Cheonmakjip Hyehwa Branch

About

Retro indoor pocha near Hyehwa Station serving fully grilled pork belly, beef tripe, and kimchi on hot platters alongside free kettle plum extract for soju.

Tucked down an alleyway steps from Hyehwa Station's Exit 4, Cheonmakjib brings indoor-pocha theater to Daehangno. Marked by a bold red sign, the space leans headlong into its tent-bar aesthetic: a red tarp overhead, graffiti-scrawled walls, single light bulbs suspended above round metal tables, and handwritten notices bluntly taped to the decor with green duct tape. It channels the breezy, nostalgic grit of an outdoor night stall, but with air conditioning that spares diners from sweating over tabletop burners. The defining draw is the kitchen’s pre-grilling. Meats arrive fully cooked and perfumed with smoky char, ready to eat without grease spatter. The menu splits between pork and beef innards, with the pork-kimchi-gopchang-daechang platter reigning as a house standard. Laden with pork belly, small intestines, and rich daechang, the sizzling mound comes bordered with seared kimchi and a generous pile of sliced garlic and Cheongyang peppers. Balance the oily chew by loading a leaf of lettuce with pickled radish, a dab of mayonnaise, and sweet soy dipping sauce. Those seeking Hanwoo beef opt for the beef intestines combo, which mixes gopchang, daechang, heart, and thin beef brisket over a bed of mushrooms and deeply caramelized kimchi. Side picks run from crisp, chewy cheese-myeongran potato pancakes to steaming rolled omelets, and arriving before 7:00 PM often secures a complimentary small plate of raw beef sashimi. Drinks center on the house ritual: order a bottle of soju at the kiosk, select the complimentary kettle service, and staff deliver a tin kettle packed with ice and dark plum syrup to blend into a tart, sweet plum soju. While late evenings reliably trigger waitlists, the turn from twilight into late night captures Daehangno at its most lively.