Korean bar in Hyehwa for pork jowl suyuk and soju-beer: Hyehwahwa

I was looking for somewhere with good vibes for a late-evening drink, and that's how I ended up at Hyehwahwa (혜화화).

I sat by the window and enjoyed a late dinner — the food was great, but what really stuck with me was the cozy, intimate atmosphere of the place.

I'm a bit of a mood person, so I care just as much about the atmosphere of a place as I do about how the food tastes.

What is the atmosphere like at Hyehwahwa?

A cozy, comfortable little Korean bar, Hyehwahwa

Unlike big, loud bars, Hyehwahwa is fairly small and relaxed, which made it feel snug and comfortable. I really love this kind of cozy neighborhood bar.

I came on a Friday night, around 8pm, and it wasn't chaotic or crowded at all, which I appreciated. If anything, it seemed to get busier once it hit past 9pm.

I was seated by an open window seat with floor-to-ceiling glass, so there was no cramped feeling at all — I could eat leisurely while looking out at the street.

Pork jowl suyuk at Hyehwahwa: smoky char, clean taste, savory sides

Clean-tasting pork jowl suyuk, with side dishes that were unbelievably savory

I had the pork jowl suyuk (boiled pork slices).

I liked the nutty, chewy texture pork jowl has, and unlike typical suyuk, this one came with a bit of a fire-seared char, which made it taste even better.

The clean, nutty flavor was great, and the subtle smoky aroma made it pair really well as a drinking snack.

The pork jowl itself wasn't dry at all — just chewy and tender enough that I kept reaching for one piece after another.

But honestly, what I remember most are the side dishes that came with the suyuk.

The white kimchi and perilla leaf salad were so good I wanted to take some home separately.

Eating suyuk on its own can get a little heavy or repetitive, but wrapping it with white kimchi and perilla leaf salad meant every last piece still tasted amazing.

Some people prefer eating the main dish plainly, without sides, but I'm a side-dish person through and through, so a place with great banchan is exactly my kind of place.

Complimentary snacks: tofu and white kimchi

Clean tofu and refreshing white kimchi

At Hyehwahwa, tofu and white kimchi come out as the standard side dish.

I'd never seen a bar serve this combo as a default side before, so it felt refreshing, and it went really well alongside what I ordered. I've heard some people just drink straight soju with kimchi, and this would suit them perfectly.

I'm not really someone who drinks without a snack, so once the main dishes arrived, I happily ate this as a side. There was a plate of white kimchi as a standard side, plus another plate that came with the suyuk — so between the two, I really got my fill.

Gim-flaked stone pot rice instead of wrap greens

Nutty, savory gim-flaked rice

I usually eat suyuk wrapped in lettuce without rice, but there were no wrap greens here, so I ordered the gim-flaked rice in a stone pot instead. The menu said it was a stone-pot rice loaded with sesame oil and gim (dried seaweed) flakes, and it sounded like it would be delicious.

The gim flakes were piled so high you couldn't even see the rice underneath — and even though all you could see was rice, seaweed, and sesame seeds, it was so good.

I'm the kind of person who wants rice even when eating drinking snacks, so this kind of dish is right up my alley.

I wasn't sure if the suyuk and rice would go well together when I ordered it, but I'd definitely order this combo again next time.

How to mix a soju-beer with Kelly and Saero

Kelly, Chum Churum Saero

Hyehwahwa has quite a wide drink selection, so I spent a while deciding before landing on Kelly and Chum Churum Saero. I find it easier to drink beer and soju mixed together rather than separately.

I don't usually drink Kelly or Saero much, but mixed together they paired so well with the food that the drinks just kept going down easily. The nutty flavor and gentle smoky char of the pork jowl suyuk went especially well with the soju-beer, and snacking on white kimchi and perilla leaf salad in between kept me reaching for more.

Since it was late in the evening, I'd planned on just a light drink at first, but with the food and the basic side dishes being this good, I naturally kept refilling my glass. I'd meant to squeeze in dessert too, but there was no more room left, so I finished things off cleanly with the suyuk, gim rice, and soju-beer.

If you're looking for a quiet Korean bar in Hyehwa, I'd recommend Hyehwahwa!