Hunan speciality restaurant in Hongdae
Baekwoon’s (백운이네) is a Chinese restaurant specializing in Hunan cuisine in Hongdae (right off Exit 8). It’s been open since August 2017.
Hunan cuisine is generally considered to be spicier than Sichuan (Szechuan) cuisine. Where Sichuan uses a lot mind numbing peppercorns, Hunan uses a lot of chili peppers.
They have Mala Xiang Guo which incorporates peppercorn. [This is the dish that James Chung discussed recently in detail in his RBS post.] Given the popularity of the dish, it may be offered as a menu item notwithstanding it’s non-Hunan-ness. I cannot verify the origin of Male Xiang Guo.
For all of the dishes, you can ask for extra spicy. We asked for normal (보통) spicy and it was spicy enough. The only non-spicy dish was the white rice (and fried rice) and tomato-egg stir-fry.
If you like spicy food then you will like Baekwoon’s. The restaurant is tucked in the back of a small alley. You can easily miss it.
Next time I go (and I will be back), I will be bringing my own towel. Those small cocktail napkins Korean restaurants use was inadequate to soak up the intense rainfall of sweat.
Naver Info
https://store.naver.com/restaurants/detail?id=1785732812
