Ikseon Chwihyang 익선취향

Ikseon Chwihyang is a Western restaurant inside a hanok at 17-32 Supyo-ro 28-gil in Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Its tiled roof and timber doorway remain visible from the narrow lane, where a large name sign and menu mark the entrance. Beyond the traditional exterior, contemporary tables and lighting connect to a small gravel courtyard and terrace. Chwihyang steak centers on a thick piece of beef browned on the outside and served with vegetables and sauce. The plate emphasizes the seared surface, pinker interior, and the denser grain of beef rather than pasta or rice. Spicy cream pasta with pork jowl pairs a pale, rich cream sauce with red chili heat and grilled pieces of hangjeongsal. The pork adds soft fat and a resilient chew, so the dish moves between smooth sauce, elastic noodles, and substantial meat. Rose pasta with whole pork belly uses a pink tomato-cream sauce and a thick piece of samgyeopsal. Tomato acidity gives it a brighter direction than the cream pasta, while the broad layers of meat and fat are different from the smaller jowl pieces. Vongole takes the menu toward clams, oil, and garlic. Its clear coating, open shells, and briny liquid contrast with the opaque cream and rose sauces. Swirl omelet rice folds a thin yellow egg into a spiral over fried rice and surrounds it with sauce. Cutting through the ridges exposes a softer center that settles onto the rice below, making the shape part of how egg and rice meet. Chicken curry risotto uses short rice grains, curry, and pieces of chicken for a spoon dish rather than another noodle preparation. The grain holds the sauce between individual pieces and gives groups a rice option beside several pastas. These plates retain clear visual identities: red-pink rose sauce surrounds pork belly, pale cream carries pork jowl, dark clam shells interrupt glossy oil, yellow egg crowns the omelet rice, and browned beef occupies the steak plate. The setting creates an equally clear contrast. Old roof timbers and wooden frames enclose modern crockery, upholstered seating, and focused lights. Gravel and outdoor tables bring the texture of the Ikseon-dong lane into the dining area, while the low hanok roof keeps the room visually close and horizontal.