Gwacheon Korean restaurant near the racetrack: Haenon Miyeok

Last weekend, my husband and I went to Gwacheon! We spent the whole day having fun at the racetrack, haha, and had a delicious, filling bowl of seaweed soup for lunch! I really love miyeokguk (seaweed soup), and we had such a good meal at Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch (해논미역 과천직영점).

Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch on the way to Gwacheon Racetrack

Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The building and parking lot are both large, so parking and visiting were easy. I made a Naver reservation beforehand! It is right on the way to Gwacheon Racetrack, which makes it a really convenient stop!

They say Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch gives one abalone free to pregnant guests and guests who verify that it is their birthday!! It would be such a nice place to visit on your birthday, haha.

A spacious, upscale dining room

The interior was really spacious and had an upscale feel! It works for group meals as well as dining alone! By the way, I also saw people getting takeout.

Ordering beef and scallop seaweed soup sets

Time to order right away. We ordered the beef seaweed soup set for ₩20,000 and the scallop seaweed soup set for ₩19,000. There were so many kinds of seaweed soup, plus meat dishes like beef bulgogi and stir-fried spicy pork! I loved that there were so many options, including dried pollock, sea urchin roe, mussel, and abalone seaweed soups, haha.

Self-bar side dishes we went back for

There were basic side dishes at the self bar, and they were so nicely done! It was filled with neat, nutritious, tasty banchan (Korean side dishes), so we went back for more, haha. Can't you tell that care went into every single dish?! And of course, they were all delicious!

The basic side dishes arrived! From the reviews, it seems that they change a little from time to time. On the day I visited, there was even fried eggplant, which I absolutely love! Honestly, I could eat a whole bowl of rice with just the side dishes and rice... haha.

There was tasty japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), chicken-breast salad, flounder, and more salad, so it was such a generous spread. It would be really nice to bring your parents here! We were already full from the side dishes alone, hahahaha.

Looking at it like this, the side dishes really are generous, right?! There was japchae at the self-service corner too, and it felt so good—like having a home-cooked meal for the first time in a while! I'm definitely a Korean-food person... We were hungry, so we dug right in.

Hot seaweed soup made to order

The seaweed soup arrived too! They make it as soon as you order, and it came bubbling hot in a generous ttukbaegi (earthenware pot)! Doesn't it look so good? Haha, but it really was delicious!

Rich perilla broth in the beef seaweed soup

This was the beef seaweed soup I ordered! Just looking at the color of the broth, it looked so rich, and it was packed with seaweed and beef! I also saw people adding a takeout container and packing up their leftover soup.

The beef seaweed soup was so good! The broth itself was incredibly rich, and I could taste the perilla seeds too. It was full of seaweed, so it felt like a healthy, nourishing meal, and it was great mixed with rice! That intensely rich, deep broth was amazing... haha.

Chewy, tender scallop seaweed soup

The scallop seaweed soup was packed with scallops too! I think the main difference from the beef seaweed soup is simply meat versus seafood!! My husband loves scallops, so he ordered it, and the scallops were chewy and tender! Above all, the portion was so generous that it was hard to finish. I recommend bringing your own takeout container. A store takeout container costs ₩1,000~!

At Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch, the broth itself was so rich—it tasted like it had been slowly simmered for a long time! There was plenty of seaweed, so it felt healthy and made for such a delicious meal. The deep flavor in the broth was wonderful, and seaweed soup does not leave you feeling heavy!

I thought the seaweed might have a fishy ocean smell, but there was none at all. It was soft and had a great texture!! I think it would be easy for both older people and children to eat. We enjoyed it so much! It tastes different from seaweed soup made at home, so I really recommend trying it at the restaurant or as takeout!

They say that if you join the receipt review event at Haenon Miyeok Gwacheon Direct Branch, you receive a drink or delicious jeon (Korean pancake). Be sure to take part!!

A filling, healthy Korean meal in Gwacheon

It had been a while since I had seaweed soup, and it felt so filling and like such a healthy meal! We had a truly delicious meal. The owner and staff were kind, and every side dish was neatly prepared and generous, so I want to visit again next time! I highly, highly recommend it ♥ We plan to stop by every time we come to Gwacheon. If you love Korean food, you have to visit!