# Jongno Chinese restaurant with eggplant and shumai: Cheonghwawon - By Iseul (https://superchart.com/en/@three-oclock-rice/) - Written Sep 9, 2026 - Local places › Restaurants › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written with support for a visit to the restaurant. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@three-oclock-rice/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@three-oclock-rice/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/index.md) ## In short Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is a Chinese and Taiwanese restaurant near Hyehwa Station in Jongno, Seoul. We shared shumai, fried eggplant, and beef stir-fried noodles, with the crisp yet tender eggplant standing out most. Verdict: a satisfying pick for a pre- or post-show meal or a date in Daehangno. ## Good to know - **Location**: Jongno, Seoul - **Best for**: Pre- or post-show meals, dates, and sharing several dishes - **Standout dish**: Crispy, tender fried eggplant *as written by the visitor on Sep 9, 2026* I found Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch (청화원 대학로점) while looking for somewhere to eat in Hyehwa ✨ I was craving something a little different from my usual choices, so I decided to go in. ![Visit to Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-01-l45tb-900.webp) The menu ranges from knife-cut noodles to dim sum and fried eggplant, so it was great for ordering a few different things to share. ![Knife-cut noodle and dim sum menu](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-02-1onwj-900.webp) ![Chinese dishes served with fried eggplant](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-03-w11h8-900.webp) If you like Chinese or Taiwanese food in Hyehwa, this felt like a Daehangno restaurant worth trying at least once 😊 ## A wide range of Chinese dishes near Hyehwa Station Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is close to Hyehwa Station, so it is pretty easy to get to. When you have plans for a play or a date in Daehangno, choosing a restaurant can be a task in itself, right? Especially on weekends, everywhere is crowded and I end up debating the menu for ages. ![Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch restaurant](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-04-vkffq-900.webp) Cheonghwawon has plenty of choices, from noodles and dim sum to larger dishes, so it looked like a comfortable place for groups to choose a meal 🙌 Its location is also quite handy for anyone looking for a filling meal before or after a performance in Daehangno. ## Hot, juicy shumai The first thing I tried was the shumai (steamed dumplings) 💛 I picked one up as soon as it arrived piping hot, and the generous filling made it more substantial than I expected. ![Freshly steamed shumai](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-05-5ogvp-900.webp) ![Shumai with a generous filling](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-06-pfb86-900.webp) The wrapper was not too thick and the filling was moist, making these perfect to pick at before the mains arrived. They were bite-sized, not heavy, and not overly seasoned, so I kept reaching for more. ![Moist shumai dim sum](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-07-anxb3-900.webp) If you visit Cheonghwawon, I would recommend adding an order of dim sum rather than ordering noodles alone ✨ ## Crispy yet tender fried eggplant And the dish that really made an impression on me was the fried eggplant 🔥 Even if you are not a huge eggplant fan, it can be a different story when it is fried, right? ![Cheonghwawon fried eggplant](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-08-1gfyd-900.webp) ![Crispy fried eggplant](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-09-msa5y-900.webp) The outside was crisp while the eggplant inside was soft and juicy, and that contrast in texture was so good. I think even people who dislike eggplant's usual squishy texture could enjoy this more easily! ![Fried eggplant with sauce](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-10-x1tyd-900.webp) The sauce added savory depth, and I kept picking up piece after piece 😋 If you are visiting with several people and want to add a side dish, I would recommend the fried eggplant. ## Filling beef stir-fried noodles For our main, we ordered beef stir-fried noodles. The seasoning was evenly worked through the noodles and there was beef mixed in too, making it quite a filling dish on its own ✨ ![Cheonghwawon beef stir-fried noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-11-1a2l2-900.webp) ![Stir-fried noodles with beef](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-12-9kzn7-900.webp) It had the wok aroma and salty, savory flavor typical of stir-fried noodles, so it was nice to alternate it with the shumai and fried eggplant. ![Wok-scented beef stir-fried noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-13-6sd2j-900.webp) Noodles alone can become a little repetitive, but bites of beef throughout definitely made the dish feel more satisfying. ![A plate of beef stir-fried noodles](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-14-1vzwf-900.webp) If you are ordering several dishes to share, adding the beef stir-fried noodles to the mix was a good combination 👍 ## How the three dishes worked together The shumai was moist and clean-tasting, the fried eggplant was crisp yet soft, and the beef stir-fried noodles were filling and savory! Since all three had different styles, sharing them was more fun than having just one dish. I was happy with the spread too, since we got to enjoy dim sum, fried food, and noodles all together 🥰 ## Is it a good meal before or after a Daehangno show? Hyehwa is somewhere I often visit for plays or dates, but sometimes the same old menus get tiring, right? At times like that, Cheonghwawon was a nice option for enjoying something a little different, such as knife-cut noodles or dim sum ✨ I would recommend it to anyone looking for a filling Daehangno meal near Hyehwa Station or hoping to try several Chinese dishes together. ![Chinese dishes at Cheonghwawon in Daehangno](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-15-ffnhy-900.webp) ![Meal at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch](https://img.superchart.com/images/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum-16-h9tbx-900.webp) The fried eggplant especially stayed with me, so if I visit again, I would love to order it again alongside different dim sum 💛 ## Where it is - Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch (청화원 대학로점) - 36 Daemyeong-gil, 1st and 2nd floors, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (서울특별시 종로구 대명길 36 1층, 2층 청화원 대학로점) - 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 --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@three-oclock-rice/hyehwa-cheonghwawon-eggplant-dim-sum/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt