picked three dishes: beef daoxiaomian (knife-cut noodles), cream shrimp, and xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)!

With just the two of us, it was so satisfying watching the table fill up with each new dish, haha. Chinese food really is more fun when you order a bunch of things and share them one bite at a time between two people 🤎

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch offers beef daoxiaomian made in authentic Taiwanese style, along with dim sum, shrimp dishes, guobaorou (sweet and sour pork), and other Chinese menu items — it's a place better suited to ordering several dishes and sharing rather than sticking to just one. That's why I'd recommend it to anyone looking for Chinese food in Daehangno.

They bring out peanuts and pickled vegetables as side dishes, and they're genuinely delicious — the nutty peanut aroma is so strong I refilled it twice, haha. We also ordered a cold drink to go with it.

Beef daoxiaomian, made with broth simmered for 24 hours

First up, the dish I'd been looking forward to: beef daoxiaomian, one of Cheonghwawon's signature menu items.

It's a Taiwanese-style beef noodle dish made with a broth simmered for over 24 hours from Korean beef bones and tender shank, paired with house-made daoxiaomian (hand-cut wide noodles).

It looked appetizing right away, and lifting the noodles up revealed that signature wide, chewy texture of daoxiaomian, which built up my anticipation even more. The broth is light yet deeply flavorful, and I kept going back for spoonful after spoonful.

Eating it while a little hungry right after the play, with the warm broth and noodles going down, I thought, "ah~ this is what a Daehangno lunch is all about," haha. With the meat mixed in too, one bowl alone was quite filling, and the combination of noodles, broth, and meat worked really well together. If you're looking for a hearty Daehangno meal, the beef daoxiaomian is worth trying as the signature dish!

Cream shrimp — alternating with the noodles kept it from getting boring

The second dish was cream shrimp. Whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant, I always end up ordering some kind of shrimp dish, haha.

This time too, I went with cream shrimp. Crispy shrimp paired with a smooth, savory cream sauce made a great combo alongside the beef daoxiaomian. If the noodle dish felt light and warm, the cream shrimp was on the softer, sweeter, savory side — alternating between the two kept us from getting tired of either and we just kept eating.

My boyfriend and I kept picking off pieces one by one, saying "oh, this is good too?" and before we knew it the plate was empty, haha. When eating Chinese food as a couple, ordering several dishes to share really is the best way to go 🥰

Xiaolongbao, dim sum made by a chef from Guangdong

And another dish I love — xiaolongbao. I heard Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch features dim sum handmade by a chef from Guangdong Province.

The feature here is Hong Kong-style dim sum with thin, chewy wrappers that hold in plenty of juice. In particular, the shumai are said to be packed with shrimp and meat, which should be of interest to any dim sum lovers.

The xiaolongbao we ordered also worked well alongside the other Chinese dishes. A bite of hot beef daoxiaomian, then one dim sum, then a bite of cream shrimp, haha.

Eating this way, the two of us kept saying "we really nailed our menu choices!" So this would also suit anyone hunting for good dim sum while also wanting to enjoy a range of Chinese dishes at once.

A great lineup for sharing, and easy tablet ordering too

Another thing I loved about Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is that it really lets you enjoy the Chinese food culture of sharing dishes together. Sticking to one dish per person is fine too, but Chinese food has that special fun of putting several dishes on the table and going "try this!" while sharing.

Especially on a date with my boyfriend, sharing one dish at a time while chatting was great. The restaurant being spacious and comfortable also meant we could eat leisurely without feeling rushed or cramped. Being able to order easily via the tablet installed at every table was convenient too.

A perfect play-plus-food course

Daehangno really is at its most fun when you combine a play with a good meal—

walking out after the play, talking about it over good food — "that scene was funny, right?" "I liked that scene the most!" — that kind of conversation makes the date feel like it stretches on longer, haha.

In that sense, Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch worked well as a Daehangno lunch spot or a date meal spot. If you're near Hyehwa Station and the Daehangno area looking for somewhere to eat before or after a play, it's worth adding to your Daehangno food list. It works well for a group of friends sharing several dishes, for an office lunch, or anywhere from a solo college student meal to a date — a genuinely versatile space.

This time, visiting with my boyfriend after watching a play, the first impression was great thanks to the spacious, comfortable space where we could eat at ease, and enjoying three dishes together — the deep, light beef daoxiaomian, the smooth and savory cream shrimp, and the xiaolongbao that let us experience the charm of dim sum — made for a pretty full and satisfying meal.

If you're after Chinese food in Daehangno, I'd especially recommend centering your order around the beef daoxiaomian or the dim sum dishes! Walking through streets full of theaters and people right in the middle of Daehangno, then sitting down in front of good food for a bit of a break — as Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch seems to suggest, a good meal tucked between the acts of the great show that is life becomes another good memory.

We too finished off talking about the lingering feeling from the play with a satisfying Chinese meal, and the date course wrapped up perfectly. If you're in Hyehwa deciding where to go after a play, give Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch a try for a warm Daehangno meal 🥰