# Pre-play lunch at Cheonghwawon, a Taiwanese restaurant near Hyehwa

- By Gaon C. (https://superchart.com/en/@shared-tongs/)
- Written Sep 21, 2026
- Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul
- Sponsored: This post was written as part of a paid store visit sponsorship.
- English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@shared-tongs/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/
- Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@shared-tongs/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/index.md)

## In short

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is a Taiwanese restaurant a 2–3 minute walk from Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station in Jongno, Seoul. For a late lunch before a play, two of us ordered on the table tablet: beef knife-cut noodles (10,500 won), fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl (9,800 won), shumai (9,500 won) and xiaolongbao (9,500 won), and cleared all four plates. The spicing is mild, so Cheonghwawon works well as a Daehangno date lunch even for first-timers to Taiwanese food.

## Good to know

- **Address**: 1st floor, 36 Daemyeong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
- **Hours**: Daily 11:00–22:20 (last order 21:50)
- **Parking**: Not available
- **Location**: 2–3 minute walk from Hyehwa Station Exit 4
- **Seating**: Seats on the 1st floor, a larger room on the 2nd floor
- **Ordering**: Tablet on each table
- **Beef knife-cut noodles**: 10,500 won
- **Shumai**: 9,500 won (5 pieces)
- **Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)**: 9,500 won (6 pieces)
- **Fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl**: 9,800 won
- **Guobaorou (sweet-and-sour fried pork)**: 17,000 won
- **Lazi ji (spicy fried chicken)**: 17,000 won
- **Crystal moon dumplings**: 9,500 won
- **Mala tofu**: 10,500 won
- **Tiger stir-fry**: 17,800 won
- **Yulinji (fried chicken with soy dressing)**: 19,800 won
- **Price reference**: ₩10,500 ≈ $7.6 · ₩9,500 ≈ $6.8 (2026-09-21)

*as written by the visitor on Sep 21, 2026*

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch (청화원 대학로점) is a Taiwanese restaurant near Hyehwa Station Exit 4, known for dim sum and beef noodles. It had been a while since I went on a date with my boyfriend in Daehangno, so we did 🩷 Before catching a play, I searched for something that wouldn't be too heavy but wouldn't disappoint, and found Cheonghwawon, a dim sum and beef noodle place I'd always wanted to try 🤍 The vibe was cozy and great for a date, and the quality of everything — dim sum, noodles, rice bowls — was excellent 👍🏻 Here's my very satisfying Cheonghwawon review for a Daehangno lunch ‼️

![Full spread of Taiwanese dishes at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-01-13bch-1200.webp)

## Where is Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch, and when is it open?

- 📍 Address: 36 Daemyeong-gil, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 🕒 Hours: Daily 11:00–22:20 (last order 21:50)
- 🚘 No parking available

## Walking from Hyehwa Station Exit 4: the storefront and the room inside

From Hyehwa Station Exit 4, just walk 2-3 minutes down the main alley and you'll spot the Cheonghwawon sign right away 💚 It's close to the subway, so getting there by public transport was easy! I was drinking that day, so public transport was a must for me ^.^ From the outside alone it had a sleek, Taiwanese vibe going on!

![Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch sign and exterior in the Hyehwa alley](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-02-3q74k-966.webp)

![Area around the entrance of Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-03-vpje6-966.webp)

![Brown-toned interior seating on Cheonghwawon's first floor](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-04-1oi93-966.webp)

![Spacious second-floor hall seating at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-05-16k2t-966.webp)

![Cozy interior view of the Cheonghwawon restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-06-b86w0-966.webp)

Inside, the space was much bigger than I expected! There's seating on the first floor, and an even larger space on the second floor! The whole place is done up in warm, cozy brown tones, giving it that snug Chinese-restaurant feel 🩷

![Table view with a guest seated at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-07-1xkmc-966.webp)

Inside, the crowd ranged from foreign tourists to couples like us to groups of friends — all ages and nationalities ‼️ Must be a place proven to please many different palates.. ✨ (fingers crossed) It's already a well-known spot near Hyehwa Station, and the crowd keeps growing!

## Cheonghwawon menu prices and the four dishes we ordered for two

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch's menu starts at ₩10,500 for beef knife-cut noodles and ₩9,500 for shumai. Here's the menu board first!

![Menu board and price list at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-08-saf25-684.webp)

- Beef knife-cut noodles: ₩10,500
- Shumai: ₩9,500
- Guobaorou: ₩17,000
- Ganpunggi (spicy fried chicken): ₩17,000
- Xiaolongbao: ₩9,500
- Crystal moon dumplings: ₩9,500
- Fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl: ₩9,800
- Mala tofu: ₩10,500
- Tiger stir-fry: ₩17,800
- Yulinji: ₩19,800

and various other authentic Taiwanese dishes were on offer 🩷 My boyfriend and I ordered four things ✔️ beef knife-cut noodles, fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl, shumai, and xiaolongbao. Ordering was easy with the tablet placed at the table.

### What comes with the meal: table setting and the self-serve side dish bar

After ordering, they set out crisp zhacai (pickled mustard tuber), fried peanuts, and dim sum sauce! Chinese food can be a bit oily, so having zhacai to cut through it in between bites is so good 😖 Anything else we wanted, we could just grab from the self-serve bar.

![Basic table setting with zhacai, fried peanuts, and dim sum sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-09-12ose-966.webp)

## Beef knife-cut noodles, 10,500 won — thick house-made noodles

First up, the beef knife-cut noodles 🍜 The broth looks rich just from the sight of it! They said it's simmered for over 24 hours with Korean beef bones and tender beef shank.

![A bowl of Cheonghwawon's beef knife-cut noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-10-1pype-966.webp)

![Close-up of the rich broth in the beef knife-cut noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-11-1mird-966.webp)

![A spoonful of beef knife-cut noodle broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-12-1ijvw-966.webp)

I tried the broth first, and it was deep, rich, and savory in a crazy good way — the sound just came out of me the second I tasted it ⭐️ The spices weren't too strong, so I think even Taiwanese-food beginners would enjoy this!

![Chopsticks lifting the thick house-made knife-cut noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-13-1sw8q-966.webp)

And the house-made knife-cut noodles were really something 🥢 I'd only ever had thin beef noodles before, so this was my first time with noodles thicker than kalguksu! The irregular texture was fun, and they were so chewy — I loved these noodles.. ♥️

![Beef shank meat on top of the knife-cut noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-14-1r65c-966.webp)

The meat on top was also tender with no gamey smell at all ✨ The noodles, meat, and broth all came together beautifully — a really satisfying bowl. And the portion was really, really generous..>.<

## Fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl, 9,800 won — crisp eggplant with crab soup

Next up, the eggplant rice bowl 🍆 I love fried eggplant and fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowls, so I always order it whenever I eat Chinese food 🤍 A warm crab soup came alongside it too 👍🏻

![Crab soup served alongside the fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-15-tlyrd-966.webp)

![Crispy fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl coated in sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-16-k2cm2-966.webp)

Wow, the color on this is insane ,, ㅜㅜ Both the rice and eggplant were super generous portions. I actually prefer crispy fish-fragrant eggplant over the soggy kind, and this looked exactly like my style~ 🩷

Can you see how the sweet, spicy, salty special sauce is clinging perfectly to the eggplant? The sauce is genuinely delicious... Both my boyfriend and I agreed this was a great order! As expected, the eggplant was crispy outside and completely moist inside — top-tier texture ㅠㅠ

![A spoonful of the eggplant rice bowl mixed with rice](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-17-123tr-966.webp)

The slightly salty, deeply savory sauce is just perfect mixed with the rice.. 🤍

![Beef knife-cut noodles and fish-fragrant eggplant rice bowl together on the table](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-18-ew83o-966.webp)

It also pairs really well with the beef knife-cut noodles, so I'd recommend ordering both together ♥️

## Shumai, 9,500 won — shrimp and pork filling topped with flying fish roe

You can't skip the house-made dim sum 🥟 First, shumai! So glossy.. Inside the thin dumpling skin was packed with springy shrimp filling and pork filling! Orange flying fish roe on top gave it great texture and made it super cute-looking too 🧡

![House-made shumai topped with flying fish roe at Cheonghwawon](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-19-wkzvr-966.webp)

![Five pieces of shumai in a steamer basket](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-20-1b643-966.webp)

![Shumai dipped in dim sum sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-21-489xs-966.webp)

![Shumai split open to show the filling inside](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-22-kchvf-966.webp)

Dipped in the dim sum sauce, it's so good. Can you see how generous and moist the filling is? Shrimp and pork savoriness hitting at the same time, and it's just so good.. 🩷 Chewy outside, really soft inside, seasoning right on point..! I got why this is a signature menu item immediately!

## Xiaolongbao, 9,500 won — 6 pieces, sip the soup first

Next, my favorite dim sum, xiaolongbao,,, shumai comes with 5 pieces, xiaolongbao with 6! It can be hot, so the rule is to lift it onto a spoon and sip the soup first 😖

![Six pieces of xiaolongbao at Cheonghwawon](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-23-16f7q-966.webp)

Ah, sipping the broth first, it's warm and rich with a savory depth that's insane... So full of meaty aroma ‼️

![Xiaolongbao lifted onto a spoon with broth](https://img.superchart.com/images/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch/cheonghwawon-daehangno-taiwanese-lunch-24-1hu6i-966.webp)

The dumpling skin was soft and delicate, and the pork filling inside was tender with no gamey smell at all — everything came together so well! It really felt like eating in Taiwan! Cheonghwawon's dim sum is top-notch. This was my boyfriend's first time having xiaolongbao, and he said it was fascinating and delicious how the broth burst in his mouth — wished I'd brought him here sooner,, ⭐️

## Final verdict: is Cheonghwawon a good lunch before a Daehangno play?

What was meant to be a light late lunch before a play ended with four plates completely finished at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch. We were on a tight schedule and meant to eat quickly, but every dish was so appealing and delicious that before we knew it we'd scraped all four menu items clean.. ⭐️ The staff were kind and the place had such a cozy vibe — there's really no better spot for a Daehangno date. If you're going on a play date near Daehangno, or looking for a reliable, satisfying, delicious lunch spot near Daehangno, I highly recommend this Hyehwa Station favorite, Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch! 👍🏻

## Where it is

- Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch (청화원 대학로점)
- 36 Daemyeong-gil, 1st floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
- 서울특별시 종로구 대명길 36 1층, 2층 청화원 대학로점
- 37.5831141, 126.9995958
- Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EC%B2%AD%ED%99%94%EC%9B%90%20%EB%8C%80%ED%95%99%EB%A1%9C%EC%A0%90/@37.5831141,126.9995958,17z

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