Hwajeong Station gukbap with unlimited sundae and pyeonyuk: Pyeongando

Once the weather turned chilly, I suddenly craved a hot bowl of soup, haha.

So I went looking for a good place near home and ended up at this gukbap (soup with rice) restaurant in Hwajeong-dong: Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch (평안도식당 화정점).

Where is Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch, and is there parking?

Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch is about a 2-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hwajeong Station on Line 3. It is in the building with the Tous Les Jours in front of Deogyang-gu Office, so even on my first visit it was easy to find. Being so close to the station, it looks easy to reach by public transport too.

If you come by car, there is a mechanical parking lot in the building, but only small cars fit, so I recommend the nearby public car park, 1–2 minutes' walk away.

What I personally liked most is that Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch is open 24 hours, every day of the year. For a late-night meal or when you badly need a hangover soup, you can go without worrying about the time.

Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch menu and atmosphere

Besides sundae-guk (blood sausage soup), Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch has a really wide menu: bone hangover soup, yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), beef offal soup, tteokmanduguk (rice cake and dumpling soup), gamjatang (pork bone stew) and more. Even if someone in your group doesn't like sundae-guk, everyone can pick something to their taste, so it looks great for group meals and company dinners too.

Another convenience: every table has an order tablet, so you can take your time choosing and order from your seat without calling a staff member.

The interior was also bigger than I expected, and with plenty of space between tables it felt comfortable rather than cramped. With such roomy seating, it looks like a great choice for group meals near Hwajeong Station.

Where do the ingredients come from?

One more thing that caught my eye was the country-of-origin sign:

At Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch, most of the main ingredients other than red pepper powder are domestic (Korean). I always check the origin when eating out, so seeing so many domestic ingredients made me feel more at ease.

The 15,000-won Pyeongando sundae set: what's unlimited?

The Pyeongando sundae set is the restaurant's signature menu: for ₩15,000 you get one bowl of sundae-guk plus unlimited sundae and pyeonyuk (sliced boiled pork). We ordered this set, and with unlimited sundae and pyeonyuk it felt like quite good value. It seems perfect for people who want to eat until full, or for anyone who wants a drink in the evening.

The sundae and pyeonyuk are on the self-bar, so you can take as much as you like. Kimchi, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), peppers, cheongyang chilies, onions and garlic are there too.

Unlimited sundae and pyeonyuk refill hours

The sundae and pyeonyuk refill hours at Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch are 11:30–14:00 for lunch and 17:30–20:00 for dinner, so keep that in mind if you visit! The sundae was kept warm, and the whole self-bar looked neatly maintained, which impressed me.

Each table also has salt, pepper, perilla powder, salted shrimp and spicy dadegi (seasoning paste). While I was looking around at everything, the side dishes arrived. They bring the first round of basic side dishes, and you can get more yourself from the self-bar.

From kimchi to kkakdugi, the sides were a good match for the sundae and pyeonyuk.

How did the mixed sundae-guk taste?

For the sundae-guk in the Pyeongando sundae set you can choose mixed, meat only or sundae only, and we ordered mixed for both bowls. Finally, our set arrived.

At first glance there didn't seem to be that many ingredients, but when I stirred it with my spoon, the bowl was really packed. And this wasn't the upgraded "special" size, and I still couldn't finish it and left a little, sob.

The broth wasn't heavy or oily; it was clean yet rich. I'm sensitive to gamey smells, but I could barely detect the typical pork smell, so it was easy to eat.

The broth is lightly seasoned by default, so it was fine to eat as is, but I wanted a nuttier taste, so I added a spoonful of perilla powder.

How to eat the unlimited sundae and pyeonyuk

Sundae that sits on a self-bar for a long time tends to get cold or dry, but at Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch it is kept warm, so it tasted good every time I went back for more. I topped the sundae with salted shrimp, put well-fermented kkakdugi on the meat for a bite, and had a bite of pyeonyuk with salted shrimp too! A crunchy pepper goes alongside as well. Eating a bite or two of this and that, I was soon getting full.

And when only a little broth was left, I stirred in the spicy dadegi, which would be a shame to skip. I started out with the mild, nutty flavor and finished with a spicy kick. Honestly the sundae-guk alone is a big portion, and with unlimited sundae and pyeonyuk on top, ₩15,000 felt even better.

Is Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch worth going back to?

Pyeongando Restaurant Hwajeong Branch is good for a solid solo meal, but with its varied menu and large dining room it also looks fine for group dinners and gatherings. Above all, the sundae-guk portion is generous and you get unlimited sundae and pyeonyuk too, so I left properly full~!

The soup had plenty of ingredients and the self-bar was kept clean, so overall I was satisfied. The friend I ate with said on the way out, "we are definitely coming back here," hahaha. Plus, being open 24 hours a day, every day, means you can visit for a late meal or a hangover cure without worrying about the time, which is a big advantage.

If you're craving a hot, filling bowl of gukbap near Hwajeong Station, it's worth a visit. Next time I'll go back to try a different menu item!!