[1] The business is one of relatively few to have survived the Japanese colonial period, Korean War, and rapid economic development of South Korea.

[3] The restaurant first opened in 1939, during the 1910–1945 Japanese colonial period, under proprietess Shin U-gyeong (신우경).

It initially had a Japanese-style name (in Korean: 화선옥; Hanja: 花仙屋; RR: Hwaseonok).

One reporter examined photos of the food and likened it to neobiani, a popular dish in Joseon royal court cuisine.

[1] In 2008, amidst redevelopment in the Jongno area, it moved its main location to Apgujeong-dong in Gangnam District.