Weeknight dinner for two in Daehangno: Cheonghwawon Chinese restaurant

A Chinese and Taiwanese lunch spot in Daehangno: Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch

Where to eat in Daehangno when you want more than burgers and pasta

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch sells Chinese and Taiwanese food in Daehangno. I was tired of the usual burgers and pasta and wanted something a bit different, so I went searching and found this dim sum spot in Daehangno. Beef knife-cut noodles, dim sum, guobaorou — so many menu options that I ran straight over. Here's my review of the four dishes we demolished as a couple (with Dyu's recommendation included).

Inside Cheonghwawon: two floors, easy for solo diners too

The interior of Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is spread over the 1st and 2nd floors. We visited on a weekday evening and there were quite a few solo diners. A relaxed atmosphere even for eating alone!

There were plenty of Korean customers, but also lots of tables speaking Chinese, which gave it a nice authentic feel haha. As dinnertime went on, more and more people kept coming in and the place got pretty packed. If you visit on a weekend or a bit later, there might be a wait.

Cheonghwawon menu and prices: four dishes for two people

Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch's menu turned out to be more varied than I expected — noodles, dim sum, rice dishes, fried dishes, stir-fries, and cold dishes. There were only two of us but we wanted to try a bunch, so we ordered four dishes ^^ (full pig mode)

Before the food arrived, they gave us salted peanuts and cabbage pickles.

• Beef knife-cut noodles ₩10,500
• Xiaolongbao ₩9,500
• Guobaorou ₩17,000
• Fried eggplant ₩14,000
• Rice ₩1,000

Xiaolongbao 9,500 won: how juicy are the soup dumplings?

The xiaolongbao came out first. Steam was rising off it and it looked so good.

Xiaolongbao are supposed to be all about that juicy broth inside, and the moment I bit in, soup came pouring out — so much of it. No need for soy sauce dip either, the seasoning was already spot on, and the deep flavor of the broth with the chewy meat inside made it delicious.

Beef knife-cut noodles 10,500 won at Cheonghwawon

First time trying beef knife-cut noodles. Unlike regular noodles, these are thin, wide strips cut off one by one with a knife.

The broth felt familiar yet different from what I usually have! The wide noodles held the broth well, so the seasoning came through, and the chewy, rustic texture was fun. The meat was cut in big chunks too, adding a nice bite. First time trying this dish, but it turned out to be more my style than I expected.

Guobaorou 17,000 won: crispy sweet and sour pork

Fried up crispy — passed the visual test right away. Tasting it, there was a bit of oiliness, but the outside was crunchy and the portion was generous, good for sharing among a group. The sauce was just the right sweet-and-sour, so I kept picking at it.

Fried eggplant 14,000 won: the dish even eggplant-haters finish

An unexpected discovery. If my boyfriend hadn't ordered it, I would never have picked this haha. I'm an eggplant hater, but I ate this fried eggplant. The outside was fried crispy, and above all, the sauce was so good that the eggplant flavor barely came through.

My boyfriend took one bite and immediately ordered rice, then started crushing rice with the eggplant! I put some eggplant over rice too and took a bite — the sauce was so good it paired really well with rice. If you order the fried eggplant, try it with a bowl of rice~~~

What two people should order at Cheonghwawon Daehangno

We munched through four dishes at Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch — beef knife-cut noodles, xiaolongbao, guobaorou, and fried eggplant. The juicy xiaolongbao and the fried eggplant that even I, an eggplant hater, enjoyed were the most memorable. If you're craving something different from the usual Chinese food in Daehangno, Cheonghwawon Daehangno Branch is a great Daehangno Chinese restaurant to visit for lunch too.