Hyehwa Taiwanese eatery, tomato-egg on knife-cut noodles: Cheonghwawon

Skipping the play for indoor fishing, then dinner at Cheonghwawon in Daehangno

My husband and I went to Daehangno to see a play! We went to see one, but thanks to my husband's bladder issues we walked out after 10 minutes^^ Seriously... unbelievable...

He took me, all sulky about missing the play, straight to an indoor fishing spot on a whim...^^ And I managed to catch two fish all by myself... (T_T)

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch opening hours and visitor info

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch (청화원 대학로점) is open daily 11:00-22:20, and takeout, groups and solo dining are all possible.

We may have missed the play, but we're not giving up on a good Daehangno meal. After fishing, we went to Cheonghwawon for dinner. They say you can try authentic Taiwanese dishes and Hong Kong-style dim sum made by a local chef, and since I've never been to Taiwan, I went in extra excited!

Can you eat and drink alone at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch?

Cheonghwawon first floor: solo window seats

The 1st floor of Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch has solo seats by the window, so eating or drinking alone works. We went at 6 PM, peak dinner time, and it was already packed with people. Being able to dine and drink solo in Daehangno made it look even better. It seemed perfect for a solo meal or drink before or after a play, this Hyehwa Cheonghwawon!

Cheonghwawon second-floor seating

It's such a popular Daehangno spot that the 1st floor was almost full, so we were guided upstairs to the 2nd floor! Even with so many people, the staff were so kind to us, which put me in a good mood ☺️

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch menu and prices: what to order

We ordered these three dishes at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch.

• Beef knife-cut noodles (우육도삭면) ₩10,500
• Shumai (쇼마이, steamed dumplings) ₩9,500
• Tomato-egg stir-fry (토마토계란볶음) ₩10,500

I recommend ordering the beef knife-cut noodles and shumai for sure! And if you're a tomato lover, the tomato-egg stir-fry is a strong recommendation~~

Cheonghwawon's free side dishes work as drinking snacks

When we ordered at Cheonghwawon, we got cabbage zha cai (pickled mustard stem), stir-fried peanuts and soy-seasoned cucumber strips ♡ They were just right as light snacks with drinks. For a drinking couple like us, this much is plenty of snacks, right~~

The mains came out fast after ordering! The moment they arrived, the beef noodles gave off a deep meaty broth smell with that distinctive spice scent. The tomato-egg had a sweet-and-sour smell wafting up~~ Before really starting the meal, a cheers first~~~

What does Cheonghwawon's tomato-egg stir-fry taste like?

Cheonghwawon's tomato-egg stir-fry has a strong sweet-and-sour ketchup flavor, with fluffy eggs and tomatoes that are nicely soft. I ate it first, like an appetizer. It didn't fall apart and the flavors blended so well🥰 I wonder why it never tastes like this when I make it at home~~

Cheonghwawon shumai: shrimp dim sum topped with flying fish roe

Cheonghwawon's shumai is packed with minced shrimp, with flying fish roe on top of a bouncy, chewy wrapper. The bounciness was a work of art, a genius-texture shumai😊

They said a local chef makes it, and the taste really was different. This is the real deal for Taiwanese food...! After the shumai, I really want to try the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) next time.

Cheonghwawon beef knife-cut noodles: are the spices strong?

Cheonghwawon's beef knife-cut noodles cost ₩10,500 and felt like an absolute bargain, and the spice flavor wasn't strong enough to divide people. This was the main dish I was most looking forward to! From the first sip of the deep, rich broth, there was no off smell but an appealing spice flavor, rich and nutty, so delicious!!! And I loved that the spice still wasn't overpowering haha

And the well-simmered beef shank..! The texture was so good and chewy, and it went really well with the broth! Then there are the knife-cut noodles themselves, bouncy yet soft!! The texture is really different from regular noodles, with such a fresh charm❤️❤️

Best combo: tomato-egg sauce over knife-cut noodles and shumai

Pile Cheonghwawon's tomato-egg stir-fry on top of the knife-cut noodles and you've got a tomato-egg noodle dish in no time. Hehe, you've got to try it, so good!

The tomato-egg sauce is also amazing on top of the shumai. The sauce was a total all-purpose cheat code😍

Missed the play, but dinner at Cheonghwawon in Daehangno was a win

We didn't get to see the play, but our Daehangno food-spot conquest was a big success this weekend, haha. At least something went well, so it wasn't a bad day.

It was my first time at a Taiwanese restaurant, and the staff were so kind, and the dishes had a properly local feel and were delicious, so I was very satisfied with Cheonghwawon. Since solo dining and drinking are possible, it would also be a good pick when you want something different to eat and drink alone in Daehangno!