Seoulsup eggplant Chinese restaurant: ₩28,000 lunch set, Hwapoem

Where is Hwapoem and what should you know before going?

Hwapoem (화포엠) is a Chinese restaurant specializing in eggplant dishes, on the 2nd floor at 9-16 Wangsimni-ro 5-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 328m from Exit 8 of Ttukseom Station. It is open from 11:00 to 21:00 and has no parking. Rooms seat 6 to 8 people and group seating takes 12 to 44, there are floor-seating spots too, and Zero Pay is accepted.

I visited Hwapoem, an eggplant-specialty Chinese restaurant near Seoulsup. Hwapoem has staged an eggplant revolution in Chinese food, and it's near Exit 8 of Ttukseom Station and Exit 5 of Seoulsup Station, so it's easy to reach from either.

There's no parking support, so you'll need a nearby parking lot. Hwapoem is a newly opened eggplant Chinese restaurant in Seongsu that reinterprets traditional Chinese cooking with a modern touch.

Hwapoem is up on the 2nd floor! People tend to love or hate eggplant, but Hwapoem says it makes eggplant dishes for all ages with no divide, so I was looking forward to it.

Didn't know what you like, so we prepared all kinds of eggplants~

You can really feel how serious they are about eggplant, haha.

What are the weekday lunch wait and atmosphere like at Hwapoem?

I went to Hwapoem at 12:00 on a weekday, and surprisingly there was no wait, so we got seated right away. Seoulsup Chinese restaurant Hwapoem!

The interior looks comfortable: classy decor, a relaxed mood, and a space where you can feel the eggplant theme. If you're looking for a restaurant in Ttukseom or Seoulsup, Hwapoem would suit an important gathering, a date or a family get-together.

How is the Hwapoem menu organized, and how much is the value set?

The Hwapoem menu is split into categories: set menus, main dishes, meal dishes, sides, alcohol and drinks. From the good-value sets to the specialty eggplant dishes, I was really looking forward to all of it.

The side dishes got set out first.

The dishes we ordered at Hwapoem came out one after another. The signature value set is ₩28,000 and gets you a mini yuringi (fried chicken with scallion sauce) or a mini kkanpunggi (sweet-and-spicy fried chicken), plus a meal dish and a drink, all in one go.

Hwapoem jjajangmyeon and jjamppong

The jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), the Chinese-food basic, was generous with ingredients, with plenty of chunky bits and chewy noodles. The jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) was full of wok flavor, and the rich broth was fantastic.

Kkanpunggi and fried eggplant in the set

The kkanpunggi that comes with the set! Sweet-salty sauce, plump chunks of meat, and it came with fried eggplant too, so it never got monotonous.

What does Hwapoem's recommended yurin eggplant tempura taste like?

The yurin fried eggplant I ordered as a side is the dish Hwapoem confidently recommends. Nicely fried eggplant topped with loads of scallions has a different level of flavor, and the tangy-sweet yurin sauce earned a thumbs up.

Who should you go to Hwapoem with?

Seoulsup Chinese restaurant Hwapoem! It's good for special days and for everyday visits. With plenty of eggplant dishes and a comfortable atmosphere, it seems like a top choice with family or friends.

Takeout is available too, so you can enjoy Chinese food comfortably at home. I hope you try the special and varied menu at Hwapoem.