Hyehwa-dong pub for post-play dinner: seaweed rice bowl, Hyehwahwa

Don't you just want a good dinner and a drink after watching a play in Hyehwa?? We felt the same, so after our play we headed to Hyehwahwa, a well-known Hyehwa pub, for dinner and drinks!!

What are the entrance and interior of Hyehwahwa like?

Hyehwahwa is a straw-fire cooking and fusion Korean pub on the 2nd floor of 29-3 Daemyeong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The concept was clear from the entrance!

You could feel the atmosphere even before stepping in!! Hyehwahwa's concept was so clear right from the entrance that I thought "ooh, this place means business" haha

(You could really tell the owner put a lot of thought into the interior...)

The inside was clean but had a subtle mood too, really nice for a drink in the evening!! And since it's an open kitchen, you can watch the straw-fire grilling process right in front of you!! Seeing the food being made in real time made it feel extra trustworthy haha

There's also a restaurant-only restroom near the entrance, and it was well kept, which I liked too!!

Which seats are best at Hyehwahwa?

If you're visiting Hyehwahwa in the evening, I'd recommend a window seat!! The view outside blends with the shop's mood and it's prettier than you'd expect~ It was perfect for sitting and chatting with my boyfriend too! Places like this just naturally get you into a date mood haha

Side dish refills and the welcome drink at Hyehwahwa

Hyehwahwa's basic side dishes were so good we ended up asking for refills lol

The basic side dishes were mild, not overpowering, and really tasty!! We ended up refilling them twice lol... we came here for drinking snacks and somehow worked hard through the side dishes too...!!

On top of that, there was a welcome drink ready for us, so the first glass started things off on a good note!! Little touches like this stick in your memory when you come back haha

The three dishes ordered at Hyehwahwa

• Straw-fired gopchang bomb spicy hotpot
• Tteubbul hanwoo yukhoe & aged-kimchi egg sushi
• Gimgaru ttukbap (seaweed-flake rice)

Straw-fired gopchang bomb spicy hotpot 🍲

First we tried the straw-fired gopchang bomb spicy hotpot!! With a name like 'gopchang bomb' I had high hopes, and it really did come out generously, so we went "whoa~" the moment it arrived. The spicy, rich broth combined with gopchang's (beef tripe) distinct savoriness made it perfect as a drinking snack!! A spoonful of broth then a sip of Terra beer — kya~ that's the combo!!

I especially thought this was a great dish when you want to cover dinner and drinks at the same time haha

Tteubbul hanwoo yukhoe (raw beef tartare) & aged-kimchi egg sushi 💛

My personal favorite dish was the aged-kimchi egg sushi!! The tangy, crunchy aged kimchi paired with soft egg and rice made a really great combination!! With one bite, the flavors of each ingredient didn't fight each other — they just fit together haha

Gimgaru ttukbap: the seaweed-flake rice that ties the meal together

The gimgaru ttukbap (seaweed-flake rice) portion was bigger than expected!! Looked like about 1.5 servings, so it's great to order one for two people to share haha Especially paired with the straw-fired gopchang bomb spicy hotpot, it was such a good combo!! Eating the rice together with the spicy hotpot broth... your spoon just keeps moving... Having a proper serving of rice made it feel like a filling meal even while drinking!!

What kind of place is Hyehwahwa?

Hyehwahwa is a fusion Korean pub, so there's quite a range of menu choices!

A straw-fire cooking and fusion Korean pub built on recipes passed down across 30 years, from a mother with decades of experience (born 1966) and her son, a young chef (born 1996) who trained at a Michelin 3-star Korean restaurant.

Maybe that's why it felt a bit different from typical pub food!! Each dish felt like it had quality good enough to be a proper meal, not just something thrown together as a drinking snack haha In fact, when we visited, quite a few people seemed to be there for a meal rather than just drinks!! With such a wide variety of dishes, it seemed like a great spot for dinner-plus-drinks as a first stop, or for a lighter second or third round!!

Naver review event ice cream at Hyehwahwa 🍦

After finishing our meal, we got ice cream through the Naver review event!! Chocolate and green tea, two flavors, and the portion was bigger than expected so it was good to share haha Finishing off a meal with something sweet and cold made for a perfect ending!!

Worth it for a date after a play in Hyehwa-dong?

Overall, the food, atmosphere, and service were all satisfying!! Above all, if you're looking for a place to have dinner and drinks after a play like we did, I think this is a really solid choice haha It's great if you want tasty Korean drinking snacks with a drink, and the mood is nice enough to recommend for a date too!! If you're wondering where to go after a play in Hyehwa, try Hyehwahwa, a well-known Hyehwa pub!! If you want to properly enjoy tasty Korean snacks in a great atmosphere, it'll make for a satisfying evening :)