Hanam Misa scorched rice soup restaurant with sofa booths: O Hyeongje

With that cool morning and evening breeze these days, I've been craving something hot and hearty. This week my whole family headed to O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch near Starfield Hanam for a proper, nourishing meal. I'm already a big fan of nurungjitang (scorched rice soup), but here they pour the seafood sauce over a piping-hot stone pot right at the table — the sizzle alone was overwhelming!

Where is O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa, and is parking free?

O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch sits right on Misa-daero on the way to Starfield Hanam, so it was really easy to find. Since it's a standalone building, the big sign is visible from far away! Best of all, there's a parking lot right in front of the restaurant, so there's no parking stress, and if you're visiting during peak hours, booking through Naver Reservations means you can walk right in without waiting.

• Address: 616-1 Misa-daero, 1st floor, Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 11:00 - 21:20
• Parking: Free parking available in front of the restaurant

Inside the restaurant: partitioned sofa booth seats

The moment I stepped inside, I noticed how many tables there were and how spacious it felt! The soft wood-tone interior with warm lighting gave it the comfortable feel of an upscale Korean restaurant. I really liked the seating layout too — there are regular standing tables plus cushy partitioned sofa booth seats, perfect for a cozy, private family meal.

The tables were spaced generously apart too, so it looked comfortable even for bringing along elderly family members. I think my parents would love this place.

Ordering and the self-serve side dish bar

Each table has a tabletop ordering system, so it's easy to browse the menu at your own pace. We ordered the classic seafood nurungjitang and the nutrient-packed seafood abalone nurungjitang. The main dishes are all nurungjitang, but I noticed tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork), which kids love, on the menu too — great for a family meal out with children.

After ordering, I checked out the self-serve bar on one side of the restaurant and was honestly surprised by the quality of the side dishes! There was even fruit for dessert, which was a nice touch. This place is famous enough for its homemade kimchi that they sell it separately to take home, and every single side dish was mild and refined rather than overly seasoned. You can refill any side dish you run low on at the self-serve bar.

How does the seafood nurungjitang taste?

Once we ordered, a serving robot brought out the basic side dishes — so cute! The spread included tangy, savory green onion kimchi, refreshing crunchy baek-kimchi (white kimchi) and dongchimi (radish water kimchi), dried radish strips, salted squid, salad, and seasoned vegetable dishes.

As soon as the seafood nurungjitang hit the table, a staff member added freshly fried glutinous rice crust to the hot stone pot and poured on the rich seafood sauce right there — with a sizzle and clouds of savory steam rising up, the visual alone was amazing! I immediately thought I have to bring my parents here.

Taking a spoonful, the crispy rice crust hit the hot broth and turned chewy on the outside while softening tenderly inside — how could that not be delicious? Since it's the seafood version, it's generously loaded with squid, plump shrimp, wood ear mushrooms, and bok choy, giving the broth a clean, deep savoriness without being heavy.

Seafood abalone nurungjitang with live abalone and ginseng sprouts

True to its status as the signature nourishing dish, the seafood abalone nurungjitang comes topped with a whole large live abalone and fresh saessak-sam (young ginseng sprouts) — just looking at it made me feel more energized! The subtle aroma of the ginseng sprouts melted right into the rich stone pot broth, and each spoonful felt like it was warming me from the inside out. The chewy yet tender abalone paired with the sticky rice crust needs no explanation — there's no better dish for restoring energy.

The best combo: green onion kimchi on top of nurungjitang

And here's the combo you absolutely need to remember at this place! Scoop up a generous spoonful of the savory, mild-tasting nurungjitang, then pile on some tangy green onion kimchi or salty salted squid and dried radish strips from the self-serve bar. The spicy-sweet kimchi seasoning clings to what might otherwise be a plain rice crust, and suddenly you can't stop eating. I even scraped up every last bit of the rich rice crust stuck to the bottom of the stone pot, haha.

There were oranges for dessert at the self-serve bar, so I finished off with some — full and satisfied, it was the perfect meal.

Final verdict on O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa

O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang Hanam Misa Main Branch won me over twice — once with the sizzling stone-pot seafood nurungjitang performance, and again with the deeply nourishing taste of whole abalone and ginseng sprouts. The food is mild and easy on the stomach, making it a great family meal choice for parents and kids, and the self-serve bar with its delicious kimchi and fruit makes the whole meal feel even more satisfying. If you're looking for a refined, hearty, nourishing meal near Hanam Misa or Starfield, give O Hyeongje Hwangje Nurungjitang a try.