Cheoncheon-dong Suwon malatang charged only by weight: Rahongbang

Rahongbang Malatang Suwon Cheoncheon Branch is a malatang spot near Starfield Suwon that doesn't charge extra for skewers or meat.

• ⏰ Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00 / Sun 12:00-21:00
• 🚗 Roadside parking available (weekdays 11:00-14:00)

It had been ages since I had malatang. I was looking for a light lunch spot before heading to Starfield Suwon and spotted Rahongbang Malatang, so I stopped by. It had a lot of repeat-visit reviews so I had high hopes, and yep, it was delicious.

Packed even at weekday lunch? Inside Rahongbang Malatang Suwon Cheoncheon Branch

I figured it'd be empty since it was a weekday, but I was so glad I went early. Maybe because it's near Sungkyunkwan University and surrounded by apartment complexes, but the place filled up in no time and I even saw people waiting for a table.

Are skewers and meat really free of extra charge?

One of the reasons Rahongbang Malatang Suwon Cheoncheon Branch was such a next-level satisfying visit is that there's no extra fee for skewers or meat. At other malatang places, skewers are usually ₩1,000 each and meat is an extra ₩3,000 — here you get all of that with no add-on charge, which alone is reason enough to come back to this Cheoncheon-dong restaurant.

How varied is the ingredient bar?

The ingredients were genuinely varied too, every single bin fully stocked, so it was easy to pick exactly what you like. My favorite, fenzi (glass noodles), came in several kinds, and they also had Chinese vermicelli and frozen tofu.

I also loaded up generously on bean sprouts.

Oyster mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, plus fuzhu (tofu skin sticks) and tofu sheets and noodles too — Rahongbang Malatang in Suwon is great for a hearty spread.

There's also a variety of sausages and rice cakes, so it's fun picking through them. My sister recommended the corn cheese rice cake, so I grabbed some, and it turned out to be quite good.

Octopus balls, shrimp balls, tofu balls, lobster fish balls, claw-shaped fish balls — the skewer items are all separated individually, so you just take however many you want.

Meat is also charged by weight with no separate extra fee, so you can pick it out freely without worrying.

I went with level 1.5 spicy, Shin Ramyun-level heat. I'm pretty spice-shy, but that fiery red visual of malatang still makes my mouth water 🙄

Side menu and solo-dining portion sizes

This Suwon restaurant has plenty of sides that go well with malatang too — guabaorou, lemon cream shrimp, fried rice, and more. There are small options like mini, single, and small sizes, so you can order without worry even if you're dining solo.

How did the level 1.5 malatang taste?

I'd loaded up plenty already, but once the broth was added it looked like even more. I'd heard the rule is to taste the broth first, so I took a sip — the spice level was just right and the taste was clean, not greasy at all, which made me let out an audible "wow."

Between the texture-genius fenzi, corn noodles, enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts and everything else I'd piled in, just a light dip of the chopsticks brought up a whole mound of ingredients — very satisfying.

The frozen tofu and fried tofu, soaked through with malatang broth, were delicious too.

At other places I usually hesitate to add skewers because of the extra charge, but here I just piled them in and dug in without holding back.

Then the guabaorou and lemon cream shrimp arrived. Rahongbang Malatang gave me such a generous spread I wondered if I could even finish it all.

Mini guabaorou (sweet and sour fried pork)

I always order guabaorou (crispy sweet-and-sour pork) with malatang, and the one here was even better than usual. It came out fresh and hot from the fryer, and the sauce wasn't overly seasoned — just the right balance of sweet and tangy, exactly my taste.

Crispy on the outside, chewy inside — the guabaorou nailed the texture too.

Coating that last piece thoroughly in the thick sauce gives you that sticky, sweet-and-tangy flavor, which really shows why it's such a fitting side for malatang.

Lemon cream shrimp

If you visit this Cheoncheon-dong restaurant, try the lemon cream shrimp too. I expected it to be heavy, but the lemon cream dressing made it slightly refreshing — better than I anticipated.

The shrimp were pretty large and plump, and with a thin batter you could really feel that moist texture. Rahongbang Malatang, a Cheoncheon-dong restaurant near Starfield Suwon where you can enjoy malatang, guabaorou, and lemon cream shrimp all in one visit — I'd love to stop by again next time I'm in the area :-)