Cumin lamb ribs late dinner near City Hall Station, Seoul: Huhugwan

A palace lover here... once the weather turns nice, you just can't skip visiting a palace, right? I usually go to Deoksugung Palace, but this time I managed to snag night-opening tickets for Gyeongbokgung Palace, so I went there instead. The weather was so nice that I passed through Gwanghwamun and booked dinner near Deoksugung Palace haha. My friend and I needed to catch Line 1 anyway, so we looked for somewhere around City Hall Station.

Huhugwan

Where is Huhugwan near City Hall Station?

Huhugwan is located near Exit 10 of City Hall Station. It's a Chinese restaurant with an atmosphere that would suit family gatherings, work dinners, or hanging out with friends just fine.

Waiting and seating at Huhugwan: bar seats work for solo diners

There's a spot at Huhugwan's entrance where you can write your name on a waiting list. Both lunchtime and dinnertime seemed to have some wait. The interior isn't huge, but it's not cramped either.

There's also a waiting bench, so you can sit down right before you're seated.

There are bar seats too, so solo diners can enjoy the place without trouble. Fancy Chinese restaurants can feel like places you shouldn't go alone, but Huhugwan is totally okay with solo visits~!

We had a reservation and were seated by the window. There was construction going on outside, but being able to see outside still kept it from feeling stuffy. And since we came after Gyeongbokgung Palace, it was already late evening, so we got to enjoy the meal without the crowds! Note that lunch and dinner review events are different~!

What we ordered: mala hot pot and cumin lamb ribs

This is the basic table setting! Roasted peanuts with sugar? These peanuts oddly kept my hands busy... hahaha, I kept popping them into my mouth without even realizing it.

A happy spread complete!! Mala hot pot and cumin lamb ribs. The hot pot had all sorts of toppings, which made eating it really fun.

I really wanted that ladle... a ladle that stands up on its own... seemed so convenient lol

Bean sprouts and napa cabbage are laid out at the bottom, with the toppings piled on top. The visual really built up the anticipation. The hot pot doesn't come pre-cooked — you have to wait a bit for it to come to a boil.

Cumin lamb ribs at Huhugwan

While we waited, the cumin lamb ribs arrived right away!! It comes with 3 rib bones, served over a bed of chives. They also give you scissors, and honestly they cut through so easily it was fun cutting them up!! True to its name, the lamb ribs come generously sprinkled with cumin.

Cucumber salad (oi muchim)

Cucumber salad ordered too! The cucumbers weren't smashed, so the seasoning hadn't fully soaked all the way through, but the seasoning itself tasted great!

Late at night, starting to satisfy our hunger with delicious food~~~~! I come to Deoksugung Palace often, so having a good restaurant like this pop up nearby is so nice...! This is a Deoksugung Palace-area gem.

How did the lamb ribs and mala hot pot taste?

Huhugwan's cumin lamb ribs weren't chewy at all — they were so tender that we'd already eaten half of them before the mala hot pot even started boiling lol. The roasted garlic that comes alongside is genuinely well roasted... The lamb ribs were tender, not tough, and I just kept eating and eating lol.

From the beancurd skin to the wood ear mushrooms, and even the meatballs — all tastier than I expected. I usually don't eat meatballs when they're in mala tang (since I got hooked on Haidilao's shrimp meatballs lol), but Huhugwan's meatballs are genuinely good! The mala aroma was great too, and even the mild version had a slight numbing kick left. That signature mala tingle!! Would probably be amazing with egg fried rice...!! I almost ordered garlic scape fried rice at the end but gave up because I was too full... But the broth just kept going in nonstop..!

Good to know before visiting Huhugwan

Huhugwan is much easier to enjoy if you make a reservation beforehand. Since City Hall Station has a lot of office workers around, I'd recommend booking ahead before you go. Just a heads up that it seems to get busy at both lunch and dinner~!