Hadongkwan
Historic restaurant in Seoul, South Korea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hadongkwan (Korean: 하동관; Hanja: 河東館; RR: Hadonggwan) is a historic Korean restaurant in Myeong-dong, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. The restaurant was founded in 1939, and specializes in the ox bone soup dish gomtang. It is currently listed on the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand restaurant.[1][2] It is reportedly only open for lunch time, and closes whenever it runs out of food.[2]
| Hadongkwan | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Hadongkwan | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1939 |
| Food type | Korean cuisine, gomguk |
| Location | 12 Myeongdong 9-gil, Jung District, Seoul, 04538, South Korea |
| Coordinates | 37.5643°N 126.9849°E |
| Website | www |
The restaurant was founded by Ryu Chang-hui (류창희), the daughter of a wealthy family in Seoul. She handed the restaurant off to her friend's daughter-in-law, who in turn passed the restaurant onto Kim Hui-yeong (김희영) in 1968. Kim was reportedly preparing to hand the restaurant onto her daughter by 2008.[2] The restaurant was originally located in Sunhwa-dong, but moved to Myeong-dong in June 2007.[2]
The restaurant reportedly frequently has famous customers. It was reportedly favored by South Korean leader Park Chung Hee and his wife Yuk Young-soo. According to the restaurant's owner, every South Korean president except for Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak dined at the restaurant.[3] The restaurant owners reportedly intentionally avoid opening more locations or franchising, in order to avoid diluting the taste or service.[2]
The restaurant was recognized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as an "Oraegage", or a "Seoul Historical Store". The designation recognizes long-running businesses and provides resources to keep them in operation.[4]