Seodaemun Chinese restaurant for beef knife-cut noodles: Cheonghwaweon

Taiwanese beef knife-cut noodles and Hong Kong-style dim sum in Sinchon

Cheonghwaweon (청화원) specializes in authentic Taiwanese-style beef knife-cut noodles and Hong Kong-style dim sum. While deciding on dinner in Sinchon, I spotted Cheonghwaweon, a place I had visited back in my student days.

If you've wandered around near the red pillars of Hyundai Department Store U-Plex in Sinchon, you've probably seen it at least once~ It is still the first place that comes to mind when we're craving beef noodle soup or dim sum near home!

Inside Cheonghwaweon and its cooking information

As you'd expect from a popular Sinchon restaurant, it was packed with diners.

Cheonghwaweon says its food is prepared directly by chefs with extensive experience in local cuisine. Rather than using partially prepared or ready-made products, they handle and cook ingredients one by one from the start, so there may be a little wait for the food. I absolutely loved that part~~

What we ordered and the prices

• Beef knife-cut noodles ₩10,500
• Xiaolongbao ₩9,500
• Chili shrimp ₩19,800
• Zero Coke ₩2,500

The prices were more approachable than I expected, so I thought it would make a nice Sinchon lunch. It was also great for ordering several dishes to share.

How was the texture of the beef knife-cut noodles?

The dish I was looking forward to most: Cheonghwaweon's signature authentic Taiwanese-style beef knife-cut noodles.

Knife-cut noodles are made in a traditional noodle-making style that began in China's Shanxi Province, shaving dough with a specialized tool.

At Cheonghwaweon, they make the flour dough, knead it again a whopping four times, then let it mature for a day to complete their own knife-cut noodle dough!

Maybe that's why, but the noodle texture really was different when I tried it. The noodles were wider and thicker than usual, with such a satisfyingly chewy bite!! The broth, simmered with beef bones and fresh vegetables, was rich too, which I loved.

There was also tenderly cooked beef shank in it. Cheonghwaweon says they trim the fat directly from whole cuts of shank, select only the tastiest portions, and simmer them in a special sauce for around four hours. The meat was tender to bite through, subtly infused with the broth's flavor, and great with the noodles.

Xiaolongbao filled with hot juices

Another signature dish was the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

Xiaolongbao are classic pork-filled dim sum, and they're full of hot juices when you take a bite, so be careful..!! The wrapper was pleasantly chewy and the filling moist, and the savory pork flavor combined with the juices was sooo delicious 😋 Adding a little of the ginger served alongside made it more fragrant and cut through the richness nicely.

The dim sum is made one by one by a specialist dim sum chef from Guangdong Province, who chops the shrimp and meat for the filling by hand.

Chili shrimp we were glad to order

Lastly, we tried the chili shrimp too. It was way more delicious than expected, so this is a dish I really hope you try.

Crisply fried shrimp topped with chili sauce. The springy shrimp, crunchy batter, and sweet sauce with a slight kick went so well together. If the beef knife-cut noodles are mild and filling, the chili shrimp really turns up the flavor, so I was glad we ordered them together haha.

For an uncommon Chinese meal in Sinchon

From Taiwanese-style beef knife-cut noodles to Hong Kong-style dim sum and chili shrimp, there was such a variety of Chinese dishes that we don't come across often. It seemed like a great place to visit when you want a different kind of meal in Sinchon. I especially recommend it if you're looking for a good Chinese restaurant in Sinchon and love beef noodles or dim sum.

If you're looking for good-value Chinese food near Sinchon Station or a popular Chinese restaurant in Sinchon, try Cheonghwaweon's authentic Taiwanese beef knife-cut noodles and handmade dim sum.