Dinner for two at Sinchon Chinese restaurant Cheonghwaweon: ganpunggi

I was looking for somewhere to have dinner with my sister near Sinchon Hyundai Department Store, and we ended up at Cheonghwaweon, a well-known Sinchon restaurant. There are so many menu options when you're hunting for a place to eat in Sinchon, but that day I was craving Chinese food, so Cheonghwaweon it was.

Where is Cheonghwaweon and what are its hours?

Cheonghwaweon is at 10 Myeongmul-gil, 1st floor, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, open daily from 11:00 to 22:20, with last order at 22:00. I liked that it's near Sinchon Hyundai Department Store, so it's easy to get to. If you're shopping or meeting someone in Sinchon and looking for a place to eat, it's a decent spot to swing by.

They brought out the side dishes first — cabbage salad, soy sauce, and peanuts.

Inside Cheonghwaweon: is solo dining comfortable?

Walking into Cheonghwaweon, the interior was bigger than I expected and the tables were spaced out comfortably, giving it a relaxed atmosphere.

The gap between tables wasn't cramped, so it was nice for the two of us to eat together, and when I actually visited I noticed quite a few solo diners too. It felt like an easy, no-pressure place to grab a simple meal alone, so if you're looking for somewhere to eat solo in Sinchon, this could work.

Free rice and table ordering and payment at Cheonghwaweon

Cheonghwaweon has a wide menu so there was plenty to choose from, and the rice was free, which was a nice touch.

What was especially convenient was being able to order and pay directly from each table. No waiting around for staff — I could check the menu and order right from the table. Taking my time to pick dishes and then paying right away made the whole system really easy to use.

Three dishes for two: ganpunggi, xiaolongbao and beef daoxiaomian

We ordered ganpunggi (spicy fried chicken) ₩19,800, xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) ₩9,500, and beef daoxiaomian (knife-cut noodles) ₩10,500. There were only two of us, but with three dishes on the table it turned out more filling than I expected — a proper full dinner.

Beef daoxiaomian (knife-cut noodles), ₩10,500

We also ordered the beef daoxiaomian, and having one dish with broth made the whole meal feel more balanced. Alternating between the noodles and the saucier ganpunggi worked really well.

The daoxiaomian's signature wide, chewy noodles gave it a different texture from your typical noodle dish.

Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), ₩9,500

The dish my sister loved most was the xiaolongbao. She's always been a fan of dumplings like this, and she really enjoyed it that day too.

Eating them hot, the juicy broth inside and the soft dumpling wrapper went together perfectly — of everything we ordered, this was my sister's favorite.

Ganpunggi (spicy fried chicken), ₩19,800

We also tried the ganpunggi, and the portion was seriously huge. Even eating it alongside the other dishes for two, it was enough to fill us up completely. The flavor felt a bit more familiar than typical Chinese-style ganpunggi — to me it tasted almost like fried chicken. The outside was crispy and the sauce had a light kick of spice that kept me reaching for more. It wasn't overly spicy or intense, so if you like a bit of heat, this should be an easy dish to enjoy.

Looking at all three dishes together, the ganpunggi had a generous portion great for sharing among a group, and the xiaolongbao is worth ordering at least once if you're a dumpling person.

Is Cheonghwaweon worth it for dinner for two?

If you're craving Chinese food in Sinchon or looking for somewhere to eat near Sinchon Hyundai Department Store, Cheonghwaweon seems like a solid choice. My sister and I split three dishes — ganpunggi, xiaolongbao, and beef daoxiaomian — and each one had a different vibe, so it was fun trying a bit of everything. Especially the generously portioned ganpunggi and the xiaolongbao that my sister finished off entirely — highly recommend both!