Hyehwa Taiwanese restaurant after a movie, cream shrimp: Cheonghwawon

This is Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch, where I had lunch on a day out in Daehangno.

• Address: 36 Daemyeong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (1st and 2nd floors)
• Hours: 11:00 - 22:20
• Last order: 21:50

Today my husband and I went out to Daehangno, and when we came out of the movie we were starving. We looked around for something to eat and found a beef knife-cut noodle shop nearby. My husband loves Taiwanese food, so we gave it a try!

Where is Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch, and is there enough seating?

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is close to Exit 4 of Hyehwa Station, so it's easy to reach. It's a big place using both the 1st and 2nd floors, so you don't need to worry about finding a seat.

In front of the restaurant there are photos of the actual dishes along with prices, so you can check before you go in. Lots of people stroll past, look, and then come in.

Seating on the 1st and 2nd floors

Small groups and solo diners are guided to the 1st floor, and bigger groups to the 2nd. There were just two of us, so we were sent to the 1st floor! (The 2nd floor is larger and has more tables.)

At the back of the 1st floor they're steaming dim sum nonstop, and with so many orders the steam just keeps puffing out 🥟

Cheonghwawon menu and side dishes

Cheonghwawon sells Taiwanese dishes such as beef knife-cut noodles, guobaorou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork) and dim sum. The signature dishes are the beef knife-cut noodles, shumai and guobaorou.

The side dishes are salted peanuts and zha cai (pickled mustard stem). If you want a refill, just ask the staff and they'll bring more!

What do the crystal shrimp dumplings taste like?

From the dim sum list we chose the crystal shrimp dumplings (suljeongdalmandu). Plump shrimp with chives made them clean and light, and dipped in the ginger soy sauce the seasoning was just right and delicious.

The wrapper is so thin you can see the filling inside, and I hear a chef from Guangdong makes them by hand. You can sense the skill just by looking at them...

See how packed they are with chives and shrimp? The bite is great, the wrapper is chewy, and it's a flavor nobody will dislike. They come out hot, so I'd let them cool a bit first!

They're on the mild side, so dipping them in the ginger soy sauce makes the seasoning perfect, and even dunking them all the way in wasn't salty!

Are Cheonghwawon's beef knife-cut noodles heavily spiced?

The signature beef knife-cut noodles (udosakmyeon) weren't heavily spiced, so they were easy to eat without any love-it-or-hate-it divide. I'm fairly sensitive to spices and still ate them comfortably.

A rich, doenjang-like (fermented soybean paste) base is topped with tender beef. The meat wasn't tough or gamey, and it went well with the noodles.

Knife-cut noodles are made by shaving noodles off a big block of dough with a knife, and even though they're thick, they were chewy and cooked well.

The broth is savory and rich, but the spice aroma isn't strong, so it's easy for anyone. The broth soaks into the noodles so there's no floury taste. Definitely order the beef knife-cut noodles!!!

The couple's number one: cream shrimp

Our number one at Cheonghwawon was the cream shrimp. The look of it alone is crazy..! A plate of huge fried shrimp came out and we were surprised.

The shrimp are big and the batter is thin and crispy, so every bite goes crunch..! The coating is seriously good.

Big shrimp in a crispy coating, drizzled with a sweet cream sauce, and that sauce is sweet and delicious!!!!! We both ate it and gave it first place haha

The shrimp inside are plump, so the shrimp flavor is strong and the texture is great to chew, and with the sauce added it was truly delicious. I really recommend ordering it!

Who is Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch good for?

The spices here aren't strong, so it's a Daehangno restaurant that even people who find foreign food difficult can enjoy. I recommend giving it a visit!!!